Color or Black/White?

Photography by Laszlo Jenei, Andrew Schneider, and Rosario Liberti for Petrolicious

For the last few years, both the mainstream and automotive media have remarked with some frequency that factory automotive colors, or even the very idea of ‘color’, are out of vogue. “Metallic shades of neutral” might be a better description of the average Costco parking lot. I’m sure this has much to do with the increasing rush to make modern cars as inoffensive as possible to the broadest possible audience.

Obviously, here at Petrolicious, we appreciate color. In fact, one of the small joys of owning a vintage car is the attention it might attract and bright colors increase that likelihood…and if you happen to possess a Rosso Corso-colored vintage Ferrari, well, all the better (see our recent GTO video for an example).

This is true for everyone except, of course, your humble author. As the perennial devil’s advocate I maintain that cars look best in exactly two colors: black and white. Ebony and Ivory. The Oreo. Dalmatians. Chess. Nero e Bianco.

These classics showcase the best features vintage cars have to offer–unique and singular sheet metal design.

Do you prefer the absence of color, like me, or are you infatuated with bright hues (and if so, which ones)?