8 common mistakes to avoid when selling your car
The 8 most common mistakes when selling your car privately in Australia — from overpricing to the Notice of Disposal most sellers forget to lodge.
How important is your car colour?
How important is your car colour in Australia? Just how much does car colour matter to the typical Aussie driver? You might be the kind of person who couldn’t care less about the colour of your car – or maybe you’ve been thinking about a custom paint job for your ride. Either way, you might be surprised by the effects that car colour can have on costs, car temperatures and even safety. Let’s take a look at local colour trends and the reasoning behind them.
What are the most popular car colours in Australia?
It might not surprise you to learn that Australia’s most popular car colour isn’t a colour at all, but rather the absence of it; white cars account for a massive 40% of the market. 21% are black cars, followed by grey at 15%, and silver at 9%. And in fact this love for greyscale extends much further than our own shores. Globally speaking around 82% of all cars sold are either white, black, grey or silver, according to leading automotive paint supplier Axalta. That only leaves around 20% for more vivid vehicle colours.
Why is white so popular for car paint?
Well, it’s often cheaper to buy a white car new, or at least to choose non-metallic options. White and lighter colours absorb less heat, and can be cooler in the Australian climate (therefore using less fuel to keep cool). The temperature difference between a light and dark-coloured car on a hot day can actually be as much as 12°C. White panels can also be simpler to repair, repaint and replace than metallic paint or a unique colour.
With these factors, it’s not really surprising that many people see it as a safer choice for resale value. There’s also a theory that white became a much more popular option after the Apple iPod made its debut in 2001, which showed that white could be modern and sleek rather than simply a hire-car choice.
Are certain car colours safer to drive? And can car colour affect insurance?
Car insurance costs quite possibly could depend on car colour. The Insurance Council of Australia (ICA) has acknowledged that the type and colour of car paint is a factor that car insurers consider when calculating premiums. And the research on safety backs this up: 2007 research out of Monash University showed a statistically significant relationship between vehicle colour and crash risk. Colours that were lower on the visibility index, such as black, blue, grey, green, red and silver, were associated with a higher crash risk than plain old white.
