Although horsepower, size, cost and gas mileage remain the primary concerns for car purchasers, the exterior coating on a vehicle provides an important aesthetic touch that sometimes leaves a more immediate impression than deeper considerations about design and suitability. Practical needs aside, a car's color can say a surprising amount about the person who owns it.

What do the most popular color choices in the United States and abroad reveal about the types of drivers out there?

According to an annual report published in October by paint and coatings manufacturer PPG Industries, the silver category of paints, including charcoal and gray shades, ranked as the most popular global car color for the ninth consecutive year.

In North America, silver and charcoal rose in popularity to 25 percent from 20 percent in 2008. White came in second among North American cars with 18 percent, black ranked third with 16 percent and red had 12 percent of the total. Together, these four colors and their related shades were found on more than two-thirds of all cars sold in North America in 2009. In 1994, green was the most popular color, with 21 percent of the total, while silver was only found on 8 percent of cars.

"What helps drive silver's popularity are all of the innovative effects that really make silver shine ... much more than just a simple gray," Jane E. Harrington, manager of color styling and automotive coatings at PPG, said in an announcement of the findings. "Silver tones work well with today's tinted metallic textural looks. The diversity of silver, from subtle hue shifts to dimensional metallic flake appearances, works with a variety of vehicle styles."

The PPG study found that in Europe silver and charcoal also topped the list at 35 percent, followed by black with 22 percent, blue and white with 13 percent each, red with 9 percent, naturals with 5 percent, green with 2 percent and niche and other colors with 1 percent.

The Asia/Pacific region had silver and charcoal at 34 percent, black at 21 percent, white at 17 percent, blue at 9 percent, red at 7 percent, naturals at 6 percent, niche and other colors at 4 percent and green at 2 percent.

"Clearly, the automotive industry is moving toward more color choices. Palettes are broadening as the number of models decreases and the industry consolidates. Going forward, automotive manufacturers are going to be relying on color more and more to distinguish their brands," Harrington added.

The concept of using specific colors to highlight a brand and distinguish it from its competitors will become an increasing trend, according to PPG, with more automakers expected to use different color palettes depending on the size and style of a particular model.

"For example, black accounts for 40 percent of the luxury car market, but we're able to introduce certain sparkling or textural effects, or add a subtle blue or green undercoat to black that really makes it stand out," Harrington told the Detroit Free Press.

Based on last year's findings, the color of a car can also reveal a surprising amount about the owner's personality and psychology. For example, people who drive emerald-green cars supposedly have the most positive outlook among owners, while those with red cars are considered more aggressive. Black cars, on the other hand, supposedly belong to the most downbeat and relaxed drivers.

Color may be an indicator of the driver's personality, but maintaining the quality of the coating can sometimes be a challenge. For that reason, researchers at the University of Southern Mississippi are developing a specialized polyurethane coating that heals itself when exposed to ultraviolet rays, Wired.com's Wired Science blog reports.

"A few years down the road, you may be able to get that scratch out of your car's bumper simply by parking in a sunny spot," Wired notes.

Let us know in the comments section below what you think about the color of your own car and how it might reflect your personality .

Earlier

What Your Car Color May Say About You

Manufacturers Take a Shine to the Metallic Look

Gunmetal Metallic, Shifting Hues and GM's Other Color Palette Provisions

Resource

Silver Still Entrenched as World's Favorite Vehicle Color...
PPG Industries, Oct. 1, 2009

Most Car Buyers Go for Shine of Silver Paint
by Greg Gardner
Detroit Free Press, Oct. 1, 2009

Polyurethane Coating Could Make Self-Healing Car Paint
by Michael Wall
Wired, March 12, 2009