White is now the colour of choice for UK car buyers

Figures released by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT) reveal that white was the most popular colour for new cars registered in the UK in 2014 for the second year running. Of the 2,476,435 new cars registered in 2014, 22.2 percent were white – representing the highest proportion of white cars registered in any year since records began in 1996.

The colour’s record-breaking popularity follows a strong upturn in the uptake of white cars, over the past decade. In 2010, white cars accounted for just under 10 percent of new car registrations, making it the sixth most popular car colour, with black and silver cars the best-selling. In 2005, less than 1 percent of the UK’s new car buyers chose white.

In 2014, black cars took second place followed by grey, taking 19 percent and 14 percent of the market respectively. Silver – the second most popular colour in 2010 with almost a quarter of registrations – has now slipped to sixth place, accounting for 13 percent of the total new car market.