Why are cars less colorful today than in decades before?

[OtterMan68]

I've been watching an early 70s tv show called Adam 12, and one of the things I like is the cars in the background. I noticed cars were more colorful back then. You drive past a new car lot today and it seems 80% of the cars are either white, black, silver, or gray. There's very few green, blue, red, orange...

Today

1970s

car manufacturers are just saving money by using fewer colors

customers don't care about color as much

both of the above

other

[exitseven]

I notice that the majority of pickup trucks I see are black. I do not know why. When I was shopping for a truck I had certain things that I wanted but color was not even a consideration. It was weird that all of them that I looked at were black and the one I decided on was black as well. I think Henry Ford said that you get get the Model T in any color you want, so long as its black.

I think people try to keep a low profile today and bright colors just attract too much attention.

My friend bought a pickup truck from a guy when he lived in California. It had big lightning bolts on the sides. The first day he had it he got pulled over by the cops for speeding. He wasn't even going that fast but the cop told him that he should consider getting rid of the lightning bolts because that is why the cop noticed him.

My New Truck

[exitseven]

Thanks for the MHO😎

[NathanDavis]

back in those days... you would keep a car "for life" so yes, a color made more sense to have it and to be yours

nowadays, you just trade vehicles every few years, they come and go... so the color won't matter much, won't stay for long either

also... consider the fact that, there were only 120 million cars in America, this in the 70's and that those you pictured, are sporty and limited editions

while in the other pic you're posting those that are every day use vehicles which are mass produced to point of 300 million around nowadays

[OtterMan68]

watch those old TV shows from the 70s, and you'll see sedans, VW bugs, vans, etc in gold (which was apparently huge back them), green, blue, yellow...

[NathanDavis]

go to LA... to some more Mexican streets, and you'll see a lot more... today

[OtterMan68]

but were they painted before or after purchase from the dealer?

[NathanDavis]

that depends on what you order...

nowadays it all costs extra...

did you know that now... you have to pay month or year fees... if you want the AC to work lmfao

[OtterMan68]

I may be remembering wrong, but it seems subarus in the 80s and 90s were mostly forest green, but now it's white, silver, or gray

[NathanDavis]

everything costs extra, so they just get stock

[Siri137]

Other. The world as a whole is becoming far less colourful. Have you also noticed that now everyone seems to like wearing black? I understand the "colour" (technically a lack of colour, because black isn't on the EM spectrum) has a slimming effect, but still.

[WindAtMyBack]

It's just a matter of consumer taste. It changes over time. It changes with the economy. It changes with location, with different colors being popular in different places. It changes with the climate. For example when I lived in a hot part of California, white cars were very popular, and you didn't see many black cars. When I moved to a colder climate, it was the opposite.

If you dig into it, there might be sources on which colors are most popular in different places and different years.

Where I live now, bright colors are actually more common than they were 10-20 years ago. Bright green, bright red, yellow, and even colors like orange and purple. Personally I think most of those are ugly. but some people like them.

[Adventurer23]

It just seems like EVERY car is either black, white, grey or silver these days with maybe some red or blue thrown in for good measure. I've grown incredibly tired of modern cars for a whole host of reasons, so it's fitting that they're offered in bland AF colours.

[Redstang88]

It’s the general societal shift to cheap disposable shit. Cars now are just soulless appliances and i guarantee there won’t be any of todays cars still out there in 60 years

[msc545]

Car manufacturers no longer paint cars in many different colors, specifically because consumers don't care that much about car color. Features, luxury and gas mileage are far more important.

[CuriousMufuxka]

Mass production. Gotta get these uninspired pieces of shit out while they still pass necessary regulations!

[handsomelad70]

It also shows that Yankees are becoming more and more same-ish and boring by the day.

[ChicoFromThe305]

Cheaper paint means more profits

[strateguy632]

.3rd