The UK’s favourite car colours revealed

Apparently, the colour of your car can say a lot about your personality.

Black is believed by many to be the ultimate power colour. It suggests that you are a serious, self-confident and sophisticated individual. White suggests that you like things that convey simplicity and neatness. A colour like red, meanwhile, gives the impression that you are not afraid of attention, or that you are aggressive or impulsive. Of course, it could just be that you find a certain colour pleasing on the eye!

So, which colours are most Brits going for when buying a new car? And why are those colours so popular? I’ve got the answers.

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The UK’s favourite car colours

For the fourth year in a row, grey tops the list of the UK’s most popular car colours, according to figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).

The data shows that 408,155 grey cars were sold in 2021, which is a quarter (24.8%) of all cars sold. In second place is black, with 337,351 cars in this colour sold, accounting for 20.5% of the market. White takes third place with 282,529 cars sold, or 17.2% of the total market. Blue, with 279,891 vehicles sold or 17.0% of the market, and Red, with 145,273 vehicles sold or 8.8% of the market, round out the top five.

The full list of the 10 most popular new car colours as established by SMMT is as follows:

Why is grey so popular?

The popularity of grey could be due to a number of factors. SMMT says that grey “can be a sleek and deeper tone than other shades” and that it is “well suited to black trims and darker wheels”.

Furthermore, grey provides an appealing compromise between the traditionally popular colours of black and white. On a practical level, grey also tends to hide dirt better than other colours.

Grey may also be popular for financial reasons. For example, when it comes to resale value, grey is a “potentially safer choice”. It’s a neutral colour, so going for a grey car is similar to painting the walls in your house magnolia before you sell it.

The SMMT says that grey has a wider resale appeal than stronger colours. In fact, according to a previous study, black cars can lose up to 68% of their value when reselling.

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What else does the data show?

In the run-up to the 2030 ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles, the research from the SMMT shows that there is a growing preference among Brits for ‘green cars’. Figures reveal that electric and hybrid vehicles accounted for more than one in every six car registrations, up from one in every ten in 2020 and one in every thirty in 2019.

And while there’s no doubt that greener engines are becoming popular, a matching green exterior is too. The data shows green cars were 24% more popular in 2021 than they were in 2020. 

Grey, however, remains the most popular colour of choice among Brits across all fuel types.

That said, white was found to be the most popular shade for mini and sports cars, while larger dual-purpose, luxury saloons, and executive cars were most likely to be black.

What else do you need to know when buying a new car?

Thinking of buying a new car in 2022? Colour is an important factor to consider, but it is not the only one. In fact, there are far more important factors to ponder, such as price, engine size and specifications, features and technology.

The most important thing when buying a car is to do your research before you take the plunge. That might include reading online reviews for the models you’re interested in or speaking with people who already own those models. This can help make a decision on whether a specific car model is right for you.

Finally, remember that you will need insurance for your new car. With car insurance premiums on the rise, make sure you take the time to compare quotes from various providers to ensure you get the best possible deal.