Henry Ford is famously quoted as saying Model T customers could get the vehicle in any color as long as it was black. Drivers now have the option of everything from white to lime green for a vehicle's hue, and for some this might be a pressing decision.

The choice may also be made more difficult by several urban legends related to vehicle color. One persistent rumor holds that since red cars are so often associated with sporty speed demons, they are more susceptible to getting pulled over or saddled with high insurance bills. Another myth holds that some colors may make your vehicle blend in with certain backgrounds or weather conditions, making it harder for other drivers to see you.

Choosing your vehicle's color can be as easy as picking the color that appeals most to you. If you aren't too particular, however, you may want to consider a few other factors.

Your vehicle's color may help affect its resale value. According to the auto value resource Kelley Blue Book, neutral colors are typically the most popular. Black, white, and silver or gray have consistently been among the highest selling hues in recent years.

Since drivers tend to favor more neutral tones, they may not be as keen to drive a vehicle with a more garish color. Doug DeMuro, writing for Autotrader, says vehicles with brighter colors may get much lower offers when you trade them in.

Still, a more colorful car isn't always a burden on the value. Sharon Riley, writing for Consumer Reports, says colors can easily go out of style as trends change. But bright colors tend to do better on sports cars and similar models, helping set the vehicle apart and evoke a sense of fun.

The more popular colors may also help make the vehicle more vulnerable to theft as well. Kathleen Doheny, writing for the automotive site Edmunds.com, says thieves tend to target vehicles with higher resale values. A more common color may also make the vehicle more difficult to track down than a unique hue such as green or orange.

Lighter colored vehicles can help improve your fuel economy during hot weather. Nikki Gordon-Bloomfield, writing for the ecological automotive site Green Car Reports, says lighter cars will reflect more of the sun's radiation while dark cars will absorb more heat. The air conditioning system in a dark car will need to work harder to cool down the cabin, thus requiring more energy. Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, found that a light colored vehicle was 1.1 percent more fuel efficient and emitted 0.5 percent fewer emissions than a black vehicle.

If you tend to put off the visits to the car wash, certain colors may not be for you. Riley says black or white vehicles are least likely to hide dirt and grime, while silver vehicles are best at masking it.

Some colors may require more maintenance in other ways as well. Doheny says scratches are more likely to show up on dark colors than they are on light colors. Some colors and finishes may require special attention, including recommendations to not take the vehicle through a car wash, but can give off a more impressive appearance when washed.

Vehicles may be harder to spot under some circumstances, such as white cars traveling in snowy conditions. However, changing backgrounds and weather conditions mean no one color is inherently safer than another. A 2004 study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that there was no conclusive evidence of specific colors improving vehicle safety.

You also shouldn't worry about red vehicles being targeted more than other colors. Doheny says your insurance rate will be determined by your driving history rather than your vehicle's color, and there is no evidence to support the contention that drivers of red vehicles are ticketed more than other motorists.

Going with a neutral color may allow you to realize a higher resale value, get better fuel economy, and give your vehicle a cleaner appearance. If you want to set yourself apart, though, you shouldn't be discouraged from buying that purple or orange car.