Research reveals which car colours sell best in the UK

Choosing a car colour is a matter of style, taste, and personal preference. While some drivers claim they don’t pay too much attention to a vehicle’s colour, most would probably skip a car painted in pink, orange, or turquoise.

Research conducted in the UK by car history reporting platform carVertical has revealed that car colour has a direct impact on the time in which a vehicle is sold. Most drivers are pretty conservative and prefer monochromatic colours, such as white, black, or grey. However, this doesn’t mean that vehicles painted in the most popular colours will be sold in a snap.

Brown cars sell quicker

According to carVertical’s research, it takes 16.3 days on average to sell a used brown vehicle, making it the best-selling car colour in the UK. Brown is followed by green (18.6 days) and grey (18.9 days).

Some colours are more desirable for a specific car model than others. Out of all BMW 3 series cars checked on carVertical in the UK, the brown version was sold in 18.6 days on average, which reflects general vehicle colour trends in the country. Grey (19.7 d.), white (19.7 d.), and silver (19.8) are also popular colours among BMW 3 series buyers.

“Brown is a rare colour. However, brown cars often have better trim and keep their value. On the used car market, people look for well-equipped vehicles, and cars in premium colours usually have more extras that attract buyers. That’s why colours like brown are sold quicker than others,” says Matas Buzelis, an auto expert and the Head of Communications at carVertical.

Red-coloured vehicles take longer to sell

British drivers have no affection for red, as it takes an average of 22.4 days to sell a red car, 6 days more than a brown one. Bright colours sell the worst in the UK, with yellow (21.4 days) and purple (21.5 days) following red.

Analyzing the BMW 3 series even further revealed that orange (21.8 days), green (21.5 days), and red models (20.5 days) are the hardest to sell. This only proves that most drivers prefer more conventional options and don’t want to stand out.

“Although red isn’t the most popular colour for a car, it has a fan base among extroverted people who aren’t afraid of attention. Car buyers tend to select red for convertibles, coupes, or more powerful versions of some car models. Such vehicles are more difficult to sell since fewer drivers are interested in these types of models,” explains M. Buzelis.

Drivers in the UK ignore purple and yellow, making them some of the slowest-selling colours. This also reflects the general dislike of bright vehicles, and low numbers of them on the streets only prove this.

UK drivers prefer monochromatic cars

Colour trends in the UK are no different than in other European countries. Out of all vehicles checked on carVertical in the UK, 21.9% were black, 21% – white, and 18.2% – grey. These are similar numbers to mainland Europe.

While some car manufacturers introduce bright colours to their lineup, most drivers still prefer time-tested colours. Car colour trends change throughout the years, and new colours may occupy a tiny share of the market. However, they’re not going to become dominant in the near future.