Color Inspiration: Yellow

Design and color have a large part to play in the history of the automotive world. Here, we’ve married the two things together for the purpose of showcasing their influences on automotive culture.

Some facts about yellow cars:

According to a study by VoxEU.org, yellow cars are less likely to get stolen than cars of colors that are more popular. The reason for this could be because the resale value is much higher for a commonly-colored car like silver/gray, black, or blue, and also because a yellow car or other brightly-colored cars are more likely to be spotted by the police. (Source)

“[Founder of Hertz Rent-a-Car System and creator of the Yellow Cab Company in 1915, John Hertz] read a University of Chicago study that suggested the color yellow with a bit of red mixed in was the color most visible from a distance, and so he proceeded to paint all his taxis the color that would eventually come to be known as ‘taxi yellow. It became an industry trend, which of course was continued when he and his partner, Walden Shaw, branched out to other cities, including New York City.”

–Allan Fromberg, Taxi and Limousine Commission (Source)

0.4% of cars on the road are yellow. (Source)

Image Sources (clockwise from top): 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11