Why Sticking with Neutral Car Colors is a Good Value

You’ve been on the search for a good used car for your wife, and you’ve finally found the perfect one. It’s the right make, model, the mileage is low for the year, and, most importantly, the price is right. You come home all excited to tell her the news. “That’s great,” she says. “But what color is it?” Of course, it’s silver, and she tells you to keep on looking.

The thing is, it may not be all that easy to find the color car she wants. When buying used, there may not be a lot of choice. She may just have to settle with what’s available.

Silver is one of the three most popular car colors in the United States. The other two are white and black. 

Proof is everywhere. Just scan a full parking lot or take notice of the cars whizzing by you on the highway. Based on demand, car manufacturers are pumping out what consumers want, and it looks like the popularity of the basic three isn’t waning anytime soon.

When buying a new car these days, it makes sense to stick with the neutrals – silver, white and black – if you want to boost the resale value of your car. Obviously, it would take a specific buyer – maybe your wife – to want, say, a yellow or purple car. So, if you had given in to her whim five years ago, and bought a brand new purple car, chances are you’re going to find it much harder to sell or trade it in today.

So, as you search around for that perfect used car, expect to find plenty of silver, black and white makes and models to choose from, and good luck with trying to please your wife.

Why Vintage Cars are Special to Car Enthusiasts

What makes an old car “vintage?” To car collectors, cars from 1919 to 1930 are classified as “vintage.” And vintage cars are in demand.

Think about what modern cars are like today. Can you tinker with a modern car? It used to be, if you were at all into car mechanics, you could figure it out if your car broke down. It’s not that simple anymore. The engine may not turn over because of a computer chip, not because your battery died. How do you fix a computer chip? You can’t.

But an old car is something else again. It’s basic, and beautiful, especially after it’s been restored, with loving care, to its original nostalgic glory. And that’s when a vintage car becomes an investment.

It’s a big business, buying and selling vintage cars. Some are worth thousands of dollars, once restored. For those who love old cars, the restoration is the fun part.

And owning one is like showing off a prize. Have you ever seen a vintage car on the road? Did you smile? Wave? Did the driver honk back? Even the sound of an old car horn brings smiles. And seeing one roll on by is like a flashback to another time. It’s fun.

Vintage car shows are all the rage. Events are happening all over the country. For vintage car lovers there’s nothing like the thrill of seeing a 1920 cream-colored Locomobile, a shiny black 1925 Packard Sport Coupe and a 1914 hunter green Hupmobile Model 32 Touring Car lined up together in one place.

And then there’s Henry Ford’s Model T, first produced in 1909, which changed the world of transportation. He said, “I will build a motorcar for the great multitude.” And thankfully that’s what he did.