Topic: All Corvettes are NOT Red
in Forum: C3 General Discussion
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C3VR Founder
Eagleville, PA - USA
Joined: 11/1/2001
Posts: 18375
Vette(s): Used to own a 1979 Corvette now owned by JB79
It has been said many times by many people, especially those that own a red Corvette that "All Corvettes are Red." Well, I'm sorry to inform you it turns out All Corvettes are NOT Red, they're All White!"
Ok, so, obviously not ALL Corvettes are any one color, but there are certainly those that are more popular than others. If you would have guessed the most popular color ordered between 1968 and 1982, you'd likely have gone with Red.
I recently decided to take the production counts, that are available, for all model years from 1968-1982 and determine if Red was in fact the most popular color. I was not only surprised to find out that it didn't come in first place, but it came in fourth place!
Corvette paint color names where usually not as simple as "Red" or "Blue." They had fancy names like "Mulsanne Blue" and "Ontario Orange." So, in order to make the numbers a little easier to work with, I took all the various color names and put them into categories. 14 Single Color Categories (White, Silver, Blue, Red, Black, Tan, Yellow, Green, Orange, Maroon, Brown, Gray, Bronze and Gold) and 5 Two-Tone Color Categories (Black/Silver, Blue/Silver, Maroon/Silver, Gray/Silver & White/Silver). So, colors like "Mulsanne Blue," "Bridgehampton Blue," "Light Blue" and "Dark Blue" were grouped together as "Blue." Colors such as "Medium Saddle," "Buckskin," and "Corvette Light Beige" were grouped together as 'Tan."
Here's how the numbers look on a chart:

And here is the raw data:
Color Category | Production Count |
White | 64516 |
Silver | 60003 |
Blue | 55653 |
Red | 48819 |
Black | 36135 |
Tan | 31924 |
Yellow | 27102 |
Green | 20120 |
Orange | 18275 |
Maroon | 14472 |
Brown | 12791 |
Gray | 9128 |
Black/Silver | 6502 |
Bronze | 3806 |
Blue/Silver | 1667 |
Maroon/Silver | 1301 |
Gray/Silver | 1239 |
White/Silver | 664 |
Gold | 648 |
Grand Total | 414333 |
So, do the results surprise you?
What would you have guessed was the most popular color?
UPDATE: Please see my followup blog:
|UPDATED|3/27/2020 6:31:01 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
-Adam Wartell
NCM Lifetime Member #1222
Founder: C3 Vette Registry
C4 Vette Registry, C6 Vette Registry
My first Vette, now owned by JB79:

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OK Boss. If you would have continued on the study you would have learned that after 48,819 they ran out of RED paint and the colors they used in its place were mistakes.
Hence the saying, "Corvettes are suppose to be RED". "The rest are mistakes"...................
Now I gotta put all those worms back in the can?????
Hence the saying, "Corvettes are suppose to be RED". "The rest are mistakes"...................
Now I gotta put all those worms back in the can?????

If you really document reality ...... I'm sure the top color that is on C3's right now is Red. So many were repainted Red for what ever reasons.
ebo
Everyone wanted a little red corvette, the beach boys, even the artist formally known as Prince knew that the red corvette ruled.
Thats why I have both... a Red and a White.........just saying 



Moderator
Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight"
#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
Slow day at werk, eh Adam? 
Only thing that proves is that there are a lot more mistakes out there than anyone realized....I hope you're happy....

Only thing that proves is that there are a lot more mistakes out there than anyone realized....I hope you're happy....

Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
My Link
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"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"

Equinunk, PA - USA
Joined: 10/31/2007
Posts: 2465
Vette(s): 1972 conv, 4-speed, 350, 200hp, numbers match, rally wheels, war bonnett yellow w/white top. good condition, nice driver.



Moderator
Duncanville, TX - USA
Joined: 11/8/2003
Posts: 20214
Vette(s): #1-1974 L-48 4spd Cp Med Red Metallic/Black deluxe int w/AC/tilt/tele./p/w-p/b/
Am-Fm/map light National/Regional/Chapter NCRS "Top Flight"
#2-1985 Bright Red/Carmine Cp.L-98/auto
Member: NCRS, NCRS Texas, Corvette Legends of Texas
I think if Black had been available for all year models, it would have been either first or second on the list there. There's just something about this body style and black....they look so kewl.
but...RED is still the correct color.....
oh...and technically, "Maroon" is RED.
|UPDATED|8/8/2012 10:10:31 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
but...RED is still the correct color.....

oh...and technically, "Maroon" is RED.




|UPDATED|8/8/2012 10:10:31 AM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
Joel Adams
C3VR Lifetime Member #56
My Link
(click for Texas-sized view!) NCRS
"Money can't buy happiness -- but somehow it's more comforting to cry in a CORVETTE than in a Kia"
Well as you can see by my sig pic that when I bought my 71 it was painted black by mistake, which went over Warbonnet Yellow, also a mistake. So it took 3 paintings to get it right.

Greensburg, IN - USA
Joined: 9/24/2003
Posts: 5188
Vette(s): Previous: 1984 Silver / Charcoal Coupe, 1988 Maroon Coupe / 1989 Artic White Coupe / 2001 Speedway White Roadster / Present:1976 Stingray Black / Black, Auto, 350 slightly modified (355 hp) Luxor Wires Redline Tires. / 1989 Roadster Bright Red...
my7t1 said: Well as you can see by my sig pic that when I bought my 71 it was painted black by mistake, which went over Warbonnet Yellow, also a mistake. So it took 3 paintings to get it right.
Not.... somebody musta been eatin paint chips when they made that decision to change from the current mot popular color according to GM....
Tux...


Greensburg, IN - USA
Joined: 9/24/2003
Posts: 5188
Vette(s): Previous: 1984 Silver / Charcoal Coupe, 1988 Maroon Coupe / 1989 Artic White Coupe / 2001 Speedway White Roadster / Present:1976 Stingray Black / Black, Auto, 350 slightly modified (355 hp) Luxor Wires Redline Tires. / 1989 Roadster Bright Red...

Lemon Grove, CA - USA
Joined: 10/17/2007
Posts: 2041
Vette(s): 1982 C3 Collectors Edition 44000 miles, sat in the sun most of its life, My wife purchased it for me for Father's Day in 2007 from her girlfriend that had it for 19 years. It is on the road again. I'm retired but it is now my daily driver.
Where did you put the 82 CE's?
Actually you get maroon by mixing it with 9% to 16% Blue and a little brown
|UPDATED|8/8/2012 4:28:57 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
By the way I believe your total is off
Most popular colors for cars
23% White
18% Black
16% Silver
13% Gray
10% Red
9% Blue
5% Brown/Beige
3% Yellow/Gold
2% Green
I'm thinking Silver and Gray are close so those should be 29% which would make Silver/Gray the most popular.
the top four colors makeup 70% of the cars on the road. You know with 10% of the people making the same mistake in not a big deal. But wait those are not sports car people:
Sports cars
20% Silver
17% Gray
16% Blue
14% Black
10% White
9% Red
6% Green
5% Light Brown
3% Yellow/Gold
Mmmm Red still did not make it into the top 70%
And yes it is a slow day at the office.

|UPDATED|8/8/2012 4:28:57 PM (AZT)|/UPDATED|
in Forum: C3 General Discussion
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