Do you remember what were the only three colors available on the NA Miata upon its introduction? That’s right, red, white, and blue. Thankfully the car looks awesome in all of those—well, not so much the white— and so everybody was happy.
Not all cars come in colors that are quite so universally appealing. I have an acquaintance who owns a 1979 Ferrari 308 GTS and while it’s a lovely car that he has maintained without fault, it’s also painted a bright metallic gold. Yeech.
I don’t know if I would turn down a Ferrari 308 because of the color, but there are plenty of other cars that I would only take in certain hues. Are you of a similar mind, and if so, what are the colors that you would unequivocally avoid like the plague?
Image: German Cars For Sale Blog
Hooniverse Asks: What Color Car or Truck Would You Never, Ever Own?
By Robert Emslie
Mar 23, 2016
Kamil Kaluski 
Jeff Glucker
Were I to find myself at a point where purchasing something along the lines of this seemed like a good idea I think my brain would click and I’d go swimming in the ocean with my boots on.
http://www.classycars.org/Toyota/toyota.2007.camry.hybrid.06.jpg
In the US, that would be the perfect car for driving from DC to NYC in two and a half hours.
I mean, I own a grey nf sonata so I get similar levels of attention.
What? I’m sorry, I guess I didn’t notice you’d said something.
With the V6, so your top end is higher (cannot confirm, limiter might cut I4 and V6 off at same speed) and you can recover more quickly from having to slow down due to traffic.
Couple of years ago I would have agreed. When one of these was dumped into our laps by coincidence and star alignment I learned that driving a car that you don’t care about, hard, and that doesn’t really break, is a great way to save money for something truly desirable. And it doesn’t really hurt.
…then I found out we saved so much money we could pay off the house. Oooh, fix this. Travel there. Maybe beigeness is an infection after all.
90s GM teal. I don’t care if it was on a Beretta GTZ, I still couldn’t have it!
I’ll take ANY color vehicle if it is free. Color can be fixed. http://www.toolup.com/product-images/Krylon-1602_1.jpg
“Thank you for the offer, but I need a car right now, I can’t wait for 12 minutes.”
The Beige family for certain, although some Champagne-colored cars wear it well since it tends to be metallic (older gen Jag XJs come to mind). And Red. I owned an ’86 Integra in a Metallic Red and grew to hate it over the 11 years I owned the car. The color draws too much attention.
Colors I like? I lean toward medium to dark Blues and Greens. Any BMW factory Blue will do but I especially like Jaguar’s Indigo Blue and Jaguar Racing Green (a metallic version of BRG).
In the mid-90s, red was actually the most sold colour in good old Germany. It went all downhill from there.
https://data.motor-talk.de/data/galleries/0/431/3708/66960514/4silberneautos-6027141288721403541.JPG
Clearly ze Germans are to blame for the silver streak syndrome that became prominent in the 90s and has lasted ever since.
I’m partial to colors so I’d do my best to avoid white, gray or beige. I can’t say there’s a color I’d absolutely refuse though. I mean what if someone offered me an improbably clean/solid Metro, Beetle, or other oddity that I could drive ironically for a little while?
Seriously, would you refuse a genuine Caymen GT?
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/Tino6988/escort.jpg
This may end up being something of a shameful confession, but I have to admit that I always liked the shape given to the US-model 3-door Escort in that particular iteration, and preferred it to the European model at that time. It always struck me as what the Peugeot 309 could have looked like if Ghia had done the styling.
That specific one really screams, “IT’S THE 1990s!” with its teal paint, matching teal highlights on the rims, slanted air vents on the cowl, kink in the lower inside corners of the headlamps, and wraparound rear spoiler, but as a shape I just always thought that it worked well.
When these came out they were instantly one of the most popular cars at my office. Most were either caymen green or black. Maybe one red or white.
Wasn’t that called Calypso Green?
Should have read – Cayman Green, code DA:
http://paintref.com/cgi-bin/colorcodedisplay.cgi?year=1992&make=Ford&model=Escort&gncl=All&action=Get+Paint+Codes
It would help if I spelled it correctly too.
http://i57.photobucket.com/albums/g220/Tino6988/1991-Escort-Cayman-back.jpg
I am in agreement that there are too many colors in the spectrum that white would be my last choice. That said my beater truck is white. I bought it because of the low miles and decent repair history but despise the color
I really, really dislike the silver to gray color (or lack of color) palette, but I don’t think I’d turn it down – but gold. Ohhhhhhh how I detest gold. To me, it instantly ‘cheapens’ whatever vehicle it’s on. It’s the vinyl floor tile of car colors. Yuck.
http://images.gtcarlot.com/pictures/41757291.jpg
To select gold on a new car is.. bold, at best. For an old car, it may actually underline the cheesiness of the original configuration. That golden Ferrari from 1979, or any C3 Corvette, on brown/orange-y leather? This is only inspiring: did the first owner have taste and picked gold tongue-in-cheek? Was the F-dealer like: “you can have a red 308 in 10 months, or that one right now.” Or was the first owner actually embracing it, and considered nylon shirts a handy and stylish invention?
Btw., the car in my Dsqs-picture is “light bronze”, that’s totally not, like, golden, at all.
Bright green just turns me off. I don’t need a Kermit-colored car.
I’d find a way to make it work.
http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/51wEeOAtP8L._UX385_.jpg
I think this thread is making me realize I love pretty much every color. I mean…
http://muelhaupt.us/images/2009-04-26-01.jpg
http://orig05.deviantart.net/55b0/f/2009/231/1/2/green_dodge_viper_2009_by_nightwolf1989_2007.jpg
Morning Piss Gold
http://a.disquscdn.com/uploads/mediaembed/images/1994/5725/original.jpg
Thumbs up because Morning Piss Multipla is awesome. Totally would drive.
That actually seems like a reasonable color for a Multipla. Platypus Puce would also be appropriate (Puce is the French word for flea. The color is said to be the color of the bloodstains remaining on linen or bedsheets, even after being laundered, from a flea’s droppings or after a flea has been crushed.)
The car itself is so unreasonable that every colour is most likely a reasonable colour for it.
I’ve owned green, bronze, purple, red, white, black, tan, silver, blue, orange, tan, and primer. I guess that leaves yellow.
https://www.h2limos.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/yellow-hummer-new.jpg
Orange with American flag on the roof: After a while, I would think this was normal.
Orange with Rainbow flag on the roof: I think this would wind up confusing everybody, myself included.
Orange with Confederate flag on the roof: No. Ping me if I need to explain.
Context, friend. Regardless of what the confederate flag means on its own, when it is on the roof of an orange Charger, it doesn’t.
I would never own a General Lee replica, but if I did, you can be damned sure it’d have the flag on the roof.
pink…
Never?
http://findclasscars.com/uploads/carphotos/ford-hot-rod-truck-rat-rod-street-rod-farm-truck-rig-rod-5.jpg
https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/a5/79/08/a57908f2091098f2cf0a098f1a6a3c68.jpg
never ever
🙁
http://image.hotrod.com/f/36517840+w660+h495+cr1/1205rc-02%2Bmooneyes-hot-rod-custom-show-in-yokohama-japan%2Bpink-merc.jpg
http://cdn.barrett-jackson.com/staging/carlist/items/Fullsize/Cars/96160/96160_Front_3-4_Web.jpg
I could do a pink Ducati.
My ex had a pink modded Hayabusa that did a gps-verified 195mph with my lanky ass onboard. No issue with pink here.
There was a short, very anomalous span of time when men were okay with pink. I remember it fondly…not the pink, specifically, but the era.
I’ve been mulling over buying this for longer than I’d like to admit.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/Peavey-B-Ninety-4-string-electric-bass-USA-made-/291705652799?hash=item43eb03063f:g:qSQAAOSwu1VW4d0J
Somewhat related: about ten years ago I had a chance to buy one of these for $285. Kicking myself.
http://www.ebay.com/itm/321986575799
I think the days of good gear deals are quickly dying unless you find a shop that doesn’t care what gear is going for as long as they make a little. There’s one place up the road from me that is awesome, all old gear, no bullshitting about condition and fair prices. I picked up a 68 univox u60a for $80 on Saturday.
Obligatory: http://www.guitarbarn.com/
I regularly wear pink, it’ll be cool forever!
In the 30s pink was a men’s colour.
Currently bombing around Atlanta on a tiny pink Giant bicycle.
“tiny pink Giant” really has a ring to it.
Good name for a band. Quite phallic, too.
Or a good pornstar name!
Yep, pink. There are roughly three car models in the world that can pull it off, and even then only because of cultural significance, and I’m sincerly interested in none of them even when they have flame spitting exhausts coming out of the hood.
I’m very partial to cars that are not purple.
Awwwww
https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jq3hTkeY-gY/maxresdefault.jpg
I would love to own a black car. Was lucky enough to borrow a black Corvette C5 for our wedding way back when. Spent all day washing, vacuuming, polishing, waxing, etc. It looked glorious. Sexy. Sleek. Stunning. And then… I opened the garage door. And every dust speck within 1/4 mile went directly to the hood. There’s no avoiding it. Black is gorgeous when it’s perfect. But it shows every tiny little bit of anything even when you don’t drive it. And when you do, forget it!
(not my picture, but one just like the one we had)
I had a black Bullitt – used the Mr Clean car was system to keep spots off it. But the rock chips on black looked horrible. I even resorted to black car wax… didn’t help cover the chips.
Yellow,never ever had a yellow car Bad Luck!
I would think they’re good luck. Sounds like you’ve never had an accident or a ticket in a yellow car to me.
True Story.
I’m 53 and married to my BFF for 20 years. I need some PMY in my life like ein Loch im Kopf.
http://images.dealerrevs.com/pictures/2236337.jpg
My one friend has that exact car with better wheels. I’m with you in that I probably wouldn’t buy it but I can’t say I have anything against it really.
I was really just making a joke about the supposedly magnetic attributes of bright yellow cars.
A dose of the clap is more desirable than a ’90s purple Mustang. I’m not saying I hate purple, I just find this combo particularly nauseating.
http://themustangsource.com/forums/attachments/f806/121467d1349717018-purple-please-1997gt.jpg
Ooh, that’s a good one. Purples don’t bother me, but the purple used on the ’90s Mustang is just an awful hue of it.
A little deeper or a little metallic and it probably would have worked.
Is it purple?? Green??
http://themustangsource.com/timeline/94-98/96/MysticCobra.jpg
I saw someone once who replicated that finish on a Windstar.
All Fords had that paint option back then..
Could be lunch meat, could be peaches. The point is this: Just because it’s free, don’t mean it’s no good.
You’re right, sugar.
I would seriously take any color. That being said, fake patina on cars and trucks kinda rubs me the wrong way. Up here in Wisconsin, its a thing of pride when your vehicle doesn’t have rust, so its crazy to me how someone would want their car to appear rusty.
Me too. Why celebrate what looks like neglect?
Understood, but there’s also desert rust – oxidation from where the car’s been baking in the sun for decades. It’s difficult to describe exactly how, but it’s quite different to wet / snow / mud rust – more like a thin layer on top of the metal, not quite eating into it the same way. That one’s always had a certain odd appeal to me.
I have a strong distaste for what my wife calls “road-colored.” That means champagne, silver, and all those flat grays that the Germans seem to like now. Too easy for inattentive drivers to miss on a quick glance. I tend to think that white is the best color for low-light visibility and heat reflectivity. I also don’t understand the appeal of black, which seems to be the worst for heat and visibility. But if the car was desirable enough, I could probably live with any color.
My personal rule of thumb: if the car is in a colour that appears to be related to a bodily function, secretion, or extraction in either normal or ill-health, find another one.
Granted, I would probably buy an E-Type flat-floor roadster resplendent in turd brown with piss-yellow rims and a bile-green interior, if it were cheap (and solid) enough, but I also know that I’d be doing it with the intention of saving the car from someone else’s unfortunate taste over a period of time.
’70s green is the colour of misery and despair.
Also: while black cars often look really good, I don’t think I’d have another one. It’s not the keeping it clean that’s the problem, it’s that all the little dings and scratches and so on that inevitably accumulate over time show up so, so badly.
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/6b/PLYMOUTH_BARRACUDA_AE-95-62_pic6.JPG
See, that’s a proper green. Would drive.
I guess I felt like “70’s green” had a lot of collateral damage. I also figured anything in BRG from the 70’s would be cheating but Cadillac green might get a pass. Personally I’d give the Cadillac greens a pass too.
http://cadillac.motherauto.com/image/687474703a2f2f6c6172727963616d75736f2e636f6d2f73697465732f64656661756c742f66696c65732f4453434e313539322e4a5047
Fair point and must be said that that’s my personal term for that awful non-colour as shown on that sad little Maverick (and a vast number of other transportation appliances from the ’70s. It was the Camry beige of the time), and most often badly oxidized to boot. Any green that doesn’t apologize for being green is good by me.
I think you were unfortunately the second one to go after green and no one wanted to debate tonyola on it.
On the Maverick and Pinto, it didn’t work. It looked fine on the 67 Shelby.
Mustangness fixes a lot.
I dig the green…
https://scontent-iad3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xlf1/v/t34.0-12/12305413_10153825065087853_311871311_n.jpg?oh=d740642ba650fdd39b1c5b9367ac2ba4&oe=56F4A182
When I grew up my parents had a Olds 88 with ’70s green on a ’70s green interior. My mother described it as “puke green.” Eventually it was turned into this:
http://www.members.shaw.ca/dffc/images/thecar2/side1.jpg
http://www.members.shaw.ca/dffc/images/thecar2/int1.jpg
I’d admit myself to a hospital immediately if my puke were green. That stuff ain’t normal.
Depends on what you were eating that day.
It’s so beautiful! Really hard to discuss taste. 🙂
It really is 🙂 and one’s life experience plays into it so much as well.
de gustibus non est disputandum, 蓼食う虫も好き好き
Wagon exception, of course.
http://bestcarmag.com/sites/default/files/68534651969-vista-cruiser-011.jpg
As someone who has owned a light silver car – which was purchased for $20 – I don’t think I’d want to spend real money on a silver car. Outside of being boring, it also seems to make cars invisible to elderly people.
I “had” a bright red (factory color) mint,restored 1968 Chrysler 300 2 door hardtop, red lots of factory chrome, was all waxed, shiny and a 30 year old was stopped at a stop sign, looked at me and then proceeded to smash right into me..So I don’t think a color or age has anything to do with it…
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Once a bad driver, always a bad driver !!
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I found another factory red 300 and used my parts of my smashed on to restore the other 68..and now I really watch every one … If they look at you, your gonna get hit ! Just as bad as not looking at you…
True, I’ve had more than one close call with someone who somehow couldn’t see my current bright red car. But I had more close calls when I was driving something silver, enough that I was pretty happy to switch to red.
Sadly, I will probably never own a brown car. Not because I don’t find it desirable. In fact, I think there are some beautiful browns being featured on cars from Ford, Mercedes, BMW, and more. The problem is Mrs. engineerd™ has something against the glorious color of chocolate and my hair. One of these days I’m going to buy a car without her present just so I can get it in brown. And with a manual. Maybe something like this:
http://www.dpccars.com/gallery/var/resizes/Pyrite-Brown-metallic-Individual-paint-BMW-M4-Coupe/Pyrite%20Brown%20metallic%20Individual%20paint%20BMW%20M4%20Coupe%20(12).jpg
So much sexiness.
I hope for your sake you get to sneak buy that brown car with a manual. Until then…
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Vqvo4xkaGns/T_1zIejJo-I/AAAAAAAAB1M/5bUdjUDMJoo/s1600/sadface.gif
There is a GIF that perfectly sums up my feelings…
Although at certain points in life it can be a challenge, I’m a firm believer in “This is my car and that is your car.”
It’s difficult to see why in pictures, but in person there is something about Red Jewel Tintcoat that I find incredibly annoying.
http://images.gtcarlot.com/pictures/33349139.jpg
Especially because the far superior Merlot Red Metalic was available at the same time.
http://www.kapparegistry.com/registry/pictures/186910/2009_Saturn_Sky_Merlot_Jewel_Metallic_Jack_L_000.jpg
White.
I don’t live in Florida, and I can probably afford Metallic.
Oh, unless Type-R.
Or Challenger. Those are allowed to be white.
I mostly agree, but there are some cars that are just too perfect in white.
http://www.jamesbondlifestyle.com/sites/default/files/styles/fancybox_popup/public/images/product/au005-lotus-esprit-turbo-fyeo-white.jpg?itok=0k_Ri-9a
IMNSHO, this is perfecter.
http://pictures.topspeed.in/IMG/crop/201205/lotus-commemorates-s_400x266w.jpg
How about the littlest storm trooper?
http://www.hiltonandmoss.com/media/images/745×493/1_36_5553Lotus_Exige_240_S_white-1.jpg
I’ve always thought I’d love an Exige in non-metallic Beige.
For some reason, I really like these in safety orange.
http://www.lotustalk.com/forums/attachments/f221/45783d1168670072-has-your-new-elise-just-been-delivered-post-your-new-elise-pictures-here-lotus.jpg
You are correct. However, 007 never drove a JPS Esprit. Only Ayrton Senna.
You’re supposed to include a CAR in the picture here….!
I will not likely own a second brown vehicle.
This one traumatized me, though I had a 1980, and this is at least a year later because the front turn indicators are yellow, not white with yellow bulbs.
I hated that truck to a degree I’ve not hated an inanimate object, since, and it’s been 30 years.
http://i1.ytimg.com/vi/ySHkmZwqoWw/hqdefault.jpg
I see many a reference to gray/silver/white, or “road color”.
See, the beauty in this color is it’s kind of invisible to LEOs and as a bonus, if you get a color close to the color of dirt in your locale, it never looks dirty, just not shiny.
The champagne on my ’94 Grand Cherokee was a dead-ringer for Bailey, CO, dirt.
WIN!!!!!
I like colors, most of ’em. When I bought my Mazda3 it was the last f the ’05s in central OH with a stick. There was no picture on when I called and no color listed. Looking at the Mazda3 color options, I secretly hoped for the metallic orange, but any of them sounded good – exceopt silver. I didn’t really want silver.
It was silver.
It still looked good, but how much better it would have been in orange, red or blue.
Pink, mauve, purple. And that other 80s atrocity, teal.
For “just not liking the color” – Probably yellow. It’s just not a color I like. If I was forced to buy ay ellow car, it’d probably be a C6 Z06.
For “it’s a pain in the ass to keep clean” – I will never own another black car again. They look great clean.
Depends on the car and year of car…
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Gold may not look good on some cars, but good on others .. same with red etc…
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There is not a color I could pick out that I wouldn’t own on a car, it all depends what kind of car it is !!!