Cars, colors, personalities

Silver keeps going up.
The color, that is — not the precious metal.
For the ninth year in a row, silver was the most popular color for cars in America. Twenty percent of U.S. cars are silver.
The next most popular color was white; black was third.
These aren’t very colorful colors. What does that say about us as drivers?
According to egodevelopment.com, silver may say a lot about you. A study in the United Kingdom found that — there at least — silver symbolizes class and drivers of silver cars think of themselves as cool.
Is that “cool” as in “style” or “cool” as in “chill”?
Maybe the latter, as the U.K. study also found that silver drivers were considered calm.
They were also slightly aloof, which fits both connotations of the word.
Drivers of white cars are “status-seeking extroverts,” the Web site opines, because white is a color that most shows dirt and dings. The assumption is that these drivers are also fastidious folks who work hard to keep those cars clean. You make a statement when you drive white: Look at me; I dare the odds.
Black, as if you couldn’t guess, represents elegance and style but with a touch of mystery and even darkness. Drivers of black cars like power and authority, and may be rebels at heart or on the surface.
The sales data recently released by Ford Motor Co. also showed regional differences. Drivers in hotter climes were more likely to drive white cars that reflect sunlight. In colder areas, many drivers preferred … not black, but red.
Black and gray were favorites, however, in New York, and in sunny Flori-da the top color was not white, but gold.
Boston was the top city for green and brown. Philadelphia went for blue.
Red denotes passion and energy, and also says: Look at me! It also is associated with a need for speed or to take risks: Gamblers make higher bets when seated under a red light, according to the Web site. These reasons explain why, according to common lore, police are more likely to target red cars.
Gold proclaims wealth. Gold cars are driven by people who want you to know about their pride, wealth and independence.
As for green? Well, its symbolism ranges the gamut. People who drive green cars may be earthy and organic. They may be “trustworthy and well-balanced.” Or, they may have “hysterical tendencies.” How do you balance that?
When it comes to Boston, we like the simple answer: Green is for the Celtics.