For the longest time, when customers thought about wheels, they were only thinking about whether to pick 15-inch or 16-inch versions. Color usually didn’t even enter into the equation. But the confluence of several trends in car design has meant more and more customers are turning towards black wheels as a way to perfectly capture the look they are seeking for their vehicles, no matter what model they drive. And for 2013, these trendy black wheels are available on some Mustang, F-150, Focus, Edge Sport, Explorer Sport, Taurus SHO and Flex models.

Part of the growth in the appeal of black wheels involves another trend in car sales: the growth in wheel size. In the 2011 model year, the most popular wheel size on Ford vehicles was 15 inches; that has increased to 16 inches for 2012. And no one even bats an eye at the mention of 20-inch wheels anymore.

This trend toward bigger wheels is important, because dark-colored wheels tend to look smaller than traditional bright ones. So these larger wheels give customers the ability to make a stylistic choice with a color, without making sacrifices in the perceived size of the wheel.

Another factor in the rise of black wheels is the surge in popularity of white exteriors, inspired by trends in fashion and technology. In fact, white is currently the most popular car color in North America.

After identifying these trends several years ago, the Ford creative team anticipated that customers would want to accent their striking new white vehicles with black wheels. After all, nothing goes better with a white suit than a snazzy pair of black shoes. And that fashion adage is proving to be true in the automotive world as well.

In the future, more and more colors for trims, stitching and interiors will continue to become available to help customers perfectly express their personal style in their vehicles.