DEARBORN, Mich., April 22, 2011 – Blue Candy, Race Red and Ginger Ale are among the new colors coming to Ford products for 2012.

Ford analyzes its sales data to better understand consumer color preferences and its latest U.S. car buying statistics show that bright colors are popular in warm cities like Phoenix and Miami. Muted colors — gray and silver — are big on the coasts. And the Midwest likes red.

Over the past four years, Ford has redesigned its approach to color — adding bright and vibrant to the classic and sophisticated.

“We’ve refreshened, we’ve added new colors, we’re continuing to evolve our paint color palette,” said Susan Swek, Ford’s group chief designer for Color and Materials. “There’s always new colors coming out because customer tastes change, just as they do in fashion.”

New brights like Blue Candy, with a tinted clear coat, and Race Red are being added to Fiesta’s current eye-popping color choices of Lime Squeeze, Bright Magenta, Grabber Blue and Molten Orange.

“The best way to describe the new Blue Candy is juicy,” said Swek. “Its clear coat isn’t clear at all — it’s tinted blue and is absolutely gorgeous.”

Focus, too, gets Blue Candy and Race Red. Additionally, a new silvery green called Frosted Glass is coming for 2012.

Explorer gets a paint color called Ginger Ale. “It has bronze highlights with a green twist,” said Swek. “At some angles it appears like a yellowy-bronze. It’s beautiful.”

Swek and her team continue to identify trends and select signature colors.

“It’s important to get the right color into the market at the right time,” she said. “Too early and it won’t have registered on the customers’ radar. Too late and the popularity of a particular color may have already reached its peak.”