Bland Aussies: Car colour preferences revealed

It’s often said that when you travel the world, you can spot an Aussie by picking the most colourful character propping up the bar.

But when it comes to choosing a colour for a new car, a recent survey from online car buying service Autogenie suggests that we are actually quite conservative.

Autogenie sampled over 9000 new car purchases in 2013 and discovered that white is the new black, making up 21 per cent of the total sales. The plain jane theme continues with grey hues comprising 18 per cent to take second place, followed by black and silver on 17 per cent each.

According to the survey, only 27 per cent of participants picked ‘vibrant’ colours. “If you’re going to spend $30,000 or more on a car, there is a strong chance you will have that car for some time, so perhaps people are less inclined to go for ‘fashion’ colours like ‘Arabian Mocha’ and ‘Crystal Pear’, preferring to stick with classic colours that they won’t tire of,” said Autogenie General Manager Shiju Thomas, adding that the plainer hues generally have higher resale value.

“White cars are also typically seen as being a safer option by virtue of their visibility on the road. They also reflect the sun’s heat better, which is a huge advantage on a hot summer’s day,” he concluded.

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