America’s favorite car colors are surprisingly “vanilla” with white and pearl white together accounting for 17.8 percent of car sales, according to the 2009 DuPont Global Automotive Color Popularity Report. Other leading car colors were black (17.7 percent), silver (16.7 percent), gray (13 percent), blue (12.4 percent) and red (12 percent).

North America’s color preferences seem to fall in line with international market trends with silver (25 percent), black (23 percent), white (16 percent), and gray (13 percent) being the top four vehicle selections worldwide

Researchers at the University of Tilburg in the Netherlands attribute the popularity of conservative colors (i.e. black, silver, gray) to the economy as bright and flashy-colored cars have significantly lower resale values.

“A car in silver or yellow goes for the same price at the dealership, but the resale value greatly differs between the two,” said Ben Vollaard, one author of the study. “The National Auto Auction Association estimates that on average, a used car in a popular color sells for a thousand dollars more than the same car with a less desirable color.”

Just as the most popular colors are rather predictable, global trends in unpopular colors are fairly homogenous as well. Altogether, pink, purple, green, and orange made up only 14 percent of automotive sales worldwide in 2009.

Not surprisingly, the Tilburg study also found that less popular colors were also less likely to be stolen. In the sample group rare-colored vehicles were nearly 40 percent less likely to be stolen due to their lower resale value.

Not just car thieves have discriminating tastes when it comes to selecting vehicles. A 2007 Ford Motor study found a staggering 39 percent of consumers would leave a dealership if it didn’t have their preferred color choice and model in stock.