Great White Way

For the first time in nearly a decade, silver doesn't take the gold.

DuPont's latest Global Automotive Color Popularity Report finds that white has edged out silver as the top car color of choice, reflecting a growing trend among home furnishings and fashion that favors a return to minimalism.

Popular culture's embrace of the white-on-white look — not seen to this extent among home furnishings and cars since the height of the Reagan administration — also suggests that hot new colors will soon become more popular in car dealerships and home-improvement outlets across the country. White, according to DuPont, indicates that a transition in color preferences is in the works.

"We are not surprised to see a proliferation of white in DuPont's report this year," the executive director of the Pantone Color Institute and author of "Color: Messages and Meanings," Leatrice Eiseman, said. "It follows the global trends in fashion, consumer products, and industrial design. We're seeing a return to white as a clarifying agent before change; it's a color of purity and minimalism."

DuPont has tracked auto color preferences for 55 years as a way to call attention to its annual unveiling of new automotive paints. The company claims that although the study is a benchmark for the automotive industry, its influence reaches beyond that segment to other industries, including home furnishings, consumer electronics, and fashion.

This year, white is a trend-shifting color, according to DuPont. It anticipates the new black metallic and other color effects that are slowly becoming more popular. Red also continues to gain ground, according to the company, which virtually ensures a more vividly colored outlook in nearly all segments.

"Red, in particular, is a popular choice with people who want to express a level of individuality with their vehicles," the color marketing and technology manager for DuPont Automotive Systems, Karen Surcina, said. "We see the growth of vibrant colors like red and orange as an option for those interested in mass customization — the chance to personalize a mass-produced object."

Manufacturers of automotive paints present their annual collections of colors to automakers in a formal presentation, not unlike the way designers do in the fashion industry. Some of DuPont's new colors this year are Whitney White, Gwendolyn Gray, Roger Rocket (white with a hint of blue), Remington Red, Giselle Glacier (white), Gaby Goldfish (orange), and Nemo Night (dark blue).

"Our customers are looking at niche colors and effects, including matte finishes and warm neutrals with effect," Ms. Surcina said. "The rise in popularity of white/white pearl and the long reign of silver suggest that we can expect a more dramatic shift in the top color choice."