How SA drivers choose car colour

Ferrari's signature colour notwithstanding, red is more popular among women than men - 53 to 47 percent.

Ferrari's signature colour notwithstanding, red is more popular among women than men - 53 to 47 percent.

Published Aug 31, 2015

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Johannesburg - South African car buyers, male or female, are still relatively conservative when it comes to colour choices, although the market preference for lighter colours is gradually becoming even stronger.

Data from industry analyst Lightstone shows that whereas in 2010 the three most popular choices where white, silver and black, in 2015 the top three are white, silver and grey.

White is slightly more popular among male buyers - 57 percent versus 43 percent in the case of females - with silver almost the same at 56 to 44.

While light-coloured cars seem to project a no-fuss 'less is more' message, there are still a fair number of South Africans who are willing to go for more adventurous colour choices for their cars.

RED EMPOWERMENT

Lightstone's data on new vehicle sales shows blue in fourth and red in sixth - but here there's a switch: Ferrari's signature colour notwithstanding, red is more popular among girls than boys - 53 to 47 percent.

This seems to mirror a recent trend towards bold red lipstick shades; many women say they feel more confident and empowered when wearing these shades. Ford and nail polish company OPI even introduced a limited-edition colour called Race Red, with a matching nail polish, to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Mustang in 2014.

That said, pink - the most girly colour of them all - has fallen from grace among car buyers, gender irrespective. Pink car sales in South Africa peaked at 296 in 2012 - most of them Kia Picantos and Fiat 500s - but only 12 pink cars, of all makes, have been sold here so far this year.

PARKING THE EMOTION

Lightstone's data shows that women have a stronger tendency towards brighter, more individual colours - and that doesn't only apply to cars! - while men in general (grown-up ones, anyway!) steer towards quieter, less conspicuous shades.

But for both genders, deeper, more off-trend colours make up only a small percentage of the total, for very practical reasons. They need more maintenance than lighter coloured cars to keep them looking good; minor scratches are more noticeable and need more frequent touching up.

Light-coloured cars heat up less in the sun, making them more comfortable in our hot climate - or less costly to cool, as most cars today have air-conditioning.

Darker coloured cars are often difficult to sell and dealers may be reluctant to trade them in. Their paint is more difficult to match, and special paint is usually more expensive, making collision repairs more costly - which upsets the insurance companies.

LIGHTER = LOWER PREMIUMS

Rory Judd, head of online marketing at MiWay insurance, says light-coloured cars usually attract lower premiums than the same models in darker shades.

Lighter or brighter-coloured cars are more visible on the road, he says, and are thus less likely to be involved in a crash during daylight hours than vehicles in lower-visibility colours such as black, blue, grey and green.

Of course, colour isn't the only thing affecting the insurance premium on your new car; how you drive and what you drive are the two biggest factors. Actuaries will look at your driving record, the accident history of that model and how expensive similar cars have been to repair in the recent past when determining how much your new car's insurance will cost you.

Nevertheless, there is always an 'emotion quotient' in car colour choice. If you're an extrovert and a trendsetter at heart, there's no doubt you'll go for something that shows off your personality - and matches your nail polish.

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