We think not. Only a few kinds of cars look good in red – Ferraris, of course, Alfa Romeos, certain older Porsches and small Japanese models. The only American brands that can handle red are Mustangs, Corvettes and maybe Camaros, although we prefer yellow for the Chevy performance car. A Mercedes Benz should always be seen in something from the sophisticated neutral side of the color wheel: silver, black or any of the slick metallic grays. Okay, the 280 SEL convertibles from ‘60s look great in dark green with a tan leather interior. But not red. Never.
White is surprisingly attractive on most cars, except on those from Italy – you don’t see a lot of white Ferraris. But white paint looks pretty good on anything from a humble Prius to a tricked-out F150 4×4. Car designers like to see their designs in silver; the overall form and sculptural details are easy to appreciate. And silver is the most popular color on new cars – check out any downtown parking lot.