What is the UK’s most popular car colour?

Car colour is a personal choice and one that can spark much debate among fellow motorists. Are you a fan of bright colours or would you prefer a car with a much more muted shade? 

While some colour cars can divide opinion, others can be the envy of many. So what is the UK’s most popular car colour? We answer this question and other car colour relatable queries in our blog dedicated to the topic. Read on to find out more… 

Key takeaways:

• Grey is the most popular car colour for UK drivers in 2024 
• The monochrome shade has taken the number one spot for six years in a row
• However, white proves to be the most popular car colour across the world
• Cream, maroon, and pink are the least popular car colours in the UK
• Avoid beige, brown, gold, orange, purple and yellow if you want to get a good price for your car on the second-hand market
• Grey, silver and white colour cars retain their value the most

What are the top 10 car colours in the UK?

Do you drive one of the most popular colour cars in the UK? Well, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) has once again been compiling the nation’s most favourite and least favourite colour cars in 2023 - and the results may just surprise you!

1. GREY - 26.8% of drivers chose to purchase a grey colour car
2. BLACK - 20.2% of drivers chose to purchase a black colour car
3. WHITE - 16.5% of drivers chose to purchase a white colour car
4. BLUE - 15.1% of drivers chose to purchase a blue colour car
5. RED - 7.5% of drivers chose to purchase a red colour car
6. SILVER - 6.5% of drivers chose to purchase a silver colour car
7. GREEN - 2.8% of drivers chose to purchase a green colour car
8. ORANGE - 0.9% of drivers chose to purchase an orange colour car
9. YELLOW - 0.6% of drivers chose to purchase a yellow colour car
10. BRONZE - 0.3% of drivers chose to purchase a bronze colour car

So the colour balance has shifted ever so slightly to reveal that GREY is the shade of choice for the majority of motorists in the UK, by taking the number one spot. For many years peak position was dominated by the colour SILVER (essentially it’s a metallic version of grey), but this shade has now been relegated to 6th place in the top 10. 

What is the UK’s most popular colour car in 2024?

It’s GREY that takes the top spot for the nation’s favourite car colour again in 2024, meaning that the subtle shade retains the crown for six consecutive years - now that takes some beating! Just over a quarter of UK drivers selected the monochrome colour as their favourite, making it the most popular car of choice in 2024.  

What is the world’s most popular car colour?

From the UK to the rest of the world now as we reveal the WORLD’S most popular car colour… Well it seems that across the globe motorists aren’t overly adventurous at all. As reported by Haynes manual, WHITE is the world’s most popular car colour, so it’s another big tick in the box for monochrome shades which seem to dominate the automotive industry.  

What is the least popular car colour in the UK?

At the other end of the scale sits the least popular car colours. For UK motorists, it’s CREAM, MAROON and PINK that get the thumbs down by making up less than 1% of all cars sold across the nation.

What colour car is the hardest to sell?

Did you know your choice of car could have an impact on its resale value? A bold colour car may look great in the short term, but according to automotive online marketplace Auto Trader, you should think twice about the colour of car you invest in.

Some of the colours car buyers are advised to avoid include:

• Beige
• Brown
• Gold
• Orange
• Purple
• Yellow

You have been warned! 

What colour car holds its value the best? 

If you’re thinking long term, then the colour of car you choose can mean a better resale price. In a study by the UK’s largest car buying service, the brand We Buy Any Car found that monochrome colours such as grey, silver and white tend to fetch a higher price on the used car market, as they are more sought after and considered to be desirable drives.

5 car colour fun facts:

From a colour-changing BMW to the chances of your car colour getting you pulled over by the police, we share five fun facts about car colours…    

1. BMW has created a car that can change colour! The manufacturer developed the technology for the all-electric iX model meaning it can change from dark grey to white at the touch of a button! 
2. At the turn of the 20th century, all cars were painted black due to the quick drying time which helped speed up production for the masses 
3. The least popular car colour in the world is in fact green - apparently, they are most associated with road rage incidents!  
4. If you like your car to feel cool inside, then don’t invest in a black or red one! Both of these colours easily absorb the sun’s rays so they heat up much quicker than other colour cars
5. White cars are more likely to get pulled over by the police than any other colour 

Finance solutions for all colour cars

Is blue the hue for you or will you be left seeing red? Whatever your favourite shade, we can help you secure the finance needed to purchase a car in your favourite colour. Here at Octane Finance, we live and breathe all things automotive.

As the broker of choice for many motorists, we make it our mission to liaise with lenders to help make your car driving dreams a reality. Whether you wish to purchase a new or used car, speak to us about how we can speed up the process.