Car color and personalities

[az3579]

In another thread, Kayger posted a link to an article I found interesting. It was a report on how the color of the car you drive may reflect your personality.

The article:
http://news.thomasnet.com/IMT/archives/2008/06/what-your-car-color-may-say-about-your-psyche-mood-outlook.html


I'll start off with red, being the color of my car. They say that drivers of red-colored cars are usually the most aggressive. About the color red itself, they say it's an aggressive color.

I personally agree with red being an aggressive color. It is a color that portrays intensity, and aggression is usually intense. I do not, however, agree with it signifying an aggressive driver. I am mellow 90% of the time, sitting back in the right lane, minding my own business.

The remaining 10% of the time (keep in mind, I drive about 30k miles a year, mostly pleasure) I feel like going out for a spirited run. Of the 10% of the time, I'm driving aggressively about 7% of it on roads where there is nobody in front of me. The remaining 3% is the rest of the times that I get stuck behind someone and am annoyed by the fact that they're doing 15 under the speed limit on a road with lots of twisties. Anyone can understand how some aggression may come into play here, but none that are acted upon other than a very minor case of "move your ass" tailgating (not the 6-inches off your bumper, but instead 1 car length).

Otherwise, I find red to be a very attractive color, punctuating the ZHPs curves and lines in a sexy, non-subdued manner, flaring its attractiveness to the max. It's like a very pretty woman in a bright red dress; it's designed to make you look.

I also find red to be a very safe color in addition to its aggressiveness. There's no way in hell you're going to miss that bright red RED car coming your way that you were thinking about pulling in front of to cross the road.



So, what does everyone else think about the article and the colors of their cars?

[az3579]

Marcus,
The formatting of this thread is kind of screwed up. Can you fix? This previous post was supposed to be the first...

[danewilson77]

I think Imola Red is the bestest...ever.

[Alphatek45]

Pretty sure red vehicles have higher insurance premiums because of those very reasons. Unless that's a wives tale, but I think its fact.

[az3579]

Pretty sure red vehicles have higher insurance premiums because of those very reasons. Unless that's a wives tale, but I think its fact.

I do not think this is a factor. Whenever I went to get insurance quotes, not once did the insurance agents ask what color the car was. Keep in mind, these aren't quotes based on VIN numbers, but instead based on year, make, and model.

[danewilson77]

Wives tale.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

Marcus,
The formatting of this thread is kind of screwed up. Can you fix? This previous post was supposed to be the first...

Fixed. It's because of the time stamps on the other posts. They were posted before this one. So, it put them in front of yours.

[danewilson77]

I do not think this is a factor. Whenever I went to get insurance quotes, not once did the insurance agents ask what color the car was. Keep in mind, these aren't quotes based on VIN numbers, but instead based on year, make, and model.

And safety features and anti theft type stuff...

[az3579]

Thanks Marcus.

So, you having a red AND white car, what do you think?

[az3579]

And safety features and anti theft type stuff...

And, most important, AGE and SEX. Ask me how I know. :shifty

Being 21 ain't fun in the insurance department.

[Alphatek45]

I do not think this is a factor. Whenever I went to get insurance quotes, not once did the insurance agents ask what color the car was. Keep in mind, these aren't quotes based on VIN numbers, but instead based on year, make, and model.

Yep, your right. just did a little research and it looks like it has no effect whatsoever.

[az3579]

Alphatek,
Any input on the article? I'm curious to see what people think.

[Alphatek45]

And, most important, AGE and SEX. Ask me how I know. :shifty

Being 21 ain't fun in the insurance department.

When I was 21 and in NY I was paying over 2 grand a year for BASIC LIABILITY. My ZHP is like 1/4 that now and I'm fully covered!

[Alphatek45]

Alphatek,
Any input on the article? I'm curious to see what people think.

Make sense although My ZHP is "Blue" and I think that "calming" is the last word I would use to describe how I feel when I'm in it or looking at it. I found this statement interesting:

"And if we are to cross-reference car color popularity according to DuPont, America's mood is about to change. The company's Global Automotive Color Popularity Report, which has dissected car color trends for the past 55 years, indicates that for the first time this decade, white has taken over silver as the most popular car color."

Considering 99% of all car advertisements are still silver!

[Marcus-SanDiego]

I'm one of the most even-keeled people you'll ever meet. Not too many people would call me aggressive. I just like the imola red. It's a beautiful color.

If colors do mean something, then the alpine white describes me better. I'm a neutral guy -- generally.

Having said that, as a former investigative reporter (on Wall Street), I was aggressive as all get out. I chased liars, thieves, and criminals with a vengeance. They would no doubt call me aggressive. In my everyday life, though, no. I am not aggressive. And my imola red car has nothing to do with how aggressive (or non-aggressive) I am.

My driving habits, meanwhile, would be considered "controlled" and "well mannered."

[Linh]

I'm more of a conservative guy, that doesn't like attention all the time.

Although Imola red was one of my top choices, it was just too spectacular for me, haha.

[zhp43867]

My car is black, just like my soul. :gabe

Not really but I've always wanted to say that.

[mimalmo]

And, most important, AGE and SEX. Ask me how I know. :shifty

Being 21 ain't fun in the insurance department.

I saw a drop in my rates when I got married. Another drop when I turned 25. It dropped again when I turned 35 two years ago. So there are a few perks to aging.

[Tampa330i]

"Black is the color of authority and power. It is popular in fashion because it makes people appear thinner. It is also stylish and timeless. Black also implies submission. Priests wear black to signify submission to God. Some fashion experts say a woman wearing black implies submission to men. Black outfits can also be overpowering, or make the wearer seem aloof or evil. Villains, such as Dracula, often wear black."

There you have it, evil in style.

[Rayzah Blade]

Hmmm, the aricle is kind of conflicting... for I drive both a black on black bimmer, and a black/white on white integtra.. so does that make me a neutral authority figure? I like them because they are like my night and day. The black (to me) represents stealth, and passiveness.. like the guy who walks with his head down wearing a hoodie.. while the white (again, to me) represents a sense of style, and classiness. Not that I am ashamed, or want to go unnoticed in the bimmer ( I absolutely love the e46) it's just that dark beast that creeps around in the dark. It makes me feel almost invisible to the world.. where the white screams for attention (and if you ever saw the teggy, it does just that) yet in a calm, classy kind of way.

[pyreguy]

I definitely like black cause of the way it lends a sinister look to my car. Its a look I'm very happy with. I've always felt like brighter colors would draw too much attention to me, and I am much more comfortable in the shadows...

[kayger12]

Having said that, as a former investigative reporter (on Wall Street), I was aggressive as all get out. I chased liars, thieves, and criminals with a vengeance.

Wish you were around for the mortgage derivatives and credit default swaps. ;)

[kayger12]

I think another thing to consider in this whole color debate is that the color may only have some significance if you had a choice.

Most of us were looking for a specific car which is somewhat rare and difficult to find. Color might not have been a conscious choice (or subconscious for that matter), but rather a forced option due to the limited availability of cars.

In my case, black is my favorite color for a ZHP. My sparkling graphite metallic is a close second, but if I had a choice, I would have picked black.

More telling might be a kind of reverse application of the psychology by considering the one or two colors that would have been a deal breaker for you, ie, what color would you refuse to purchase, even if it was the exact car you wanted otherwise...

[Tampa330i]

One thing I can say about this car, I'd be happy with any color. They all look amazing, imo. I really don't like red cars, but I'd drive a red one of these and love it. I had limited choice and I actually was going to buy a silver one, but it sold the day before I went to look at it in person. That's when I found the color I really wanted, black. I've had like 5 white cars in the past, and the Mitsubishi was the only one I really liked. Technically, it was 'platinum metallic pearl'. I think it may also be an issue of maintaining cleanliness. I see dirt on this thing 5 minutes after I drive it home from being washed.

[Marcus-SanDiego]

I think another thing to consider in this whole color debate is that the color may only have some significance if you had a choice.

Most of us were looking for a specific car which is somewhat rare and difficult to find. Color might not have been a conscious choice (or subconscious for that matter), but rather a forced option due to the limited availability of cars.

In my case, black is my favorite color for a ZHP. My sparkling graphite metallic is a close second, but if I had a choice, I would have picked black.

More telling might be a kind of reverse application of the psychology by considering the one or two colors that would have been a deal breaker for you, ie, what color would you refuse to purchase, even if it was the exact car you wanted otherwise...

I like that, Keith.

A deal breaker for me would have been black. That's not because I hate it but because I hate the maintenance on it. I had a jet black from 2006-2009. It was a biattchh to keep clean. It sure looked great for the five minutes it was clean, though!

Another color that I would not have chosen, and it would have been a deal breaker for me, is green. It doesn't excite me. I would have kept looking.

[kayger12]

I like that, Keith.

A deal breaker for me would have been black. That's not because I hate it but because I hate the maintenance on it. I had a jet black from 2006-2009. It was a biattchh to keep clean. It sure looked great for the five minutes it was clean, though!

Another color that I would not have chosen, and it would have been a deal breaker for me, is green. It doesn't excite me. I would have kept looking.

With you. My 325 was jet black and I swear I never went longer than a week without washing the thing in 2 years.

Ditto on the green. Probably the only deal break color for me.

[zhpnsnv]

I would love to own a black car, but swirl marks make my soul hurt.

I know I have them on my I/R between full details - they're just less visible. HATE the black roof on my MINI. Love the contrast of it, though.

So what does it say about your personality if you drive TWO red cars, one Chili and one Imola? Does it mean I'm doubly aggressive, or does my aggression cancel itself out?

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a107/mbcoops/P1030722.jpg

[mimalmo]

Damn that's sexy.

[az3579]

So what does it say about your personality if you drive TWO red cars, one Chili and one Imola? Does it mean I'm doubly aggressive, or does my aggression cancel itself out?



I'd like to think the latter. lol

[Marcus-SanDiego]

I would love to own a black car, but swirl marks make my soul hurt.

I know I have them on my I/R between full details - they're just less visible. HATE the black roof on my MINI. Love the contrast of it, though.

So what does it say about your personality if you drive TWO red cars, one Chili and one Imola? Does it mean I'm doubly aggressive, or does my aggression cancel itself out?

http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a107/mbcoops/P1030722.jpg

It cancels it out. You're fine. :cheers

By the way, your MINI looks great. Love it.

[zhpnsnv]

Damn that's sexy.

Thanks! Here's another in action:
http://i10.photobucket.com/albums/a107/mbcoops/P1030772.jpg

Okay I'll stop jacking the thread up with my proud papa pictures. :applause2 :shifty

[Marcus-SanDiego]

But it's still about colors. Ha!

[SC4ME]

My last two car purchases, I ended up with red cars even though that was not the color I would have preferred. Dont get me wrong, I like red cars, in fact red is my 'favorite' color. I am just weary of the huge 'attention grabbing' factor, especially if it is the police who's attention is being grabbed.

That said, I love the Imola Red ZHP. Could not think of a more deserving color for this car. Do I drive aggressively? Normally no. I drive fast, but I do not lane-change, swerve around people, etc. I used to get around 32 mpg when commuting over 100mi a day (cant drive aggressively and get over 30 mpg in this car!) but now I have a short commute and I am way down to 26 mpg (with a bit more aggressive starts, more on-ramp accelerations, etc).

As for the colors that are deal breakers - White is a dealbreaker. I have only wrecked a couple cars in my life (my fault) and they were all white cars. Even when renting a car, I will not choose a white one. The other bad color for me is black. Too hard to keep clean (and it gets so hot).

[pyreguy]

I would have passed on a red car just cause I am afraid of the attention it would draw, as I mentioned before. Having said that, I would kill to see an Imola red one in person. That color looks amazing in pictures.

Ideally I would have liked to find the dark grey. And I found one, a ZHP closer to home even (45 mins vs 7 hours, one way respectively) but the black one was a better car and worth the trip and the extra maintenance to keep clean (to me). Other colors I would have passed on would have been green and white. I have had white and don't car for it. I like dark. In fact, I've noticed over the years that I truly don't like color as it were. My first car was a '68 Camaro that was yellow. Since then I have owned vehicles in white, black, grey, blue (crappy work truck, I don't count it too much), black, black, grey, black, and black. In that order.

[danewilson77]

Maybe...could I come hang out for Mardi Gras?

[pyreguy]

Absolutely.

[danewilson77]

I'll bring JW77 along for the trip....and if he can't make it....maybe my silber grey metallic ZHP buddy will make it.

[pyreguy]

That's cool. I have an air mattress and I can make arrangements for the kids to be elsewhere to make room.

[danewilson77]

:rofl