7 On Your Side: Why bright colored cars aren't as popular anymore

SAN FRANCISCO (KGO) -- Drive down the highway and there is a good chance all the cars surrounding you will be black, white, silver or grey. There may be a reason for that.

7 on Your Side's Michael Finney has been looking into it.

Kelly Blue Book keeps track of these things.

"Car companies are very conservative, especially when it comes to color," explained Jack Nerad, with Kelly Blue Book.

It didn't use to be that way.

AW Collision knows all about car colors. They employ some of the best repair techs in the business, and specialize in high end cars. AW Collision's Joseph Shahbazi says on luxury car, it is hard to find any color other than the big four.

"Black color is a cool factor, people want their cars to be cool and chic, so they go with black. White and Silver is because they don't show dirt and scratches," Shahbazi says.

So car buyers, embrace these colors.

"Tastes have changed. We aren't wearing what we wore in the 50's or the 80's or 90's, at least most of us, and car colors have evolved that way too," explained Jack Nerad with Kelly Blue Book. "Dealers are ordering what people will buy and these days the popular colors are almost no color. White, black, grey, silver... those are the colors that have the most popularity. Real colors like bright yellow, red... those kinds of color are just not nearly as popular."

He's right. But change is in the air. The new hot look in tuxedos on the red carpet is a dark-electric blue. And the recently displayed Lincoln concept car is also dark-electric blue.

"If deep blue is stylish for a tuxedo, then it makes since it would be stylish for a luxury vehicle," said Nerad.

That brings us to red cars -- common wisdom has it that red cars get ticketed more than others. But a check with the people who care most, insurers, shows that is not the case.

"It does not matter what color your car is. A red car doesn't get any more tickets and insurers don't charge any more for coverage. That is an urban legend," said Janet Ruis with Insurance Information Institute.