Analysis: Honda’s Most Iconic and Rare Paint Colors Ranked

The Most Unique, Interesting, and Popular Honda Colors

Which are the most fondly remembered Honda car colors, and which are the best Honda colors of all? This very much depends on the fans, but we can weigh in with our opinions based on Honda’s history and its most famous models, as well as its currently popular paint hues.

Our Top 10 Favorite Honda Paint Colors

Here are our favorite Honda color choices:

1. Championship White

RA271 F1 Car (1964)

Honda used Championship White on its ’60s F1 car (below left), but it later appeared on Type R street cars, notably the 1997 NSX Type R, which was sold in the US under the Acura brand. It’s not the expected harsh, pure white, but a creamy off-white, and is a tribute to the company’s F1 cars. Championship White (code NH-0) is arguably Honda’s most famous and influential color. PaintRef.com lists Championship White as Honda’s most popular color, representing 4.11% of Honda sales. Here you can also see it on a 1998 Civic Type R:

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2. Rallye Red

Debuted in 2000

Rally Red (code R513) has been around for around a quarter of a century now, and is still a popular red hue mainly on sporty Hondas, whereas the regular models and SUVs tend to have Milano Red as the option on their palettes nowadays. It’s a vibrant solid red, but like Milano Red, it’s prone to fading over time. It reminds us a lot of the Radiant Red Metallic first used on the 1964 Honda S600. The photo below is of a Rallye Red 2026 Civic Si Sedan:

3. Aegean Blue Metallic

Civic (2015)

First appearing on MY2016 Civic, Aegean Blue (paint code B593M) is also special for having been the color of the special FK8 Civic Type R that was sold at a charity auction in June 2017, raising $200,000 for the Pediatric Brain Tumor Foundation in the process. The Type R auctioned was the first one, or VIN #01, in the US, and was auctioned on Bring a Trailer; you can see the auctioned car below. The paint color is a classy, deep blue with a metallic flake that changes its appearance with the changing light.

4. Inca Gold Pearl

Civic (2000)

We don’t see that many deep golds today, so Inca Gold Pearl (code Y-61P) stands out in a modern car park. It first appeared in 2000 on the MY2001 Civic and appears to have been a one-year-only color. It has a distinctive sheen that changes with the light, thanks to its pear-effect pigments. It has a pleasing depth and sophisticated shimmer, and it’s certainly one of the rarest Honda colors. Good luck finding one today.

5. Electron Blue Pearl

Civic Si (1999)

Electron Blue Pearl (code B95P) is another significant hue among several of Honda’s blue car colors. It was the launch color for the 1999 Civic Si, but later spread to the CR-V and Prelude as well. It’s a more vivid and less subdued blue than other Honda hues with a shimmering pearlescent sheen. Here it’s shown off to good effect on a 2000 Civic Si Coupe:

6. Milano Red

CR-X del Sol (1992)

Few hues are as eye-catching as a sporty red Honda, so it’s fitting that the vibrant Milano Red (code R81) debuted on the CR-X del Sol in 1992 (below). Milano Red is a deep red with a subtle purple undertone that looks striking in direct sunlight, but does tend to fade with prolonged sun exposure, as many other reds do. Milano Red is still listed as an option on current-day Hondas such as the HR-V.

7. Supersonic Blue Pearl

Honda Civic Si and Acura Integra GS-R (1997)

Not quite as famous as Audi’s Nogaro Blue or Subaru’s WR Blue Pearl, Honda’s Supersonic Blue Pearl (paint code B90P) is, nevertheless, a memorable blue color, because a deep blue always looks lovely on a sporty car. It debuted on the 1998 Civic Si and Acura Integra GS-R (on the left below), but soon spread to other Hondas, such as the HR-V (right below). You can see the subtle shift in color between the photos, depending on the ambient light and the camera used. Its desirability is partly a result of its comparative rarity; Supersonic Blue Pearl was discontinued by 2001.

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8. Imola Orange

Honda (Acura) NSX (2002)

Okay, so strictly, the NSX is an Acura, but it was badged as a Honda in markets outside North America, so this is still a true Honda color, and a very striking one at that. And you can get it in Honda-badged American market cars as well, as you can see on the stunning S2000 on the right below, next to its supercar grandpa on the left. Imola Orange (paint code YR536P) is a tri-coat paint with a rich, pearlescent finish, mostly seen on the sportier Hondas (and Acuras). Information on this color is rather patchy, and many people confuse it with Sunset Orange, which is a significantly darker orange, as you can see on the Honda Element image further down under Honorable Mentions. Neither hue is still on offer today.

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9. Sonic Gray Pearl

Civic (2017)

Honda’s trendy color-shifting Sonic Gray Pearl first appeared on the Civic in 2017 and is still available today, as seen on a 2025 Civic Type R below. It soon spread to other Hondas and has remained popular as grays and silvers continue to attract shoppers as smart, neutral colors. It’s a pearlescent hue with blue and green undertones in direct sunlight. A new Honda grey color – Urban Gray Pearl – has joined it on the paint palette of late.

10. Crystal Black Pearl

Various Hondas (2008)

Honda’s current pearlescent black metallic option first appeared on MY2009 Hondas. Crystal Black Pearl (paint code NH731P) has remained a popular hue, as black finishes are still preferred by many buyers today. This hue is special for its lustrous effect, and shimmers in sunlight, with its pearlescent flakes giving a more dynamic appearance than a flat black. Crystal Black Pearl is still offered today, as you can see below on a 2025 Accord Touring:

Honorable Mentions

As much as we would have loved to, not all the colors could be included in the top 10, and you may hate us for not including the following ones, so we won’t fail to mention them:

• Lunar Silver Metallic
• Sunset Orange (2005 Honda Element below)
• Boost Blue Pearl (2026 Civic Type R below)

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• Adriatic Blue Pearl
• Honda’s Canyon River Blue is a brand-new color available from this year on some models (2026 CR-V Trailsport below)

• Phoenix Yellow

Design Influence

Various Honda performance models have been associated with colors such as Milano Red, Electron Blue, and, obviously, the F1-inspired Championship White. While a light beige might not be the first color many car enthusiasts spring for, Championship White has become just about as recognizable on fast Hondas as Subaru’s WR Blue Pearl on sporty Subarus, and has made the subtle white an enduringly popular color for all types of quick cars that look their best in white.

Because it’s not just another ice white, it has a unique appeal that transcends the general fads and fashions that car colors usually follow. It elevates white from the sensible resale value-retaining shade for conservative buyers to something altogether on a higher plane, for those who understand what Championship White is all about, and recognize its distinctively off-white tone. It holds uncommon appeal for enthusiasts in a way that most whites don’t, and has arguably changed the public perception of “beige” cars in the best of ways, making it synonymous with the hallowed Type R branding.

Final Thoughts

In a complete contrast to most automakers, Honda’s most enduring and recognizable color is an off-white beige, and with a racing heritage stretching back to 1964 Formula 1, the color is now pretty immortal. But Honda’s palette also includes several other very well-recognized colors, and our list above gives you an interesting selection of our favorites.