Grey – The most popular new car colour in UK for 7th year running
According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT), more than 27.8% of all new cars registered in the UK in 2024 were grey – securing the colour’s first place for the seventh year running with its best market share and up 6.7% from the previous year.
Second place went to black with the shade increasing its market share by 9.9% taking it to 21.7%, with blue following behind in third at 14.9% market share – the colour’s first time in the top three since 2010 when the top three colours for cars were black, silver and blue. This change not only marked the first variation to the top three in seven years, but also the first non-monochromatic colour after booting white off the podium (which dropped -7.2% of its market share).
From Ford and Nissan to Volkswagen and Tela, the top 10 best-selling car models were grey, black and white – however, customers still had a choice of 93 colours. Yellow-coloured cars ranked eighth which was the colour’s first time in the top ten for 9 years.
Green also saw a big change in volume of 27.7% (securing seventh place) with 68,230 vehicles registered – its highest volume since 2004 and more than double its figure in 2022. This change is believed to reflect the growth of ‘green’ battery electric vehicles (BEVs), however grey was still the most popular choice for environment conscious buyers with 95,463 grey BEV vehicles hitting the road.
While black was the choice for executive cars and luxury solutions, with white being the top choice for the multi-purpose segment, grey once again took the top spot for most vehicle segments – including best sellers dual purpose, supermini and lower medium.
Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, said: “While 2024 saw more new car buyers go green, with a record number of EVs reaching the road, the ‘face’ of the market remains familiar, with grey and black proving perennially popular. While manufacturers strive to ensure every driver can have their pick of a vast choice of paint colours and personalisation options to suit their individual tastes, it seems UK car buyers’ preferences remain steadfastly monochrome.”
The dominance of grey in the UK car market reflects a broader trend of enduring consumer preferences, even as shifts in colour rankings indicate evolving tastes. The resurgence of green and yellow suggests a growing openness to bolder choices, possibly influenced by changing automotive technologies and sustainability trends. While market dynamics continue to evolve, the consistency of top colour choices highlights the balance between tradition and emerging consumer influences.