Car Buyers Seeing Green More Often

White remains the most popular car color in North America, but green is fast gaining ground. White was the color of 20% of the vehicles purchased last year, down 4% from 1992, according to the annual survey by auto paint maker DuPont Co.

Green, meanwhile, doubled in popularity to more than 15% of the market. Medium red was in third place with 10.5% of the market; bright red claimed 8.8% and black 7.2%.

“People who select green are socially well-adjusted, civilized and suburban. White, on the other hand, is innocence, purity, honesty and cleanliness,” said Roseann Forde, fashion director of women’s apparel for DuPont Fibers.

Looking ahead, DuPont predicts more purple and gold vehicles and rising consumer interest in bicolor effects, in which the hue changes when viewed at different angles.