The New York Times-20080127-White Wins- Silver Fades

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White Wins; Silver Fades

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WHITE has nudged out silver as the most popular automobile color in North America, ending silver's seven-year run at the top. According to DuPont's annual color survey, released last month, 19 percent of the cars and trucks sold in North America in 2007 were white and 18 percent were silver.

White seems to be everywhere at the Detroit auto show, which ends today. Many of the concept cars and new models on display were white: the Audi TTS, the Mercedes Vision GLK , the Maybach Landaulet Study, the Nissan Forum minivan concept, the Land Rover LRX concept and the Chevrolet HHR SS concept. Maserati displayed its special Quattroporte Collezione Cento in ivory white, with mother of pearl accents inside.

The all-white Dodge Avenger Stormtrooper, a customized one-of-a-kind model originally displayed by Dodge at the SEMA show in Las Vegas, was inspired by the organic-technological shapes of the armor of the imperial troops in the Star Wars movies. Even its wheels are white.

The popularity of white, to hear the color experts tell it, is about depth and subtlety. Today's whites are pearl-like and suggest soft reflectance and lush layers of depth.

In a press release, Karen Surcina, color marketing and technology manager for the company's automotive systems, 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.

[Illustration]PHOTO: Maybach Landaulet Study (PHOTOGRAPH BY BERND WEISSBROD/ EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY)