Noticing More White Cars on the Road? There’s a Musical Reason for That.

I’ve certainly been noticing more white vehicles.  In fact, there’s one my garage.  

When the lease on my wife’s grey Honda Element ended, she flipped into a new CR-V. She didn’t care much about the trim line or options (“Why do I need satellite radio?”) but she was adamant about the colour. It had to be white.

“White?” I whinged? “That’s a high maintenance colour.  Can we go for something that hides dirt a little more?”

“No,” she said. “White.  No argument.”  So we ordered one in what the brochure described as “Taffata White.”She is now among the 23% of North American new car buyers choosing white.  That’s the most popular coloar at the moment, even ahead of black (18%).  Globally, white is chosen by 22% of purchasers.

So what does this have to do with music?  I’m getting to that.

Car colours go through cycles and are generally affected (or so I’m told) by prevailing societal trends.

The popuarly of the light blue we see on so many Lexus SUVs (a colour I find repulsive) is apparently the result of the public’s enviromental awareness.  Light blue equals pure water and clear skies.

Brown is back after years in the wilderness.  Just a few years ago, it was all but extinct.  Now it’s back, the colourists say, because certain shades evoke the warmness of good coffee or find wood.

According to Sandy McGill, the lead designer for BMW Designworks (the division responsible for Beemer materials, finish and paint), says that the rise of white can be linked to the original iPod.  

From Motoramic:

Prior to Apple, white was associated with things like refrigerators or the tiles in your bathroom. Apple made white valuable.

Read more about all this here.