To wonder when all the cars on our roads turned monochrome?!

[GinDaddyRedux]

I was recently flamed by some colleagues for considering buying a red car. I was told "you won't get let out at junctions", "people will automatically think you're having a mid-life crisis", "you'll get gobbed on by passers-by" etc ...

It got me thinking - when did we drain the colour out of car choices? Is this an envy thing, a "tall poppy" cut-down?

For reference yes, it is a 4-seater sports coupe, but there aren't many of the type I want to buy, and especially fewer with a manual gearbox. The one I found is in post-box colour red.

My point is, literally every single person in that group chat, male and female, has a monochrome car. Three "gunmetal grey", two black, one white.

My neighbours all to a fault seem to have grey or black. One has a blue people carrier and I love them for it, it's so good to see some actual colour on the street.

Yes this is trivial, yes I'm sure someone will be along to tell me about their yellow Cinquecento they once owned, or their current forest green Discovery or whatever. If so, you're of my thinking and this post is not to you.

I'm just curious - is it a PCP thing, as in, if you have to hand it back, does resale count in terms of having business grey colours?

I go to supermarket car parks in my bright blue estate car and I notice the stares, it's quite amusing - its as if people take umbrage to the existence of the thing. Everywhere else? Is a sea of grey, silver, black, more black, and a few white Kias or whatever was in vogue a few years back.

AIBU to wonder why people don't buy colourful cars any more? Would you automatically think "knob" if you saw a person in a red coupe?

I got a Tiguan before Xmas, the top of the range R line so I could have any colour I wanted..... I got white add on that model I think white looks the best, mashed the chrome pop and is just beautiful. I did also look at the two series bmw and really seriously wanted it in metallic orange or metallic blue with a white leather interior but the be just felt better.

But my son has a golf he got last year and he got a very dark blue, only because it had the shortest lead time. He was really considering a Honda (?) and that was bright orange with grey upholstery with contrast orange stitching!

I had a red sports car for a while. No one spat on it and I wasn't conscious of getting abuse for driving it. The only problem was it spent way more time in the garage than out.

My car is metallic blue, it’s great. My other car is black but I bought it from new and that was the free colour at the time.

I think it’s seen as classy to get monochrome cars but classy is becoming a synonym for safe - not its intended use.

Think white became fashionable a few years back because of the whole white i pod headphone thing? Seems long time ago now :)

When I went to buy my car I said I didn’t want grey/silver. I said I’d actually love a green one, he laughed and joked that if he had a green one he could let me have it for a tenner (nearly new car) - no one else would want it! It made me sad. I ended up with a black one but I am holding out for bright metallic blue next time!

I don't like grey cars (or blue ones). My current car is a lovely lime green sports coupe, and my last can was a canary yellow sports coupe too. I occasionally get challenged at traffic lights, but rarely have a problem pulling out. Get your red car if that's what you want. The joy of driving it will outway the occasional jealous idiot.

Mine is blue. It's not the best shade of blue but I was SO HAPPY to be able to get rid of my black car and get one that is an actual colour.

If you buy second-hand, you don't get a lot of choice, and often it's cars that are ex-hire cars or ex-company cars and they don't go for (or pay for) the fun colours.

One day, I shall have enough money to get a new new car and I shall choose the BEST colour I can find. It will not be black, grey, silver, white or brown.

My friend has an orange car, she hates it, but it was the cheapest colour.

I'll swap!

I'm on my 3rd car in a 3rd shade of ubiquitous metallic grey for that model. Mine are second hand so it is just what's avaliable

My dad got a new company car in the early 90s and I remembet all the lovely colours in the brochure. We got "satin red" with a rich metallic sheen.

Mid 90s I did GCSE maths coursework answering "are most cars red?"
Red was the dominant colour, but there were all kinds of greens, golds and purples as well as the staple blue, white, black and silver

I think we have reached peak monochrome. I'm noticing more new coloured cars. I find colours easier to spot than greys/ blacks in dull weather when they don't put lights on.

I love my yellow car. When I test drove it, I mentioned the color rather neutrally to the salesman, who confided in me that the car had been on the lot for 8 months, the color was discontinued because it was virtually unsellable, and that he'd be happy to make me a better deal on it since he didn't like the way it looked in the lot.

Got a deal I know to have been massively good for the area where I bought plus make and model and trim. Little did he know, I'd gone to his dealership just because they were the only ones in a large radius to have a yellow one in stock! Nothing like saving a few grand by playing it cool.

I’ve seen mint coloured and pink, both in my village, also a not quite lime green, red as well.

I have a bright red car, it was the cheapest option when I bought the car new a few years ago. My DS was 3 at the time and used to refer to it as "Lightening McQueen"

Honestly though, I love the colour. It's cheerful and easy to spot in the car park. Also gives you a discount on your car insurance .

Silver cars were notably ubiquitous 20 years ago.

Anecdotally. We've had more close shaves with badly driven yellow cars.

Ours is bright orange and I love it

I have a red car (fair enough, it's only a fezza) and no-one has ever spat at it. I get let out at junctions, no-one ever seems overly annoyed with my driving and I've never noticed anyone staring at my car. It's a lease car and got it brand new. The free colours were either red or white.

I have a grey car, I like grey. I’ve never thought everyone should like grey. I wouldn’t think about what colour anyone else’s car was.

I hear you- often wondered this. Don’t get it. Mine is bright blue and easy to spot in a car park. Our previous black car- not so much

I think it’s mostly fashion.

When we bought ours last year there were I think 6 colours available- light and dark grey, white, black, red and blue. No extra charge for any. But substantially less availability of the blue and red ones according to the dealer due to “demand”.

I think generally small car look good in bright colours but big cars are better in some more neutral black white grey silver or dark blue.

I currently have a pillar box red and just yesterday ordered a very nice blue which will be here by the end of September.

I like colour too.

I bought a bronze car recently, but unless the light shines on it, it appears black. It's dull.

I want something like a yellow GT86 or an orange Defender 90. Or a blue Subaru WRX with gold wheels 😍

(I don't like monochrome - could you tell?)

@snowybean

I bought a bronze car recently, but unless the light shines on it, it appears black. It's dull.

I want something like a yellow GT86 or an orange Defender 90. Or a blue Subaru WRX with gold wheels 😍

(I don't like monochrome - could you tell?)

Would love a gt86!

I hadn't noticed this but looking around at the parked in my road, you're right. Two blue cars (both mine) four red ones (two belonging to the same couple) and all the rest are grey, silver, black or white.

I like blue. My house is cream so when the cars are on the drive they add a bit of colour!

We bought a new car this year (first ever brand new one ever!) and it's a sky blue, I love it - but previously we always went for silver or grey.

I've always hated red cars (never had one), they often used to end up pink. But just lately I keep seeing red cars that are a really lovely cherry red with a metallic look, it's noticeably nicer.

Mine and DH cars have always been red except the gifted knackered astra my dad gave me
I have not been gobbed on, stuck in at a junction or am having a midlife crisis.
Choose your own colour.
I would never drive a black/grey/white car.