Silver is 2009's most popular car color

(DuPont)

Silver was the most popular car color around the world last year, according to data released by science firm DuPont in December.

Silver was the color of choice for 25 percent of vehicles globally, followed by black (23 percent) and white (16 percent). Gray took fourth place with 13 percent of cars and the most popular non-monochromatic choice was blue, accounting for only nine percent of vehicles worldwide.

DuPont collated data from car markets around the globe to compile the report, now in its 57th year. It highlights that there are some strong regional variations in color choices, with white being the most popular color choice in North America and black being the most popular in Europe. Silver was the most popular color in China, India and Russia.

Some countries displayed preferences for colorful cars, straying away from the global standards of black, white and silver. For example, 18.2 percent of Russians showed a strong preference for green cars, whilst 16.1 percent of cars sold in India were red. In Europe, blue cars were actually more popular than white cars, taking fourth place behind black; silver and gray.

Despite these regional variations, DuPont believes that colors are becoming more homogenized around the world, with black, white and silver growing across all regions.

"Color preference can change from year to year because of a variety of factors including types of vehicles introduced, reduced vehicle size, consumer tastes and even the economy," said Nancy Lockhart, color marketing manager for DuPont. "There are still distinct regional differences in preference, but global trends are unmistakable,"

DuPont's findings are in contrast to a study released earlier this year by paint maker PPG Industries. Whilst PPG agreed that silver was the most popular color, it suggested that the industry was moving towards more color choices in vehicles and using color to distinguish their brands.

Top Ten Global Vehicle Colors:
Data from DuPont

1. Silver - 25 percent
2. Black - 23 percent
3. White - 16 percent
4. Gray - 13 percent
5. Blue - 9 percent
6. Red - 8 percent
7. Brown/Beige - 4 percent
8. Green - 1 percent
9. Yellow/Gold - 1 percent
10. Others - <1 percent