Fleet focus on residual value responsible for lack of colour on British roads, says Vehicle Data Global

Vehicle Data Global has suggested that the focus of fleets on residual values has contributed to a lack of colour in cars on Britain’s roads.

Silver, white and grey cars are best at hiding minor imperfections and are more resilient to road grime, boosting residual values and making them more popular among fleets.

Vehicle Data Global analysed 126 years of data and found that grey, silver and white have been the most popular colours for cars on UK roads for 26 years, except for one year when black was the most popular colour.

Green, black and blue were most popular following World War Two, while red was the most popular car colour between 1973 and 1997.

According to Vehicle Data Global, another reason for the popularity of monochromatic cars is the influence of consumer products, such as those released by Apple, which are often silver or grey.

Ben Hermer, operations director at Vehicle Data Global, said: “While it is interesting to connect car colours with wider cultural trends, UK automotive is one of the most sophisticated markets in the world and not much happens in it without good practical and professional reasons.

“So, although the rise of digital technological design aesthetics doubtless made achromatic car shades appealing to buyers, the focus of fleets in particular on resale values is often overlooked.

“Grey is the perfect colour for the moment we are now in, because it combines business priorities with an aesthetic that suits the increasingly high-tech nature of cars.