There’s no question that black can look really classy, on the right car. Obviously, this isn’t one of them, and if I was to drive a Smart, I’d prefer it to be a bit more visible. Which is one of my several peeves with black cars.
Yes, this is one of the cars that perhaps looks best in black, and I might be tempted to break my white spell for one. Seriously; every car I’ve bought for myself has been white: ’62 Corvair, ’63 Beetle, ’64 Beetle, ’68 Peugeot 404, ’86 MBZ 300E, and my Xb. So I guess I’ve made my preference obvious.
But black is hot. In the summer, I rarely use the A/C in my Xb, because it sits in the driveway with the windows open, and stays cool. And I prefer bopping about town with the windows open. Admittedly, our summers are a bit cooler than average, but getting into Stephanie’s dark green Forester is a huge difference. Whew; turn on the AC!
Maybe it’s because I was traumatized by our black ’62 Fairlane, which also had clear plastic seat covers. I still have scars on the backs of my thighs from getting peeled off those seats on a hot Iowa day. Plus, our Fairlane was a stripper version, and black stripper sedans back then just screamed “cheapskate”!
So I obviously have no objectivity on the issue. What about you?
There is nothing better looking than a clean black car, unless its a dorky looking car to begin with, like a Smart/Cube/any Mazda equipped with the “grinning idiot grill”.
That being said, black cars are a royal pain in the butt to keep clean, especially in “pollen season”, thirty seconds after putting the car duster away….the bleeping thing is already turning green again. Ugh!
I saw a previous-gen Malibu LTZ today at lunch that was a gorgeous black. Whatever black they painted the first-gen Ford Focus is terrible. So it depends on the black.
White is at the bottom of my list of colors for cars. I would have to like everything else about a car a whole lot before I’d have it in white.
“White is at the bottom of my list of colors for cars. I would have to like everything else about a car a whole lot before I’d have it in white.”
My sentiments exactly. I’ve owned both and while birds love black cars, white, to me, looks like a fleet vehicle.
A lot of white cars can and do look like appliances. A few don’t, however. My 93 Century is white, but of course has woodgrain sides and a roof rack and the interior is navy blue so it looks good.
My 91 Brougham was white with some red inside and well, looked stunning.
Yes slightly off-white (Cotillion?) + Vouges = stunning on a box Brougham.
You white haters may be surprised to learn that it just passed silver as the most popular car color. I don’t like all whites and like any color it depends on the car. I absolutely can’t stand it with whitewalls like say on a ’67 Eldorado or worse a ’67 Galaxie 500. Total fleet.
An off or creamy white can look nice with wider whitewalls, like on a 58-63 Tbird.
My favorites though were the bright, solid (non pearl) whites from the 80s when whitewalls were gone and black trim was in. Like on a mid-80s 911 Carrera coupe or an ’89 Maxima SE or an Alfa GTV6. You will pay a premium for white on any of those cars.
I was just thinking that white looks good on the new Focus with the black window pillars and rocker panels to play against, not to mention *those* taillights (now if only it were available with a blue cloth interior…)
Likewise, Paul’s white xB with red steelies – nice touch and definitely a case of the wheels making the car.
I’d like to see car manufacturers assign chrome vs. all-black window moldings based on color rather than trim level – black, dark gray and the metallic jewel tones get the chrome touches while white, silver, bright red and any light blues or greens get the blacked-out look.
It is difficult to say no to the Buick Regal Grand National.
+1
+2
Won’t own a black car (this is Texas, fer cryin’ out loud, I don’t want to bake bread in the thing), won’t own a white car (white is for trademen’s vans), but my primary ride (’08 Altima) is metallic gray. Hey, it’s not my fault, that’s what color it was when bought it, used.
My preference is for a deep red, blue or green metallic, personally.
To look at: Yes
To own, and maintain: No
I love black on damn near everything but it is just not a color for a person like me, who not only buys used and keeps for several years, but is also very picky. Dirt, scuffs, scratches, swirl marks and, the worst, UV damage keeps me far far away. I’ll be the first to admit it, I’m not good at exterior “car care” and don’t particularly enjoy spending time on it. White is nice since I can pretty much hose it off now and then and shelve the whole polish/wax affair for an annual or bi-annual occasion.
I will say though, black may look universally good on most any car, but that doesn’t mean it’s the best color on every car. I’m very open minded with color and genuinely think there are just certain cars that “pop” in red, blue, yellow, green, grey, white, silver, ect. more so than just going with the easy choice of black.
“I’ll be the first to admit it, I’m not good at exterior “car care” and don’t particularly enjoy spending time on it.”
Glad I’m not the only one. I once spent a day detailing a black Mustang I owned. It looked great (save for the factory-installed paint flaws and wax I slopped all over the unpainted plastic trim pieces and never could get fully cleaned off). So great, in fact, I barely drove it for weeks because I knew that getting dirty would just mean I’d have to do that crappy work all over again.
It depends on the design of the particular car. SUVs, Town Cars, Fleetwoods, ’60s luxury barges, Audis, cars from the 30s, the current Sonata, and most Lexuses, yes. Most others, and especially cheaper cars, no.
But I live in Texas again, and black is out because of the long, hot summers.
IMHO black/red leather and white/tan leather are the two most attractive color combos. That having been said, I too live in Texas and won’t ever own another black car. I’ve owned only one and expected the heat. The bigger problem was my Monk/OCD tendencies–just don’t have the time to wash/dust it every day.
Very much agree with you on the black/red and white/tan combos. What is rarely seen that I also like is white/red or red/white. For the last couple of years, Dodge has offered on the Charger and Avenger a Radar Red (leather) interior which is seldom ordered and very rarely seen. Color is a big factor for me, and in looking at the few examples found on AutoTrader, I find the red interior almost always on a red exterior. To me – who likes red – that shouldn’t happen as it is an overload of red. Kinda like a storebought cake that is almost sickeningly sweet. To me at least, it needs a contrast for balance. In the same way, I find a black car with a black interior to be too much black and lacking some needed contrast.
I have owned two black cars – a 63 Cadillac Fleetwood that I bought (very) used and my first new car, the 85 VW GTI. Both had gray interiors.
Back before clearcoats, at least you could say that the paint on a black car would look good forever if you tried to keep the car clean. Now, not so much as black clearcoated cars seem to fail at least as often as colors, particularly if they stay in the sun a lot.
I found that it is very hard to keep a black car looking really nice. Just running through the carwash does not do it, as the car would build up a dull haze that needed frequent waxing. The other problem is that every single surface imperfection (like door dings, etc) are magnified by 50%. Not the color for you if you have any OCD tendencies.
I still like the look of black, but mostly on a large luxury car with enough chrome trim to give it some sparkle. Red leather looks great with it. A black stripper car just looks cheap.
I’ve owned two black late 90’s Nissan Maximas. They look great for the ten minutes that they’re clean. The Tennessee sun can really make them difficult to cool in July and August. Everyone should own a black car one time.
Never owned one, but I used to detail a friend’s 85 black Thunderbird every year when he went on vacation. It was the only time it was ever washed or polished. Really looked great when I got done with it. It was remarkable how that black paint would come back to life after the year’s neglect. The many polishing cloths needed would be soot black.
I’m biased towards black over tan, but all the points about keeping it clean are true. Buying it new, I would have leaned towards dark red of some sort.
Like Paul, I have an irrational bias against a car color: wimpy light blue, which coated my teenage Horizon and a more recent Geo Prizm. Nothing wrong with either car, but their color says “I’m stuck with this” to me.
I think black looks good on sports cars and “executive” type cars. Porsches, VW GTI, Jaguars,Vettes, Lincolns, Cadillacs, big Mercedes, SUV’s. Black on an econo sh*tbox?? Not so much
Hate the swirl marks and hairline scratches. You can fill ’em but it doesn’t last. You can polish them out but then your paint doesn’t last. Would make an exception for the Buick GN and that sweet Lincoln. Otherwise prefer period colors… and white. Such a forgiving color on the dings and scratches and stays cool. Good resale too.
While some cars do look good in black, from a practical standpoint I don’t like black cars. Too hot in the summer and black paint is the hardest to keep clean and shows body damage more than any other color. I like blue cars and green cars given a choice.
Green & Blue Cars FTW! My two favorite exterior colors….white on the inside is icing in the cake…
I keep going back and forth. My ’82 Cavalier Type 10 was dark charcoal when I bought it, but I repainted it mono white.
My ’64 Beetle was black, the ’00 New Beetle that replaced it is white, and the successor to the NB is black again… I’m already somewhat regretting the “hard to keep clean” factor, especially living on a farm out in the boonies (roads aren’t that good, and this time of year there’s a lot of farm tractor/implement traffic that leaves a lot of mud on the road).
When Ford had their own in-house transport service the tractors and trailers were a neutral tan color so as to hide the dirt…
Looked good as the background for the blue ford oval.
I like my black Brabus ForTwo!
Especially with a dusting of powdered sugar! Nice.
Glad to see the texas flavor today.
Hot weather makes a big difference. Having been stationed in The Panama Canal Zone, Cuba, and Guam, I doubt you could pay me enough to have a black car. I think the time it stays clean is measured in nanoseconds but that’s irrelevant. The time it takes to cook an egg is probably competitive with a microwave and that is important.
Btw 843de thanks for the gratuitous hate for my cube. If calling out ugly is your thing, I imagine this picture will really get your bowels in an uproar. I certainly do agree with any of you who think so. It’s also ideal for Houston. This is the summer garb for my S10. Removing four bolts is all it takes to remove it and set it on blocks for the winter. I drive around with the windows cracked to keep it from getting too cold and if I leave them cracked a hard rain still stays out. It has also been known to tote a heavy load.
I’ve done some form of this for every pickup I’ve had since I can remember. All of them were service trucks including this one. If the AC goes out I just drive around in the shade till I’m ready to fix it. This started out as a plant truck so as ggh06 says it had to be white. When I get back from our scheduled trip I think I’m going to redo it with a light colored bed liner versus paint. For me, it isn’t real important how it looks. It does have to start, haul, and not roast the inhabitants.
Hate black cars, too hard to hide scratches in the paint. I’d spend all day buffing it. My 2004 F150 is “Arizona Desert Tan” which is very good at hiding the dust here in the Southwest.
I’ve owned two black cars. After the first one, I said “Never again,” then proceeded to buy a second black car. While living in the Deep South.
I’ve since sold both. As much as I’d like to say “never again,” I know I’ll end up doing it again at some point. And it’ll be just as big of a mistake.
Black cars look great, provided they’ve been fully detailed and free of cosmetic flaws; My cars were rarely without either. Unfortunately, the color pallet available on most new cars is very limited; I hate silver and beige, white is boring and red is too flashy – gray and black are often the only appealing choices.
I like them but have never had one,I came close when offered a black 3 litre V6 Ford Capri but it was just a bit more than I wanted to pay and the guy wouldn’t drop his price by a penny.
I didn’t say that I hate the Cube wstarvingteacher, I just think they are dorky looking, asymmetrical styling doesn’t tickle my fancy.
Some dorky vehicles are odd enough to be cute, like the Nissan Figaro or Citroen 2CV. I own four Chevy HHR’s, and as much as I love them, I’m sure plenty of folks here either hate their looks or consider them to be “PT Cruiser copycats”.
Sorry for the hurt feelings.
I absolutely promise you that my feelings are not hurt. I just always feel the need to respond. My wife likes the style and I like the engineering. It took her a while to convince me that we should buy it because (true confession) I thought it looked so dorky.
I sort of get a kick out of the folks who comment on the cube and enjoy the back and forth. After driving it a while I forgot the looks and we are on our second one now.
I think the HHR is pretty much a Saturn Vue with different exterior. I really liked them but they liked breaking and costing money. I think I need to google Nissan Figaro. Never have I seen one so far as I know.
Since I am a cruel, heartless, evil person, black is the only color I’ve ever had on any of my cars. It’s the best color to reflect my personality.
So there.
Rolls Royce Phantom: (wallpaper)
***Shout out to Ed Niedermeyer’s article in the Wall Street Journal***
Very interesting read. The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.
No comment. Let’s just say he now gets paid to expound a specific POV regarding GM. Although he used to say pretty much the same thing at TTAC. He’s found his metier. Good for him. Oops; I guess I did comment 🙂
Black – hell yeah !
Actually wstarvingteacher, the HHR was built on a slightly stretched and beefed up GM Delta platform. Its cousins under the skin are the Chevy Cobalt, Pontiac G-5, Saturn Ion, and the Saab 9-3.
They are quirky and fickle, but when you understand their weak points, they provide rock solid service.
While you’re looking up the Figaro, be sure to look up the Nissan S-Cargo too, it kick started the “retro look”.
Hell yes! Black cars I have owned or still currently own include a few “only available in black” exclusive models. Those would be a 78 ElCamino “Black Knight”, two 75 CosworthVegas, and a 86 GrandNational. Plus a 85 L69 IROC and 85 Riviera T-Type.
You aint a true believer until you’ve spent an August in the midwest driving a triple black CosworthVega because your DD was down for repairs. I say they that because AC wasn’t on the list of options for that car. Drove the GN and IROC when I did a tour in FL last decade so no complaints about hot weather with either one of those either. Nothing better than spending a Saturday afternoon in the shade putting down a few coats of ‘glaze’ on that perfect black finish and than admiring your hard work by cruising down main street later that night. My last couple of rides have been white though.
Not a fan of black or white or silver cars, I much prefer color (blue, green, red). However, that said, black cars do have their advantages such as the ability to find it in the snow (like under a snow drift).
One thing I will say about black cars, that is, if they are the “right” black cars, is that they attract attention. I wrote in Paul’s post about the 1965 Lincoln Continental being the penultimate luxury car for me, and that it was the very car (triple black) that my parents drove all through my college years. One time in the mid-’60’s, visiting my grandmother in Palm Springs, we were picking up my dad at the new P.S. Airport. As we drove the big black Lincoln past the terminal, there in all his flamboyance was Liberace standing at the curb, and he nearly fell off and twisted his neck into a pretzel staring at us cruising by. He must have thought we were some kind of potentates or mucky-mucks, but it was just “us folks,” and we were staring just as hard back at him, a real celebrity encounter. Never would have happened in an old white beater!
I later had my own all black nemesis, a ’91 Mercedes 300 CE coupe, which was stunning when all spit-shined and polished. But it was hell keeping it that way, and the interior heat buildup with what always seemed to be the slow-to-react air conditioning, will keep me from any more black or near-black cars.
I owned a black on black car in Miami for 11 years, it looked great when it was still fairly new, but shabby towards the end, though having a great a/c system is a must, and sometimes it works to go and start the car first THEN go inside and get ready for work.
Black cars look better in the shade.
AS a fellow Texan, black cars… no way. gorgeous to look at, but miserable for daily usage.
My friends ’71 Chevelle convertible is absolutely painful to drive, red with black vinyl interior and black ragtop when temps get above 90 degrees, we have to run with the top up, and the windows open, the vents open and the heater core coolant flow shut off and any air coming through the cowl, gets directed to the defroster. Non-air cars and vinyl seats are the devils work.
Give me a COLOR. I love that my explorer is a bright red, and my classic car is a bright metallic green. stands out in a sea of white, black and silver luxury cars at work.
No matter how hard I try to avoid them, most every car or truck I end up with is either red, white or blue. (I currently have three reds and a white).
Some reds are OK. (except the one’s I have). But, White?, Blue? No thanks.
At least I have managed to escape every silver car ever made.
This car is perfect in black.
Like most folks here, I don’t choose a car for the color. Price first; then size; then style. Occasionally I’ve been drawn to a TYPE of car…I lusted after a Rabbit when they first came out; years later my mother, of all people, got one – that and my experience of VW’s customer-hostile service, cured that.
But anyway. I had two black cars, fifteen years apart. Both small econoboxes, which makes black a mistake. Both good deals, which was why they became mine.
Both without air conditioning. A black car, in an Ohio summer…no air…that is not cool, as the kids would say.
Biggest problem I had with it, other than that both were solar ovens…was the paint itself would get so hot it would oxidize. In one season on the Escort; in the second summer on the Toy Yoda.
…uh, no. Never again. Not white; and not black.
As with you, most of my cars over the years have have come with a color that comes as part of what I call the “Used Car Equipment Package” – in other words, you take what you get. I have always bought cars based on condition, price, and what it is (in no particular order). I think I have gotten to choose the color of my car precisely once, with my black 85 GTI. With the two other new cars, the Mrs. has driven the choices (white and gray). Some have been real oddities, like my 68 Newport that was telephone beige with a 2 tone green interior. Ugh.
“…telephone beige with a 2 tone green interior.”
JP, I would love to see a photo of that combo!
Yessir! Our neighbors in Caracas when I was a kid had a ’72 LTD that I called the ‘big blakc car.’ That is why I like black cars.
I never cared for black on the inside or outside of cars with the exception of some early Lincolns and Fiero SE/GTs.
I do own a black ’94 Camaro convertible with black top and grayneric cloth interior. The color combo is awful although tan interior would have made it worse I guess. Black detracts from the aesthetics of any ’93-’97 Camaro as it masks the blacked-out headlight recesses and Z28 emblems…which GM only molded in black. Body colored emblems look so cheap & a friend once asked me why someone painted over the ones on my car.
Black does look pretty good on a ’73 Grand Prix although I do not like the fact that my example is black x3. The vinyl interior is hot and always dark: the dome & courtesy lights do not help much when feeling around for whatever crap I dropped between the seat and console.
I was considering changing the color to Verdant Green (white top & interior) until I discovered it was originally equipped with red carpeting — the original owner had it replaced with black carpet most likely right after he bought it. The red striping & future red carpet will give it at least a little color..so it will remain original.
As much as I adore the 1977-1978 Firebirds, I think black is just as nasty as yellow or brown is on these cars.
My favorite colors in order are greens, turquoise, blues, factory purples, maroons, reds, and white*.
*White: blue, green, or red interior only
It’s a matter of contrast. A black car among white cars, red cars, blue cars, whichevercolouryouwant cars can be a very fine thing. Especially if it is a luxury car with a red interior. But a black car among dozens of other black cars is just depressing. Especially if it is something like a small 1-series BMW that just screams “hey, I can’t afford a 3-series, but look how classy I am!”.
It’s just my driving experience in Western Europe speaking here, but the thing is, when I’m on the road, I kind of enjoy seeing a black Jaguar or S-series MB in my mirror. It’s just nice. By contrast, when I see a black 1-series BMW or a small black Audi, I just get suspicious because I know the guy (yes, generally it’s a guy sitting behind the wheel, and he’s seldom above 35) WILL get 3 feet behind my rear bumper even if I’m doing 160 kph.
I will never buy a black car for all the reasons already mentioned.
I prefer red, or a nice gray. Out dear 1990 Acclaim was a very nice gray – Dark Quartz. My 2012 Impala is Ashen Gray, which looks really sharp. Our 2002 CR-V is silver.
I once had a neighbor who only bought silver cars – that color hid the dirt the best, and he was right. I have to look real close at the CR-V to see just how filthy it is!
I admit that black looks good on the right car – stately, on a large car like a Continental, De Ville, Imperial, or some other large car, but not on a small car, just as red looks good on smaller cars, but not on large ones.
Come to think of it, the only current large car that wears black well, aside from a limo or hearse would be an Escalade or Suburban. Glad I don’t have to keep them clean!
My favorite color is whatever a car I fit in and have the cash for is painted, and definitely not BLACK!
No. And silver is even worse. If you want a silver car, just sandblast off the paint and there you have it.
My 2003 Silverado is black, which I think is a good thing because the low-line black rubber side trim is color-matched to it, helping the appearance of it – at least in my mind. It can get pretty warm in there when it sits out in the summer sun for a while, but the a/c has no problem cooling the small pickup cab.
A little “Matrix” vibe going on with that Connie. I do like black cars (and bikes) a lot, but don’t plan on ever buying another one, ever. Look at them sideways and POOF!… dusty. Had 4 that I can remember… a ’78 Concord (with that gawdawful ssssslllllllooooooowwwwww 2.0 litre VW motor), a ’74 Monte Carlo with a thoroughly whipped 350, an ’85 Tempo (slow as death, but maybe a bit faster than the Concord), my first new vehicle ever, a ’95 Dodge Ram 1500, and an ’06 Electra Glide. All scrapped, sold off, or traded in. No more black. Ever.
Yes, I’m aware that Paul has declared the 3rd Gen Camaro one of GM’s Deadly Sins. And his points are well taken. But here’s a pic of my ’89 RS as my “Yes” vote on the subject of black paint.
Did you enjoy the car?
I only bought it a while ago, and haven’t had it plated and on the road yet. Hope to this summer. Only driven less than five miles so far, so not enough evidence to make any informed evaluations. But it seems in pretty good shape, the T-tops don’t leak, it had only one female owner since new (no, seriously!) and I didn’t pay too much for it. So I can’t go too far wrong on it. I’m sure I’ll get a good return-on-investment in the form of cheap kicks.
I’ve got “your” wheels on a red ’87. Too bad you aren’t close by because I have no use for them.
I’ve had a white ’89 RS since the early 90’s when it had about 35K on it. It’s got about 183K on its original drivetrain now and still ran great when I parked it in the basement a couple years ago: it’s been a very reliable car all these years despite being owned by a twenty-something male and loaned out to several people who weren’t that kind to it.
I hope you enjoy yours or find someone who will enjoy it: the throttle-body 305s in these are fine engines. I’d consider a black one of these if it had red interior.
FYI, top end on the ’89 RS is 115mph thanks to its nanny ECM cutting off the fuel supply.
Thanks for the friendly sentiments, Junqueboi. My rims and rubber (came with fresh Dunlops) are good. I sprung for the bullet center caps because, unlike the factory ones, these are held down by lug nuts and won’t pop off at the first hard corner. So technically I’ve got chrome centers on silver-painted wheels, but nobody’s noticed or called BS on it. Yet. 🙂
Like I say, I haven’t yet been able to drive it. But I’ve been doing my research (the thirdgen.org site is huge) and there certainly do seem to be some things to be said in favor of the 3rd Gen F-Body. When these “downsized” Camaros and Firebirds were intro’d in ’82, they had managed to shave 300 – 500 lbs off the 2nd Gen. They were called “the best handling American cars of the ’80s” (which means better than C-4 ‘Vette, although that may be much of an accomplishment). The hatch is supposedly the largest piece of glass ever used in a production car. And, not least, they are now at their price nadir: being solidly out of fashion with just about every demographic, so they have depreciated as much as they possibly can, and there’s nowhere to go but up. Of course, that “up” might take another 20 years, but that’s for the marketplace to decide.
A red interior is what I have planned for mine (it’s pale grey cloth). Also planned (well, eventually) is a SBC 5.7 out of a big wooden box. Right now what’s in there is the 2.8 V6, putting out a whopping 135 horses, which at least ought to keep me from doing any stoplight dragging. So it looks a lot meaner than it really is: a sheep in wolf’s clothing, if you will. The upside of this is that, to the car-insurance industry, it’s a Secretary’s Special with much lower premium than the “fast”, “dangerous” IROCs and Z-28s… many of whose V8s managed only 35 hp more than my six!
I’d better stop now before the site proprietor loses any more respect for me than he already has.
Alex: every car deserves love….
Oh yeah, the third gen. I’ll take mine as a 1989 Trans Am GTA in red, T-top, LSD, 5-speed stick, 305 V8 w/ MPFI, WS6 HD suspension package, whorehouse red cowhide interior, top-of-the-line stereo, factory digital dash & trip computer, & factory button-covered steering wheel, to go.
All I know is the dude who owns that house has no business having such a scraggly lawn when he has that really nice black riding mower…oh, wait…
I see what you did there…
I’ve owned several black cars, mostly they were a total PITA to keep clean. After an extended break with a couple of different colored cars, I thought I would outsmart mother nature by purchasing a dark blue car (2nd favorite color after red).
Nope. Just as bad as a black car.
Oh well…
As others have said, black looks great and perhaps the best on certain cars, when they are clean and detailed. However, my first car (used) was black, and I’m unlikely to ever own another balck car. No matter how “plain jane” some people see white, I like it fine. Like Paul does. My real preference is a vivid color like bright red, orange or yellow. And, I like blues and greens. And, I can admit that I definitely like brown. Silver or gray or platinum or tungsten I kinda like. A deep burgundy red is great on some cars, too.
My current daily driver, a 2012 Altima, is my first black car. It looks good in black, but it wasn’t my first choice. It wanted gray or maybe a dark red. But the one that was equipped like I wanted was black and it was the only one on the lot so equipped. The 35,000 miles that I’ve already put on it, has left a lot of marks in the paint on the nose. Also, I have a lot of trees, which are just now blooming and leaving a lovely layer of greenish pollen and bird crap all over it. This might not have been the best selection for me, but it looks good when I wash it.
Matt or as we call it Best Bogan Blak is a favourite of mine.
Smaller black cars looking cool and young. That’s why I bought my Fiesta.