When buying a new car, the choice of colour may not always be up to you, especially if you are given a works car, or you are buying second hand and the choice is limited. Some may not even consider the colour important and only think of the engine size, the age of the vehicle and the miles on the clock. But colour can have a massive impact on your car, in ways you might not even realise.
Here are M W Vehicle Contracts we have cars of many colours and always like to think that we give the best choice around, but what does the colour really say about you? We have looked into the psychology behind the colour and the statistics, it may prove an interesting read and make you reconsider your feelings for the car sitting on your driveway.
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The Colour Wheel
In the UK the most popular colour for a car is grey, for the fifth year in a row, this is closely followed by black and white. Not the brightest and bubbliest of colours, but they are practical.
Owners of grey cars are said to be mature and dignified, their driving style is said to be safe and responsible, and they are least likely to show road rage or draw attention to themselves whilst driving. Maybe our roads might be a bit safer if more cars were grey.
However, white cars are less likely to be in an accident than any other colour car, so the fact that this colour is in the top three can only be a good thing. White car drivers are said to be orderly and stick to the rules and get annoyed at others that flaunt the road rules.
This is in contract to the black car drivers, whilst the black car is seen as a sign of sophistication and luxury, the drivers are said to have a more arrogant driving style and love to be in control of the road. They are also more likely to be involved in an accident, as it's claimed the colour blends in and cannot be seen as well in the dark.
The next most popular colour car in the UK is blue. Drivers of blue cars are said to be confident and have decisive driving skills, they are less likely to get into a conflict with other drivers and the darker the shade of blue the more confident they are said to be.
In a startling contrast, red car drivers, are said to be more daring in their driving style and take more chances. The colour red is more noticeable and is said to serve as a warning to other drivers to take note that they are there and get out of the way, but admire their car as you do it.
Whilst there may be less than 10% registered red cars on the UK road, you do always associate the fast sporty car to be red, and for that reason it's easy to see why red cars account for about 60% of accidents on UK roads. They are also more likely to be pulled over by police - maybe for their daring driving style, but more likely because unlike the previous colours of white and grey, the colour red stands out a lot more and is easier to notice.
Surprisingly, green cars have been making a comeback. Whilst they may still only account for just under 2% of coloured cars on the roads, their sales have increased by nearly 75%. A green car driver is said to be courteous, traditional and more respectful to other drivers on the road. The darker the shade of green the more this is said to be true, the lighter and brighter the green, the trendier and more energetic the driver.
Green cars, both the colour and the type of car have grown rapidly, with nearly 25% of the aforementioned 75% increased sales being made up of electric cars that were indeed the colour green, suggesting that people are keen to show off their green-ness any way they can.
Orange cars have seen an increase in sales also, with a 16% rise, meaning that they account for just over 1% of all cars on the road. Orange car drivers are said to be more outgoing, happy and optimistic. They may take more risks with their driving, but are also able to follow the rules when needed and not be impatient.
The yellow car driver closely follows the orange, and they are seen as more energetic and fun, they have a sunnier disposition, just like their car and it's clear to see it shine through. Whilst less than 1% of cars are yellow, you have to admit that when you see a yellow car in traffic, is brings a smile to your face.
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Does Colour affect value?
So after finding out about the different colours and what they say about you as a driver, is it safe to assume that the more rare the colour, the more expensive your car will be? Well, the answer to that is most likely yes, and no.
If you request the colour of your new car you will most likely be charged for anything other than what the manufacturer produces as standard - probably white or black, however if you are selling your car, then the extra cost you paid for the colour most likely will not follow through to the sale price as the more outrageous the colour the harder it will be to sell to others when you want to upgrade.
A bright bubblegum pink car might seem like a brilliant idea, and you might love driving around it, but as you don’t see many bright pink cars on the road, you can bet that it will be hard to sell and no matter what make of car it is, it is still a niche market.
Maybe that accounts for why so many of the cars on our roads all look the same, it's not that people are scared to express their individuality, it's just that they are thinking practically on when they want to upgrade and are reading the market.
Whilst there are cars on the road that are bright and eye catching, it's a widely held view that certain makes of cars are accepted to be these colours and others, suit the more traditional colours of the black and white and grey. The Peugeot 208 Hatchback comes as standard in Faro yellow and looks amazing, you actually have to pay extra to have it black. Volkswagen’s Taigo Hatchback comes in a bright green and the Golf hatchback in a lime yellow, all turning heads when seen on the roads.
Only Shades of Grey
So, the next time you're sat in traffic and looking at all the surrounding cars, take a minute to think about what all the colours mean. Perhaps instead of just seeing a wall of grey and white cars and thinking how boring that is, you think about how much safer those drivers are rumoured to be and how much safer you are sitting amongst them than between a sea of bright red sports car all edging to get to where they are going too fast.
MWVC have a vast array of colours available of many
different types of cars, and we are more than happy to help you with any query that you have and hopefully get you matched up with the right colour car for your driving type.
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