Fleets continued to favour monochrome for new car colour schemes in 2023, new figures from the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal.

Britain’s drivers cemented their preference for monochrome cars in 2023

More than a quarter (26.9%) of all fleet new car registrations in 2023 were grey, slightly outweighing private driver demand.

Across the new car market, over half a million (509,194) grey cars were registered in 2023, with volumes rising 22.6% compared to an overall 17.9% rise in registrations. Grey now boasts a market share of more than a quarter (26.8%).

Black and white held second and third place, also for the sixth consecutive year, and recorded their best volumes since 2019. Almost two-thirds (63.5%) of all new cars joining UK roads in 2023 were decked in monochrome.

While Britain clearly has a preference for monochrome cars, blue rose 10.9% to take fourth place and red remained in fifth – although it also recorded its lowest market share since 2005 and has seen its popularity steadily decline since 2019.

Green, however, experienced a comeback, reaching its highest volume since 2005 at 53,426 units and a market share of 2.8%, the highest since 2004. However, while the colour may have environmentally friendly associations, the SMMT data shows newly registered zero emission cars followed the same grey colour trend as their internal combustion engine counterparts.

The SMMT data also reveals private drivers were more marginally more likely to opt for a green or yellow tint over fleets, with 29,919 and 6,964 units registered respectively.

Blue rose 10.9% to take fourth place and red remained in fifth in 2023

Cream, pink and maroon remain Britain’s rarest new car colours, comprising just 0.03% of all registrations, equating to just 604 cars. Orange, bronze, turquoise and brown fell in popularity compared with 2023 volumes.

Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said, “2023 was a bumper year for the British new car market, as buyers continued to gravitate towards familiar monochrome hues for another year – even as ever more motorists embrace new technologies. Car manufacturers have diligently expanded their offerings, with a huge selection of colour options available across hundreds of models and thousands of specification options. The extensive variety allows drivers flexibility in choosing a tint that embodies their individuality and style.”

Car colour facts:

• Grey recorded the biggest volume growth of the year, registering more than half a million vehicles (509,194) registered in the shade.
• 210 pink cars were registered in 2023, with Berkshire home to more than one in 10 of them.
• Strathclyde proved the best place to play the ‘yellow car’ game with 677 registrations.
• The nation’s least favourite car colour was cream, with buyers registering just 151 units.
• Wales recorded the highest proportion of new red and green cars, while Northern Ireland was home to the highest proportion of blue cars and Scotland boasted the highest number of white motors.
• Red recorded its lowest market share since 2005, posting a steady decline in popularity since 2019.