Today is Holi, the festival of colours in India, which heralds the arrival of spring and marks the end of winter. It’s well known how colours play a key role in our lives, in the clothes we wear, in the choices we make and even the cars we drive. The colour of the car you drive ‘speaks’ a lot more about your personality than you think. In fact, it reveals what you would want the world to think about you.
Colour reflects a lot more than light. It also reflects cultural changes and sociological shifts. For instance, did you know grey is fast becoming popular in many countries which are facing an economic slowdown? That’s because people in these countries are feeling grey and their colour choices reflect their emotions. Will grey be seen more in 2024? Hope not. And it won’t in India for sure, given that the country is currently among the best-performing economies in the world at present and the third largest automobile market in the world.
There was a time when the only colour you could have for your car was black – think Ford Model T – but the world of automobiles is now hugely different and you can have your car or SUV painted in the colour of your choice, for a price of course.
Vehicle manufacturers today employ psychologists and colour analysts to learn more automotive colours in demand, what consumers desire in the colour scheme of things and what the colour trends of the future will be. Colour psychologists and analysts have come up some pointers about what colours reveal about the car owner and his/her personality.
This feature, published on Holi-day – March 25, 2024 – in India, looks into the possible reasons why you or someone else selected a particular colour for their vehicle.
Are you looking to be noticed, or are you more of a private person that’s just looking to blend in with the crowd? Are you an outgoing person, creative, conventional thinker? Perhaps the colour of someone’s car can tell us this and more.
BLACK
It’s difficult to go wrong with a black car. It looks good, so a focus and pride on appearances is important. Despite appearances being important, it could suggest a reserved and private personality, perhaps introverted, often seeking their own company.
However, it could also imply a strong desire to be respected and to gain social status. People who prioritise social status and respect from peers are usually more extroverted people that live in the moment.
Owning a black car may suggest strong primal survival instincts are motivating them. They wish to be unseen, to remain under the radar because they feel like they need to protect themselves. It may also suggest a motivation to feel powerful and strong as black is associated with these meanings.
Black is also a very respectable, sophisticated and professional color for a car. Being seen in this way could be important to them.
SILVER
Silver is probably the most popular colour choice for a car. It’s a very practical colour choice for a couple of reasons. It’s one of the safest colours due to its high visibility. Due to their popularity, they also tend to hold their value better than other colours. Silver is definitely a wise and practical choice.
Choosing a silver car also suggests a desire for the conventional, they don’t want to stand out, they want to fit in, they have a strong priority to be normal.
So we have a conventional practical thinking person with a strong focus on fitting into society. They probably have a strong fear of being alienated which can cause them much anxiety.
Choosing a silver car for practical reasons could perhaps suggests that a car for that person is simply a tool or mode of transport. They, perhaps, have little pride or interest in cars, it could suggest a lack of interest in materialistic items.
GREY
Grey is similar to silver however it probably suggests very different reasons for choosing a grey car. It’s a darker colour so the focus on safety/visibility is less likely to be a selection factor. The motivation for choosing a grey car could be a desire to be a little bit different and unique without looking to stand out.
Metallic grey looks very modern and stylish without looking for attention. Grey is less common and conventional than silver, which may suggest a desire for individuality. Individuality takes priority over fitting into the norms of society.
WHITE
White is the choice of car colour of the perfectionist, they perhaps have an obsession for cleanliness. It’s also the choice of someone that doesn’t mind attention and being noticed. They’re very likely to be an extroverted outgoing personality type that gets their energy from group and social situations.
White is associated with simplistic, modern or futuristic devices, so it could suggest a love for technology and perhaps simplicity.
DARK BLUE / GREEN
Choosing a dark blue or green car suggests seriousness, reserved and not looking for attention. Probably introverted in personality that enjoys their alone time. It shows conventional thinking and probably a traditionalist. Perhaps not a great deal of effort going into their color choice, functional, just a car, not interested in materialistic possessions. People who are not interested in the materialistic tend to focus more of their energies on friends and family and generally the simply things in life.
RED
Choosing red can be a sign that someone is confident when dealing with attention, probably socially confident that either likes or seeks attention. Red is probably their favourite colour with a desire to express their likes and emotions.
Red is perhaps a practical yet conventional choice. Red-coloured cars are among the safest on the road. This may suggest a very sensible and practically minded person.
Dark Reds, Maroon and Burgundy are reserved colours. However, they have character, and they’re associated with luxury and wealth. Dark red may suggest a need for expression of the love for the colour. Perhaps red is their favourite colour however they’re not looking for attention. Perhaps it’s a subtle way of seeking approval, social status and to be seen as sophisticated.
BRIGHT & UNCONVENTIONAL COLOURS
India is seeing some bright and unconventional colours hitting the roads in recent years. For example, bright or lime green, a few orange variants and brighter shades of blue.
Choosing one of these colours would almost certainly indicate a person that has strong desires for individuality, uniqueness and self-expression. These desires will surpass the need to fit into the crowd. Probably very open minded, open to and often seeking new experiences.
Open-minded people are also often intuitive, inward thinking and creative in some form with a need to express that creativity.
Source: https://colorpsychologymeaning.com/
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