The Color of Your Car and What it Says About You in Nigeria

Nigeria is one of those countries where the type of car you drive is used to profile you in various ways. Your car is enough reason for some people to box you into a stereotype. 

This is the same strategy Nigerian police use to differentiate between cars owned by rich young boys and those owned by older men. However, it goes beyond just the type of car you drive, but also the color of the vehicle.

Nigerians will quickly profile you based on the type of colour your vehicle comes with. Here are some of the car colours and what Nigerians have to say about them.

1. Red Colored Cars

For some Nigerians, a red coloured car signifies pride. Nigerians consider red colour as “LOUD” because it can’t be hidden. As such, driving a red car usually signifies that you are very proud of your car and you want everybody to see it.

2. Dark Coloured Cars 

Dark-coloured cars can come in shades of black, dark blue, dark green, and some other colours but one thing is constant about the owners of these cars. They are lowkey people who just want to drive their cars without attracting any extra attention on the road. 

This is why a lot of company/official cars in Nigeria come in dark colours. Imagine buying the most expensive luxury car and just keeping it in black; it can only be a lowkey owner who doesn’t want you to have an opinion about his/her source of wealth.

3. Pink/Purple/Orange Coloured Cars 

Nigerians see anybody who drives a Pink, Purple, or Orange-colored car in Nigeria as being a showoff. No matter the brand or year model of the car, these bright colours turn heads everywhere you go and you are likely to be asked many questions when you park in public places.

You also know for a fact that you cannot slip through any police checkpoint without getting detained like those who drive dark-coloured cars. If you are trying to promote a business in Nigeria and you want to use your car as a medium for promo, you can paint it Orange, Purple, or Pink. 

4. Matte Coloured Cars 

People who drive cars with a Matte colour are usually car lovers who want to stand out from the pack. Matte-colored cars can be of any color shade and they just always appear cool when properly maintained. 

5. Ash/Silver/Grey/Brown Colored Cars

Except if the car itself is a high-end luxury or special-looking car, people with these subtle car colours are often regarded as the “Regular Joes”. They just want to drive and not be disturbed. People like this are also very careful on the road because any small scratch becomes very obvious on their cars.

Conclusion

Colour stereotypes are developed because of people’s feelings about a particular colour, and as such, this is transferred to vehicles that come in these colours. This does not in any way represent individual car owners. However, there are still car owners who fit within these stereotypes.