I was recently asked why British people are superstitious about green cars and to be honest, this got me thinking.

Firstly, I had never heard of this until I returned to the UK; therefore, is it only in the UK that some people have this superstition?

Secondly, (and I am yet to Google the reason), does anyone know the reasoning behind this? Especially when we seem to regard British Racing Green as one of our heritage colours (and that is before coming onto how popular it is on Morgans!)

Lastly, I'd like to know what people's individual opinions are!

Je possede morgan Une voiture verte. En France, le Vert on dit, j'espère.
I have A green car Terry. In France, the Green told, I hope.

Personally I quite like green cars... I did have a Green TVR Cerbera



And am considering the Alipna Green D3 for the next car.



One superstition I have heard explained, is that Green cars attract more crashes due to their ability to blend into the background... Personally I think this is an old superstition as TBH... Greg/Silver should have the same reputation given the current quantity of Concrete Vs. Grass/trees

A long time ago I had a green car, it suffered many more frightening moments than any previous car. I would not buy a green car because it blends in on dark and dim days going through the tree lined and covered roads around where I live.

I asked someone who pulled out right in front of me and they said "they did not see me, it was the colour acting like camouflage".

After I got rid of it I stopped having the problem. It was like a crash magnet and I hated driving it, I got to the point of Volvo'ing and left the lights on permanently but then everyone
flashed me for leaving my lights on.....aaarrrrggggggghhhhh

my first car was a moss green 1968 morris mini[ with hydrowotsit "wet" suspension as were BMC Monte Carlo rally cars]I also had a green Triumph Tiger 750 but come to think about it I did fall off a lot.....

Green has long been thought of as an unlucky colour especially for brides and green pyjamas should never be given to a hospital patient

I always thought that car colours are more following a trend than a taste (or a superstition). Ten years ago over here a car had to be black or at least very dark. Then came dark grey and then silver. Right now you have to have a white car to be "in" (and to suggest the car is new). - And as far as I can see this trend didn't go completely unnoticed by Morgan buyers...

Frank (in his sarcastic mood)

he doesn't mind!!!!

Similar to Aston green. They use it on their racing cars so can't be too superstitious. Then again, they haven't had any wins

Since we discovered Science have we not left superstition in the Dark Ages?

My Plus 8 is Connaught green (the best colour in my opinion!) however 10 years ago or so a colleague and I had identical BMWs, mine sold for less even though it had lower mileage and had been better cared for. Why? - mine was green and his was blue!

My first was connaught green, current one is metallic green. No reasons (so far!) to blame the colour for anything.
Talking to a dealer, for resale he reckons green and blue most popular requests.

I have never heard of such a superstition, I have had a green K100RS bike, a green Montego estate, a green BMW525 and I have a green 4/4 4 seater, I learned to drive on a green Humber Super Snipe and a green Humber sceptre and father had two green Jaguars and a green Rover 75.
All seemed ordinary enough.

Perhaps the idea that letters written in green ink are in some way offensive may be an influence?

Here is an interesting piece on the reasons behind, what seems to be, a minority aversion and superstition toward green cars; much of it appears to be attributed to green cars in motor racing.

PS - if I'm not mistaken, isn't 1962 Le Mans class winner TOK 258 green?

i don't believe that green cars are bad luck but i did find this on Motley Fool (www.fool.co.uk) under ways to lower your car insurance =

"3. Car colour *

Some insurers have found that if you have a red car you're more likely to be involved in an accident. Hence, your premium can be higher. The only reason they can think of is that perhaps more show-offs use red cars, so these drivers are more likely to put their right-foot down.

Metallic paint is more expensive, so your premium might cost more. Some insurers find black cars are more likely to be involved in incidents at night. Conversely, white cars sometimes attract cheaper premiums because the opposite is found to be true. At least one insurer has found that green cars are more likely to be involved in accidents if you live in the country, because they're camouflaged! You can't see the cars for the trees."

So white is best for car insurance purposes. Colours not mentioned above are pretty safe.

I'd heard that about red cars. Thought the bit about green cars being bad luck was with regards to racing - BRG being bad luck?

Assumed that green/red were harder to see as the light levels dropped. Probably totally wrong.

As for more black car incidents at night - it's because drivers of black / very dark colours always seem to be the last to put their lights on... Says he, with a black car

Cheers,

It's generally red cars I find hard to spot at junctions and always have to look carefully after a couple of near misses. Optitian can't find any probs so some truth in that.
Cheers,

There have been studies done where they ask police officers to guess the speed of cars, without the aid of any equipment, and statistically they judge red cars to be travelling at greater speeds than any others. I haven't heard of them being considered to be higher accident risks but "Arrest-Me-Red" always springs to mind when I see a red sports car.

P'raps that's one reason for me not liking red cars...
Never owned one, but the only company car I had (during my field service days) was red.
Mind you, with the high mileages "Arrest-me-red" might have been suitable at times
Nowadays, I can't be bothered - even Gloucestershire to Faslane and back in a day is taken at legal speeds...

Cheers,

I guess green probably isn't that high in the 'favourite colour' list of top 10 favourite colours to buy a car.

On that basis I'd wager that green cars on average trade at a lower price than their similar model clones in other more favourable colours.. (certainly always the way with those 'lovely' Tanzanite green mercs from a few years back..

BRG on english sports cars clearly an exception here though I'm sure..

I've owned a couple of green Aero's, first a Series I in Audi Mint Green:


And then, a Series II in Reflex Green:

Though that one did have a hint of purple (and blue and grey) in it!

So you can guess the way I voted! I don't mind red cars either, but black brown (I'll never hear the last if I underwrite the colour of BtG's Aero ) always looks nice too...

Hrrrumph................

Clearly those who choose red as a new option are not the same as those who end up with red as a secondhand option.

Red Audis are usually driven faster than other Audis, but don't they look splendid in red eh? I could fancy a red Audi..

There is though, an urban myth which suggests that coppers 'play snooker' on the motorway, so on that basis alone, you're more likely to get stopped in a red car.

And remember red/green colour blindness - there's a chap at work and when he does one of those 'numbers made of coloured balls' tests - there are shades of red & green that he can't see............

I'm stuffed then!:
red BSA Bantam ( ex telegram bike)
red Norton Jubilee
red Moto Guzzi
red Cooper S
red Midget
red RS 2000
red 4/4

All at various times. My next ambition is to emulate the Prince song, "Little Red Corvette"


Cheers,
G

As well as the aero I've only ever had one other green car.

That was until SWMBO decided to ram it into the back of the old van I was moving from London to Leicester. Fortunately I'd just given the new van I was in 10 minutes earlier over to a member of staff.

I had to laugh when the recovery man came to collect.

"which vehicle is your sir".

"both of them"

Scratches head and I have to explain.

A first generation Quattro??
I could put up with red for that

Cheers,

I have owned
a BRG 1962 Mini Saloon,
a BRG Mini Traveller,
Two BRG Jaguar XK40's,
a Landi Disco BRG,
Still own a Jaguar S Type Metalic Green and a Roadster 100 in Merc. Amazon Green.

I think its safe to say that I like Green.

But I also Love Lellow.

Other colours in the Past - Three White, One Brown, One Beige, One Mustard, One red, One Pale Blue, One Navy Blue, Two Black,
You could say I was indecisive?

Sure Is


There are quite a few of these as well


And the Occasional 'Odd Ball'

I have never heard of this as a "British" superstition. However my Welsh grandmother would never get in a green car, and in later life neither would my (also Welsh) mother. My (English) father always said it was a Welsh thing. Of course, though, he was never allowed to buy a green car.

Hard then to explain the number of green Land Rovers in Wales. And green Morris Minors in days gone by.

Two green cars owned, evergreen Volkswagen Scirroco,second a ice green metallic porsche c4s that people either loved or hated. Dealer moaned about color while taking the trade, tried to work me hard for less money vs color...They cleaned car up put it on showroom floor(unusual since it was used) and sold it in one day.

As I traded that car for my present c4s which is gray and its about trade time again, green is a color consideration once more. One thing I have noticed about Porsches greens in their color samples and website info is you better see the greens on a real car as color samples not close.

Simon,
I'm just in the process of re-reading Chris Lawrence's " Morgan Maverick"
and was struck by something he said about TOK and the colour green.
Apperently, TOK had always been maroon/ claret and in fact had very recently (ie after the test days but before the actual Le Mans 1962 race) had a respray in that same colour.

Peter Morgan- acting on a request from the ACO- told Lawrence that it had to be green and that the Factory would do it for him, which they did.
I'm sure there must be colour pics of a 'claret TOK' in existence but I've never seen one. Can anybody help out here?

G
PS Lawrence wasn't keen to take the car to the Factory because it would- and did- give away the fact that he had actually used a 4/4 body for what was, to all intents and purposes, a +4!

I love the anecdote.

G, it looks like you've just added another book to my pile of books to read .

there is an AeroSS coming to .BE, 2009GT3racingGreen

I'wouldn't want a "racing green"
but this would do: (color, not the car)


more info: http://www.autoblog.nl/archive/2010/02/27/dit-is-ferraris-groene-hybride-599-gtb#post-34224

Hmmm This is interesting, in the far east green means long live and properous, so having some green plants and jade in the house is always good, BUT wearing something green in terms of clothing or worse still a green hat would have people there laughing their heads off
Wearing green hat means your wife is having an affair behind your back... lol

We had a Java Green Beetle when I was a teenager. It had several accidents and was eventually written off when someone drove out of a junction and hit it through a lampost and a hedge. But IMO nothing to do with the colour.

I love Connaught Green and it seems to be a much admired colour when I park the 4/4. Even watched out of a cafe window as a teenage girl took lots of photos of it the other day (couldn't get out in time!!!! or was it the wife's look?).

Definitely not superstitious - but I go berserk if someone puts shoes on a table or opens an umbrella indoors.

Sorry, but I'm not averse to a green car.

Now that's a mighty fine green car you got there.... smart!