What color were NYC taxis before they were yellow? Answer
The first metered taxis introduced to New York City were not yellow, but were primarily painted red and green. This initial fleet of cabs, which began operating around 1907, was imported from France by entrepreneur Harry Allen. In the following years, different cab companies operated independently and used a variety of colors to distinguish their vehicles, including brown, white, and black.
The color yellow became widely popular after a company adopted it around 1909, based on research that suggested yellow was the most visible color from a distance. However, yellow did not become the legally mandated color for all official, licensed (medallioned) taxis in New York City until a law was passed in 1968. This requirement was implemented to clearly differentiate regulated, legal taxis from the growing number of unregulated private livery cabs operating throughout the metropolitan area.
Source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qrNl9E_vR30
https://www.threads.com/@beliproduk.official/post/DRzUc62kqCn