Most popular car colours in Manchester

Mancunians love their football, but when it comes to car colours, do they go red or blue? Or maybe things are more black and white (and grey) when it comes to car colours in this city.

Using our own data, we pulled the top 10 car colours chosen by drivers when using car finance in Manchester. These were based on actual purchases made using the Carmoola app.

From the streets of Salford to the drives of Didsbury, here’s the full rundown of the shades Manchester drivers are backing:

1. Black 
2. White 
3. Grey
4. Blue
5. Silver
6. Red
7. Green
8. Orange
9. Bronze 
10. Yellow 

That’s the colour code of the city and proof that Manchester drives with style. 

1. Black takes the top spot in Manchester (24.62%) 

Black is the top choice for Manchester car buyers, with almost a quarter of Carmoola customers opting for a black car. Maybe Mancunians like the stealth look, or perhaps they simply prefer a colour that’s traditionally associated with luxury models.

It’s not just Manchester that appreciates a black car, though. Across the UK, it’s been the second-most popular colour for new cars every year since 2018, so it’s no surprise that you’ll find so many used examples at Manchester dealerships.

Despite its popularity, black isn’t the best choice if you want your car to hold its value well, according to the Carmoola Depreciation Index. It suggests that black cars depreciate faster than those in bolder shades, and that’s worth bearing in mind if you’re planning to use PCP car finance to get your next car. 

2. White (20.62%)

White takes second place, accounting for a fifth of cars bought using Carmoola finance in Manchester. White is often seen as the ‘safest’ car colour, with many reports suggesting that white cars are statistically less likely to be involved in a serious collision. 

White cars have a clean, minimalist look that suits the sharp-edged design of most modern cars, too. Although traditionally seen as the colour of police cars and vans, it came out of nowhere to become the number one colour for new cars in the UK from 2013 to 2016. Its popularity has dipped since then, but it remains one of the most popular choices.

3. Grey (20.14%)

Grey completes a top three of muted colour choices for Manchester drivers, finishing just behind white. We’re definitely not going to suggest that inspiration comes from Manchester’s famously cloudy skies, since the truth is that it rains a lot wherever you are in the UK!

There’s unlikely to be any literary influence, but we’d go so far as to say there are at least fifty shades of grey. From light, warmish tones to metallic or almost-black, grey can be a versatile and flattering hue that suits all sorts of cars. 

4. Blue (14.91%)

In fourth place it’s blue, which settles the ‘City vs Utd’ debate. And for the benefit of any non-football fans, blue is the colour of the Manchester City home kit, whereas arch-rivals Manchester United play in red. 

Fourth is farther down the table than Manchester City have usually finished in the Premier League in recent years, but it’s a solid result and mirrors the popularity of blue as a car colour across the UK. From 2013 to 2023, blue was the fourth-most-popular colour for new cars in the UK, before rising to third place in 2024. 

5. Silver (9.87%)

Silver rounds out the top five for Manchester car buyers. This shade ruled the roost for UK new car buyers in the early 2000s, topping the charts every year between 2003 and 2008. It’s not such a hit these days, but it remains one of the most common choices and was the sixth-most-popular colour for new cars in 2024.

Like white, silver has a good reputation for safety since it’s highly visible in poor lighting conditions. Does that help silver cars stand out on a grey February day in Salford or Stockport? Perhaps. But we’d also argue that it’s a neutral colour that suits most cars and because metallic paint usually costs extra when new, it should help to limit how fast your car depreciates. 

6. Red (7.84%)

In sixth place, it’s red, Manchester United’s colour. Historically, sixth might be seen as a disappointing finish by United fans, although it’s pretty much in keeping with the team’s Premier League position in recent years. Sorry, United fans.

Red is a bold colour, often synonymous with sporty cars such as Ferraris. There are plenty of red city cars, hatchbacks and SUVs out there, too, of course, and it’s consistently one of the top picks for new car buyers. In fact, red has been the fifth-most-popular colour for UK new car buyers in 17 of the past 20 years. A remarkably consistent performance.

7. Green (0.97%)

It wasn’t long ago that green cars were a rare sight, but it’s an increasingly popular choice and was the seventh-most popular colour for UK new car buyers in 2024. It takes seventh place for Carmoola customers in Manchester, too, although it does account for less than one per cent of the total.

There used to be a myth that green cars were unlucky, but these days it has more positive connotations of being environmentally friendly. That has helped it become a sought-after option on the used market, and the Carmoola Depreciation Index suggests that green cars (along with orange ones) hold their value better than any other colour. That’s worth considering, whether you’re buying your car using HP car finance, PCP finance, or a car refinance agreement. 

8. Orange (0.87%)

Speaking of orange, this bold choice takes eighth place on our list. It’s not for everyone, but what better way to liven up a grey day on the streets of Levenshulme or Longsight than zipping around in a bright-orange runabout?

And while fashion-conscious Mancunians might feel that an orange car could clash with their favourite outfit, there are some very appealing orange paint finishes out there. The Vauxhall Corsa is available in a fetching ‘Power Orange’, for example, and you can specify the Renault Clio in a gorgeous ‘Valencia Orange’ paint option that’s sure to brighten the most dreary Manchester morning.

9. Bronze (0.68%)

There’s no podium finish for bronze here, but ninth place is good going for what’s quite an unusual colour. Not many car brands offer bronze, but the Kia Sportage is available in a tasteful ‘Machined Bronze’ and ‘Corinthian Bronze’ is a stylish option for the Range Rover Evoque. 

We think bronze is a great look, though, and it seems that a fair few Manchester drivers agree. In fact, even though only 0.68% of buyers opted for bronze in the city, that's a far higher percentage than the 0.28% of UK new car buyers that chose it in 2024.

10. Yellow (0.48%)

In tenth spot comes yellow, perhaps suggesting that Manchester residents enjoy playing the ‘yellow car, no returns’ game you may have heard of (worth a Google if you haven’t). 

It’s safe to say that yellow cars aren’t to all tastes, and that not all cars look good in yellow. You don’t see many posh SUVs in yellow for example, but it’s a colour that can make small cars really ‘pop’, and it’s often used for special-edition sporty models. Blending in with Manchester’s fleet of bright-yellow buses and trams doesn’t seem to be a concern for drivers who opt for yellow to bring a splash of sunshine to the city’s streets.