Grey was the UK’s most popular new car paint colour for the fourth year in a row in 2021, according to data from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
Grey cars accounted for 24.8% of the market, ahead of black cars with 20.5%, and white cars with 17.2%.
The top six was unchanged from 2020, with blue fourth with 17%, ahead of red with 8.8% and silver with 6.8%.
Green moved up to seventh with 1.1%, ahead of orange with 1%, while yellow (0.5%), and bronze (0.3%) completed the top ten.
Grey was the most popular colour choice across all vehicle fuel types, but when it came to body styles, white was most popular for the mini and sports car segments, while black was most popular with SUVs, executive cars, and luxury cars.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes said: “2021 was anything but normal, but British drivers stuck to their familiar favourites of grey, black and white cars. But while last year’s new cars might share the same shades as previous years, under the bonnet there has been a real shift, with one in six buyers choosing to go green.
“With car registrations still low compared to pre- pandemic, helping even more drivers move to greener cars – whatever the actual colour – has never been more important.
“Incentives are helping move the market and should continue, but the speed of this shift to electric must be matched by an acceleration in the pace of charging infrastructure investment. Drivers should expect to be able to recharge irrespective of wherever they live, work or visit.”
