Why do cars look so dull nowadays?

[Prowler]

When I was a kid in the 90s there was a pretty good variety of cars in terms of colours and shapes. And if you look at photos from the 70s and 80s you'll see plenty of that as well.

I remember seeing cars of every colour imaginable back then. Including some yellow and even pink cars!

But nowadays, it seems like 99% of the cars I see out there are black, white and/or grey. Just boring and lifeless. Rarely do I even see a red car anymore. And when I do, boy does it stand out among a sea of dull grey, black and white cars.

What happened? Is it more expensive to take care of a yellow or red car nowadays as opposed to a white car due to scratches and paint fading? That problem was already a thing back in the day. Yet bright coloured cars were everywhere. Did it get more expensive or something? And did cars also get more fragile in this century?

[oldmanwinters]

There is a theory that the brightly colored cars (especially red) are more likely to get stopped and ticketed by police.

[frank_one]

It's not the cars, it's the people. They are afraid of colours so everyone is buying black, white or grey cars.
I have a red car

[Splinter the boss]

Lmao I have a red car. I've seen a couple red cars from where I live, it's not as uncommon but yea Most cars nowadays are white, Grey, black lmaooo

[IndigoErth]

In terms of color, can't quite agree for my area. Personally, we're mostly a blue vehicle household. Black, white, and silver are supposedly the most common here, too, and I do see many, but I still see a ton of various blues and reds where I'm at. To a lesser extent some greens, yellows, and other colors thrown in here and there.

I saw a grape-hued purple pickup just yesterday! I've seen also pink pickups or SUV on occasion. Then there are the blue-ish cars that are a shade that remind me of some brands of toothpaste.

Don't get me started on the Wranglers. Now there are orange ones, purple ones, some bright green, yellow, a bright blue... They were always a bit more adventurous in colors, but not nearly as boldly as they are now. My 21-year-old one is just a normal dark blue.

Some months ago I was sitting at a light with an almost neon yellowish green car in front of me. Made me laugh...a small dumpster sitting almost right beside the car, just outside the side wall of a business, was nearly exactly the same shade. lol

There used to be a little old man who drove a little yellow Volkswagen bug with a peace sign on the side, but I think he must have stopped driving or passed a while back since I sadly no longer see it anymore. I always imagine it probably made it easy for him to find it in the parking lot.



Now, I do have to agree that a majority of cars these days are largely shaped the same. A lot of the small SUVs look like they were designed by Nike, to be honest. I assume much of it is because of the industry's greater interest in aerodynamics than it had decades ago when cars had sharper angles and more dramatic shapes. Though then you get the ones that try to look original now and they come up with something that looks weird or like it came out of the toy aisle. I'll never stop thinking that Toyota with the contrasting white roof aught to have "Tonka" written on the side.

[IMJ]

I just sold my blue with black carbon fiber hood ZL1 the other day. That was a gorgeous car....

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Splinter the boss

Lmao I have a red car. I've seen a couple red cars from where I live, it's not as uncommon but yea Most cars nowadays are white, Grey, black lmaooo

Sure there's still some red cars out there, but I don't remember the last time I saw a yellow or a pink car for example. Then I look at pictures from many decades ago and can spot like 5 yellow cars in one picture alone.

[mrmaczaps]

My car is silver/grey and my motorcycle is blue/silver... Its intentional, because muted colors are depressing. Very rarely see other colors, but there are a few blue cars I see, one yellow one and a couple pink ones from time to time.

[Splinter the boss]

Originally Posted by Prowler

Sure there's still some red cars out there, but I don't remember the last time I saw a yellow or a pink car for example. Then I look at pictures from many decades ago and can spot like 5 yellow cars in one picture alone.

Oh I see, ur right. In my area even having a yellow or green car is very rare. If u do own one, that gets attention to you right away

[triplexxx]

Most nowadays probably not concerned with loks or style when it come to cars, except maybe a nice color. Most are probably just concerned with getting a good price, clean inside, low maintenance, and fuel efficiency (preferably electric of course).

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by Splinter the boss

Lmao I have a red car.

That's me. I have a red Corolla. My second choice of color would have been glossy black. No other colors really interest me in a car.

[IndigoErth]

Need to add a car color poll. Sounding like red is popular here.

[IMJ]

Originally Posted by Andrew NDB

That's me. I have a red Corolla. My second choice of color would have been glossy black. No other colors really interest me in a car.

I have owned two red cars in my life - between 95' and '04. That was it - I view it as a kid's color choice. After that it's been Silver, darker blues and black.

[Andrew NDB]

Originally Posted by IMJ

I have owned two red cars in my life - between 95' and '04. That was it - I view it as a kid's color choice. After that it's been Silver, darker blues and black.

I like red because it says "fun." But not silly fun, like lime green or something. Just fun.

[DarkFell]

Originally Posted by oldmanwinters

There is a theory that the brightly colored cars (especially red) are more likely to get stopped and ticketed by police.

That has happened to my stepmom, and she drove a red car at the time.

The last two cars in my driveway were a white Plymouth Reliant, and my grandparents old dark red Dodge Dynasty. Both cars were called in to Code Compliance for suspicion of being 'junk cars'.

My Reliant had starting issues at the time. The Dynasty had the interior lining that was drooping onto the steering wheel. And obviously, I had one hell of a bored and nosey neighbor.

My grandfather had a maroon-colored Chevy truck that he drove until he died. I should have kept it, but assumed that I didn't need it and it went to a neighbor that was also one of my dad's former friends. Long story short, he smashed that truck all up from his DUI / DWI trips. I think that his family finally let that truck die in peace.

[blindturtle02]

Sad that they're not as colorful as they used to be. Ya learn something new every day if you're me. Quantity over quality, I guess. I'd actually imagined cars etc to look better than they did in the 90s, so that shows how much I've paid attention.

[Prowler]

Originally Posted by Splinter the boss

Oh I see, ur right. In my area even having a yellow or green car is very rare. If u do own one, that gets attention to you right away

Sometime ago I saw a photo of a parking lot in my city from the 1970s. I must have counted at least 6 yellow cars. I don't even remember the last time I saw a yellow car in real life. Let alone 6 of them!

[IndigoErth]

Hard to imagine 6 at a time these days, even here where people aren't as color shy.

After initially posting I went and look at the Google's maps street view at places like Walmart and the local mall like a random polling of local cars. Plenty of white and silver and some black, though still dotted with blue and red and even a couple green, one bright and one dark.

There's a particular shade of orange, of all colors, I've noticed is somewhat in right now... Thought it was mostly some Wranglers, but noticed some other boxy car/SUV type thing the other day with the same color, though not sure what make or model it was.

[IndigoErth]

Saw one at Home Depot today I wished I could have gotten a pic of but it got away.

I would describe this small SUV as a bright shiny metallic/chrome champagne-pink, or maybe rose gold. Can't decide if it was pretty or gaudy! lol

edit: Similar color to this:

Spoiler:

[Prowler]

OK, I asked someone else and they told me that nowadays additional colours and paint jobs to cars can be costly and a lot of work. And also apparently most cars by default come in black, grey or white nowadays. And thus, due to costs, people generally don't bother getting them painted in different colours.

I guess that wasn't as much of a problem many years ago...