Black back as most popular new car colour

Black is back as the UK’S most popular new car colour.

More than half a million new car buyers chose black last year, the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders said. It is the first time in five years that black has taken top spot.

White – the favourite colour of 2016 – was bumped down to third place, with grey in second.

Gold was the fastest growing colour of 2017 with demand up 19 per cent, although it remains a niche choice with just 0.2 per cent of the market.

Jim Holder, editorial director of What Car? magazine, said: “Plainer, safer colours deliver better resale values because the cars will appeal to a broader group of buyers.”

The figures reveal a regional divide, with white the most popular in Scotland.