Philly blues: Ford color data reveals quirks

updated 5:50 p.m. ET Oct. 13, 2009

DETROIT - In Philadelphia, they've got the blues. In Cincinnati, they've got — well — the reds.

Cincinnati is the top market for red cars in the U.S., while Philly buyers prefer blue, according to sales data released Tuesday by Ford Motor Co.

Sometimes, color preferences are logical. Buyers in hot cities, like Phoenix and Dallas, like white cars, while buyers in colder cities, like Minneapolis, Pittsburgh, Detroit, are partial to red, according to Ford's internal data. No-nonsense New Yorkers like black and gray.

Sometimes, the preferences are a puzzle. Boston is the top market for both brown and green cars, for example, while San Franciscans like silver. In Florida, they like gold.

Silver remained the most popular color in the U.S. this year for the ninth year in a row, according to data released this month by Pittsburgh-based paint maker PPG Industries Inc. Twenty percent of U.S. cars are silver. White finished second and black was third.

Ford also found that Boston was the top market for its four-cylinder engines, while Houston, the top market for pickup trucks, gets its vroom from V8s. San Francisco, Seattle and Los Angeles are the top markets for hybrids.

It may seem trivial, but the information is critical to the company and its dealers. Ford said it analyzes the data carefully to figure out which vehicle configurations will be the top sellers in any region.

Ford said the correct vehicle mix results in better sales for dealers and better customer service, since customers can find the vehicles they want more quickly.

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