There’s too many whites out there

Relax, folks – I’m talking about cars and trucks – not people. But you must admit that there are a lot of white vehicles on the road these days. In fact, BASF, the world’s largest chemical company released a study recently where they found that 39% of vehicles around the world were painted white. They say it is because of its “classic, timeless beauty and high resale value.” Black came in second place at 18% with gray in third at 16% and silver at just 8%. These percentages combined make up 81% of all vehicles painted in what is known as achromatic paint. What is “achromatic”, you might ask? It is the absence of color, white being the prime example.

So why do we have so many vehicles painted with an absence of color? Part of it is rooted in psychology. According to the study Impact of Color in Marketing, colors evoke all kinds of emotions and can represent a buyer’s personality. A driver of a white vehicle, for example, tends to be stylish and classy and the color itself symbolizes purity and honesty. Black, on the other hand, expresses luxury, elegance and power. Silver or grey tones are often appealing to those who want to show some elegance, but without making too much of a statement – their owners are practical, responsible, and embrace technology.

Another possible reason for the popularity of white cars and trucks is the fact that white vehicles actually are a bit cooler in the summer than black vehicles. According to Autotrader, the interior of a black car can reach 130 degrees, while a white car reaches “only” 113 degrees. The white car in the study also cooled down faster than the black car with the air conditioner on full blast.

The thing that no one seems to be studying is the fact that at any car dealership you might visit, the majority of the cars on the lot are white. Why is this? The answer is because they sell quickly, and the dealership is all about sales. And because the cars are selling quickly in white, the cycle repeats itself and a perceived popularity is created. We are used to the idea of going to a dealership and driving off in a new or used car that day and we are limited in our choices of color in our vehicles. Maybe we just can’t wait until that fiery red model comes in or maybe it’s just not available – because it’s not popular and ‘round and ‘round it goes.

Personally, I would never own a white vehicle. White is the absence of color and a boring choice of finish for most vehicles. They are too hard to keep clean and there’s just too many of them out there, in my opinion. Some cars look great in white, though. My wife had a pearl white car, and it actually looked pretty good. Other cars, not so much. I saw a brand-new white Corvette the other day. A white sports car? No thank you. That car was built to stand out, not to blend in.

I hope that I have not offended anyone with this article. Except for the statistical data, everything here just shows my way of looking at things, nothing else. If you are happy with your white car, even if it’s a Corvette, drive on and be happy. As for me, I’m sticking with my red Mustang.

The column represents the thoughts and opinions of Alan Shoalmire. Opinion columns are NOT the opinion of the Navasota Examiner.

Alan Shoalmire is a resident in Grimes County and the owner of Grill Sergeant Hotdogs and submits a column to the Navasota Examiner every other week.