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Have you heard that men are from Mars and women are from Venus? Well, if they chose their respective planets based on color alone, there might be some truth to that adage. Because when it comes to choosing car colors, apparently men and women are galaxies apart.
"Actually I've been eyeing that new four-door Porsche Panamera. It's got kind of a platinum-like exterior, but it's not quite silver," says Cheryl Marcello, a service advisor at New Country Motors. "And it has that full-leather, cedar interior," she adds longingly. "I absolutely love it."
She's right. Women love platinum, AKA silver. According to PPG Industries, an automotive coating manufacturer, silver has retained its 10-year run as the country's most popular car color. But there's more than meets the eye where the science of car color is concerned, as the issue of silver is not black and white. Thanks to advances in pigment technology, consumers can now choose silver -- or, silvers, to be exact -- that have blue, copper and bronze tints, among other shades.
For men, it's all about zing. "Silver is offered in virtually every Porsche style," says Rich DelMazzio, ecommerce manager at New Country. "But women seem more drawn to silvers without contrasting interiors. They like subtle beige or gray-toned interiors; men like sportier contrasts -- like a silver exterior with a bright red leather interior. Men really seem to go for that."
And while blindingly bright yellows and fire engine reds have been on the car-color decline for years, car consumers of both sexes still want to stand out in one way or another. "I think women are looking for an elegant look," says DelMazzio. "They want something that states their individuality that's not in your face." (Take that, neon yellow.)
As for Cheryl, whose eyes sweep the Porsche showroom, "I'd take almost any one of these cars in just about any color," she says. "They're all pretty fabulous."
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