What is a “credit dentist”? Never heard of it. We always just get a bill in the mail.
First, he died decades ago…but his big chain of dentists is still alive and yanking in the Phoenix area. His practice started in 1930 in a second-floor office above our most popular downtown movie theater. Neon signs: False teeth were $12.50 Extractions: $1.00. No one had credit cards…not even department stores. We didn’t have dental insurance; we paid our doctors and dentists directly. Dr. Pease started advertising that he gave credit…so most dentists thought of him as second-rate. He developed a HUGE practice that continues today.
Back in the '70s or '80s, Mercedes did a survey (don’t quote me on any details here) of insurance claims, cars that had been in accidents. Results were that white and silver cars were in the least number of collisions, black cars the most.
Mercedes attributed it to visibility, which under Germany’s leaden skies makes some sense. It might not be as important in our wider roads and brighter skies.
Anyway, living under the Texas sun, white’s the color for me. I can’t fathom anyone in Texas buying a black car, but parking lots sure are full of them, broiling the car’s contents.
I’ll agree with gray but in a snowy Minnesota winter sky, white is nearly invisible if it weren’t for the running lights.
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What in heck is a “credit dentist”?
Post 61. Already asked and answered.
Its like Henry Ford said, you can get any color you like, as long as its black. This was true only for the model T from 1915 to 25. Dealers didn’t like it, but black was cheaper and easier to make. Today it seems that dealers order the boring colors because they don’t want to be stuck with a car that won’t sell. They believe that most customers don’t want flashy colors, or care less about color than they used to. I think they are right. It goes along with the fact that for the last 25 years cars have started to all look more alike as the science of aerodynamics is used to improve gas mileage. Cars are mere appliances to most people these days, and nobody wants to get stuck with a lime green appliance anymore. Maybe this will change, but only if more people do what I did: order a car in a color they really want.
We weren’t thrilled about the pewter exterior on our 2019 Honda Odyssey EX-L when we bought it, but we got over that and like the color now.
Color is near the top of the list for many people…and White and Black cars are the best sellers. Dealers get Black and white cars because that’s what the customer wants.
But do dealers have the colors people want to buy or do people buy what the dealers have?
As I mentioned before our dealer had 92 crv’s on the lot. Almost like a bland (to us anyway) paint chip display at a hardware store. White, silver, gray, black. Repeat 23 more times.
At least for the Civic’s and Fit’s the local dealer is heavy on red, white, and blue. With a few gray and black mixed in. They’ve been more willing to offer bold colors on the Civic and Fit than on a CRV or Pilot. We’ve admired the bright blue that Toyota’s offered on the RAV4 but dad just didn’t like the Rav for some reason.
I dunno, probably both. When we ordered our 86 Park Ave. the dealer gave us the car his wife was using to try out over night or so. I don’t remember what color it was, I think it was turquoise, with a simulated white convertible top on it. I suppose it was a factory option but it was a terrible looking car. We were happy to take it back. Some time later though we were talking to her at church and she had mentioned how much she liked that car! We didn’t say anything but I guess there is someone for every car regardless of how I think it looks. All we have bought is black though in the last 12 years.
I was surprised that the color popularity in the US are about the same as in Europe.
I am the odd duck I guess. Looked for features etc. in the last 2 cars we bought. Color was whatever. One ended up silver and the other a dark enough blue to be confused with black. A week after wife was it is dark blue, I like that. It goes it stops that is what counts.
Dealers buy the colors that are selling based on their past sales. Some of the large dealers will buy vehicles from manufacturers that aren’t selling at a reduced rate.