Most Popular New Car Colors!
DuPont Automotive has released it’s annual Color Popularity Report – a study that analyzes color trends in the United States and around the world.
The report found that in 2008 1 in 5 vehicles in North America were white. Black and silver tied for second, each with 17%. Blue, gray, and red had 13%, 12%, and 11% respectively.
Some car buyers take this report in account when purchasing their vehicles. They want to make sure that they choose a popular color now so they don’t limit the number of people who may be interested in their vehicle when they attempt to sell it a few years in the future.
Here is the complete list:
- White – 20%
- Black – 17%
- Silver – 17%
- Blue – 13%
- Gray – 12%
- Red – 11%
- Beige/Brown – 5%
- Green – 3%
- Yellow/Gold – 2%
- Other colors – less than 1%
The Rest of the World?
DuPont found that white and silver are popular in most other countries, as well. Silver is particularly favored in Asia. In fact, 50% of Koreans chose that color, with 32% of Chinese doing so.
White and silver accounted for more than half the cars in India – white with 28%, followed by silver with 27%.
Can You Benefit From the Economic Downturn?
With doom and gloom pervading America today it may surprise you to learn that there are some bonifide deals available for those who are in a position to take advantage of them. I dare say that without the economic downturn the ability to save many thousands of dollars would not be presenting itself at our store beginning this Friday the 13th (sounds ominous, doesn’t it?).
Not only is Ford offering 0% for 72 months (sure, you’ll find some manufacturer’s offering 0% for 24 or 36 months, maybe 48, and occassionally 60, but almost no one offers 0% for this long of a term – 72 months or 6-years), but there is additional cash back on some models if you finance through Ford Credit. (Fine print: You have to qualify for 0% and some models are excluded.)
Check in tomorrow to see a break down of the figures and exactly how much you save with 0% financing.
Your savings don’t actually begin or end with 0% because the offer from Ford is calculated after you get a sale price from me. If you have followed this website you know that I recently transferred to Michael Stead’s Hilltop Ford from a nearby Honda dealership, and as the Internet Sales Manager I’m eager to see how low Ford prices can really go. In other words, I’m out to provide the best value in the Bay area on any of our Ford vehicles in stock! Email me at james@BayAreaCarGuy.com to see what I can do for you, and how low I can go for you, your friends, or your family.
And don’t believe the negative hype that no one is lending money anymore. Virtually all automakers continue to make car loans in a big way. Ford Credit is no exception. While it is true that the sub-prime auto loan market (less than stellar credit) has been squeezed from the “anything goes” mentality of the last few years, our experienced finance managers at Michael Stead’s Hilltop Ford continue to make loans in the sub-prime range. The only difference is that now the loans have to make sense to the lender based on stricter guidelines. In other words, each case has to be assessed on its own merits. And the good news is that we are regularly getting our sub-prime customers approved.
If you need a car, truck, or SUV and you have less than average credit or better, then RUN – don’t walk – to Michael Stead’s Hilltop Ford this President’s Day weekend for unheard savings on new Ford vehicles. Take advantage of one the few positive aspects of the economic downturn and save big while you can.
BTW, if you want to confirm your credit worthiness prior to coming in simply go to BetterLoanBetterCar.com and fill out our online credit application. Write “ATT: James” in the application and it will come straight to my desk.
Good luck and good shopping. And remember: Don’t believe all the doom and gloom, at least not while you can get 0% for the next 72 months/6-years on a new Ford vehicle + possibly even cash back! Tune in tomorrow to find out exact figures on the savings you can earn this weekend.
Transparency in the Auto Business?
We are coming out of a decade or more of toxic business practices where hidden motivations and shady conduct led to abuse and mistrust. Enron led the way – followed by the financial crisis, and subsequent economic meltdown.
Like a pendulum swinging in the opposite direction to counteract the imbalance, there are forces at work in government and business that are offering a new direction that includes the simple concept of transparency – what I think of as an eagerness to openly communicate instead of bamboozle, stonewall and deceive.
I joined an online seminar* yesterday and was pleasantly surprised to hear that transparency has been making its way into the auto industry for at least a couple of years. When I joined the industry just over 2 years ago I was appalled at some of the old school manipulation that was still being practiced. In fact, I continue to hear of car sales staff conveniently forgetting to return their customer’s driver’s licenses or vehicle registrations so their client is forced to return to the dealership before buying a vehicle somewhere else. To some, the end justifies the means.
Such practices have historically been driven from the top down. What I heard from Scott Mony, the head of Social Media for the Ford Motor Company, is that he and others in leadership positions in the industry are actively championing transparency in more and more aspects of relating to consumers and the public. Having top company officials regularly blog is one way that this is happening. And as Mony said, “…using real dialogue and not acting like a corporate shill,” is needed to have such blogs retain any significance with the reader. This is a welcome top down approach.
Mony said that social media – from Twitter to bloggers – are helping those in leadership positions change the way they communicate. The truth is, this is a process that will take time and effort before significant change manifests at the dealer level, which is where I work, and where most of my customers interact.
Yet, I am glad that transparancy has at least begun to unfold in such a dinosauresque industry as this. It’s a beginning, and it feels supportive to those of us who daily practice a different – and dare I say, transparent way of doing business.
*Why Your Company Can’t Ignore Social Marketing: Lessons Learned from the Auto Industry featuring Scott Monty, Sylvia Marino, and Christopher Barger hosted by Powered.com.
