Two years ago EurotaxGlass’s reported that black had overtaken silver as the most popular colour for prestige-brand used cars.
Now the publisher of Glass’s Guide says the premium being paid for metallic or even solid black paint has risen to unprecedented levels - up to £500 more than for any other colour on selected used vehicles after one year and 12,000 miles.
Forecourt asking prices for prestige models in black are typically several hundred pounds higher, and exceptional retail demand means customers are much less able to negotiate a discount
Lower-value prestige-brand vehicles, such as compact executive saloons (e.g. BMW 3 Series, Mercedes C-Class), will typically have premiums of £250 for black paint. On larger models, such as SUV’s (e.g. Audi Q7, BMW X5) and large luxury cars (e.g. Audi A8, BMW 7 Series), buyers can expect to pay £500 extra.
Exceptions to this are notably solid red, which is less likely to have a negative impact on residual values in the sports car segment, as buyers accept it as being in keeping with the character of the car.
However, on larger prestige saloons solid red paint is no longer even available as a standard option, and on a compact executive model you could expect a residual value penalty of £1,000 after just one year.
You see, men may complain that women choose their car by colour only. Well now they know why.
We are not stupid are we ladies?
Jackie Violet