Find out which car colour suits your personality

A survey by Nissan has discovered that 86 per cent of people drive the wrong-coloured car

2017 09 21 Micra Psycolourgy - Image 1
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When I moved to the UAE and bought a black Ford Mustang, I chose its paint based on a possibly childish notion that it would look Knight Rider-level cool and, to a greater extent, the stock available from the dealer. But after sweltering my way through seven summers and counting, it may be that, as revealed today by Nissan, I am one of the 86 per cent of people driving the wrong-coloured car for their personality. Unless my personality is "a little bit sweaty". I may, however, based on my choice, be "aspirational".

The Japanese car giant’s study of 5,000 people, found that a third of respondents should have opted for vibrant exterior shades, instead of conservative colours such as silver, black and grey, based on their personality type. More than half of drivers, meanwhile, continue to play a straight bat with more neutral paint jobs; a third opt for grey or black.

The results of the survey – in conjunction with colour psychologist Karen Haller – also suggested that people don’t actually know their own minds when it comes to the best colour for them: 58 per cent stated that their car was in their favourite colour.

A screenshot of Nissan's Facebook 'chatbot'. Facebook
A screenshot of Nissan's Facebook 'chatbot'. Facebook

"Social factors come into play with colour choice,” Haller explains, who uses psychometric analysis to understand the relationship between personality types and colour association. “For example, in times of economic uncertainty, it’s common for people to play it safe and pick a car with a neutral palette – such as black, white or grey. So I’m not surprised that two-thirds of motorists are driving more conservative shades.

“Often colour choices are based around aspirations, and black is often seen as aspirational, associated with high-end technologies and innovative brands. It may be that, far from playing it safe, they are choosing what they perceive as the finer things in life.”

The study isn't entirely philanthropic: it is to promote the personalisable options of Nissan's new Micra. You can visit www.facebook.com/nissanmicrachatbotuk to find out which Micra colour matches your personality via a nifty automated chat that asks you various multiple-choice questions.

After answering its enquiries, it seems that perhaps I didn’t make the wrong choice for my muscle car, after all: my result was “enigma black”, seemingly putting me in a rarefied 14 per cent of drivers.

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