While data for local vehicle colour preferences is scarce, we've found information from five countries, including South Africa, another three of which are right-hand drive, and one which is the second largest market in the world (USA), that suggest which car colour was the most popular in 2023. We also have a global OEM colour coating report, providing a comprehensive view.
Related: Which cars have the best resale value in South Africa?
South Africa
While there is no official data on the most popular car colours in South Africa, we have data from AutoTrader. According to data from AutoTrader in 2023, the car colours which received the most enquiries were:
-White: 47% of all enquiries
-Silver: 17% of all enquiries
-Grey: 12% of all enquiries
It is important to note that the market supply of cars impacts this. When considering which colour was most searched for, the top 3 colours included in user searches were:
-White: 49% of all colour searches
-Silver: 25% of all colour searches
-Black and Grey: 23% for both
USA
A study by iSeeCars found that white was the most popular car colour in the USA in 2023, with 26.2%, black at 21.8%, and grey at 19.2%.
Australia
According to an article from Autoleaders, white was the most popular colour in 2023, with over 40% of vehicles finished in this colour, followed by black at 20%, with silver/grey coming in at 15%.
United Kingdom
According to AutoTrader UK, the most popular car colour in 2023 was grey, with over 25% of cars registered being this colour, followed closely by black, with white being the third most popular!
Japan
The most popular car colour in Japan in 2023, according to a Statista study, was white, with 48.48% of vehicles in use being white, followed by grey at 17.11% and blue at 17.03%.
Global
Looking at vehicle colours from a global perspective, white was again the winner, with 36% of vehicles produced globally in 2023 being white, followed by black at 21%, grey at 15%, then silver at 9%. This was collected from BASF Color Report 2023 for Automotive OEM Coatings.
