There are a few decisions you have to make when the time comes to change your car. What make? What model? How many seats do you need? Doors? And how are you going to pay for it? But one of the most important that you might not even have considered can say a lot about you as a driver and a person – the choice of colour.

While many of us choose mainly based on price, if you have a few options, then colour should definitely be a consideration. Why? Colours all have different meanings. The associations made solely on the tint of someone’s dress, hair or even car can mean you are judged before you even open your mouth.

So what colour should you choose for your car? Here are some options.

Grey – the popular choice

If you don’t want to stand out from the crowd, then you could go for the most popular car colour for the past four years. Almost 25% of new cars purchased in 2021 were grey. But what does the colour mean?

Grey is seen as a neutral colour. That means you aren’t going to attract attention on the road. That could be a blessing if you are in a road rage incident, and the colour of your car instantly dispels all feelings of rage. Whether or not it means police cars are less likely to pull you over remains unresolved.

It’s also the colour of intellect, so if you want people to think you’re intelligent, then this is the colour for you.

Black – the valuable choice

Some car colours have a better resell value than others. If you want to get the most money when the time comes to sell your car, then black is the choice for you. But what does the colour black say about you?

For some cultures, black is the colour of darkness, despair and death. If you’re superstitious then this might not be the best choice for you.

But black is also a colour associated with coolness. It’s the colour of rebellion and strength. If you want to dominate on the road (or at least look like it), then this is the colour for you.

Green – for the nature lover

If you have a passion for the great outdoors, then green could be the colour for you. Green is the colour of nature, so if being out in the countryside or in the woods is your happy place, then green could be the colour for you.

Aside from nature, green is the colour of health and luck. So if you are superstitious, then this could be the option to go for instead of black.

Red – for the passionate?

The colour associated with danger in the wild, red is also the colour of passion. It’s little wonder that it was chosen by Ferrari as their signature colour. Red also signifies strength and energy, so you won’t just be seen as another angry, passionate driver on the road.

And yes, you can call it Ferrari red if you like (but post box red is probably more accurate).

Least Popular Car Colours

If you want a car that stands out on the road, then you could always go for one of the less popular car colours. Of the 19 different colours recorded for new cars being registered in the UK in 2021, the least popular choice was not just one colour but any variation of multiple colours. It seems that drivers in the UK like to keep it simple, so you won’t see many trying out different patterns or colour schemes on the bodywork of their vehicle.

Pink – the choice for lovers

The next least popular was pink, with just under 23,000 new models listed under this colour, a lot less than the 4.9 million drivers who chose gray as their option. Somewhat stereotypically, pink is a colour most often associated with femininity. So if you want a ‘girly’ look to your car then it’s the choice for you. But pink is also a colour associated with youth and exuberance, so if you want to feel young at heart then it could be the colour for you.

Pink is also the colour of love, so if you want to show your love for someone with a potentially cheesy romantic gesture, then pink could be the right choice. It will also be easy to spot your car in a busy car park, so that’s another added bonus!

Cream/ivory – a choice for the humble

One place higher up on the least popular list is cream/ivory, somewhat surprising when you see how popular normal white is. This colour is good for those who don’t want to show off too much, as it’s a tone often associated with humility. It’s a subtle tone that combines hits of brown’s warmth with the freshness you get with pure white.

It’s also a colour that is supposed to help encourage new ideas, hence its popularity in certain office spaces. It’s that idea of being thoughtful, pensive, and not bold and brash.

Maroon - for the deep thinkers

Another less popular choice of car colour is maroon. Sort of deep, less vibrant red, it still has its bolder relatives association with passion. But it’s not urgent, almost wild passion. It’s the sort of passion that’s developed over years. Think happily married couple rather than young lovers.

It’s also a colour associated with depth and focus. Think someone sitting in a study on a maroon leather chair, deep in thought reading a book. There’s also links to religion, especially Buddhism, so if you’re the contemplative, meditative type, this could be the colour for you.

Men vs women – who chooses which colours?

While we don’t have the data on who purchases which car colour the most by gender, a recent survey asked both men and women what their favourite car colours were. Given a list of colours to choose from, the results are surprising.

For men, the most popular choices were yellow, orange and black. While we clearly see black as being a very common choice, yellow and orange are far less common on the roads. Perhaps that’s down to availability, or maybe it’s because, when the time comes to buy, men go for a more neutral choice.

For women, the most popular choice was teal – a blue-green colour that is associated with calmness and tranquillity. Perhaps not so subtly hinting towards their different, safer attitudes to driving than the opposite sex. Maybe the Olympics also inspire women as the next most popular choices were gold and silver.