Mostly myth. CCD and CMOS sensors primarily measure light intensity at each pixel; color is created by the camera’s color filter array (CFA) and then shaped further by image processing. That means “CCD color” versus “CMOS color” is not really a direct property of the sensor type alone.

A plausible reason some older CCD cameras are remembered for richer color is that camera makers’ design choices changed over time. As noted in the community answers, modern cameras may use weaker CFAs to improve high-ISO performance, which can trade some color purity for sensitivity. So if some CCD-era cameras appear to have purer or more vivid color, it may be because they are older designs with different CFA tuning, not because CCD inherently gives better color than CMOS.

In short: the sensor technology itself is not the main reason; color filters and processing choices matter much more.