Motor auctioneers British Car Auctions have conducted a study since the start of the year on the most popular colours for used car sales.
It painted a drab picture, with vibrant colours trailing behind blacks, silvers, and greys.
After analysing the sale of 40,000 vehicles during January 2012, BCA found that 29.5% of used cars sold were Silver. Black came next at 25%, while Blue cars accounted for 20%. Grey was in fourth place at 13%. Red cars amounted to just 8% of the total, with White and Green each accounting for less than 3%. Yellow, orange, bronze, mauve, turquoise and even pink were also included in the figures, but in negligible numbers.
White cars achieved the highest sale value on average at £9,752 - also achieving the best performance against guide prices - compared to the overall average of £6,040. The current high-impact white finishes are extremely popular but relatively limited, selling in the hundreds, compared to the many thousands of black, grey, blue and silver cars sold.
"Anyone who has ever bought or sold a used car very quickly learns to appreciate the importance of colour and the effect it can have on the price when you sell it", said BCA's Tim Naylor.
