The latest analysis shows that the number of cars registered to women has surged by more than a fifth (21%) since 2007, with women now owning more than a third (11.8m) of the UK’s cars. This compares with a 10% increase in the number of men purchasing one in the same period. 17.8m cars were registered to men in 2017 and there are now 34.7 million cars on UK roads, up 12% over the past decade.

While our roads are undoubtedly more crowded, drivers are benefitting from more technology than ever before. Although manual gearboxes still dominate, the number of automatic models has risen 70.5% since 2007, with some 8.4m now on the road. No less than 40.0% of all new cars registered in 2017 featured an automatic gearbox, double the proportion in 2007, with consumers attracted to the comfort and driving ease inherent to the technology.

The data also shows the diversity of British car ownership, with some 1,500 model ranges and 65,000 different model specifications in the parc, compared with 1,200 and 56,000 10 years ago. More than a fifth (22.5%) of cars on UK roads were less than three years old in 2017, an aspect said to help air quality improvements and CO₂ emissions with more recent low emissions technology.

Smaller models continue to make up the bulk of the UK’s car parc, with mini, supermini and lower medium together taking 62.3% market share in 2017, up from 60% in 2007. Across all car segments, however, the most dramatic shift has been in the rise of crossover cars. Their number has increased more than 90% during the past decade with some 3.5m on the road in 2017, representing 10.2% market share, up from 6.1% in 2007. Conversely, upper medium models (Mondeo class) have seen the largest fall in popularity, declining by 27.0%, or roughly 1.5m cars.

The SMMT data also shows consumers’ changing car colour preferences, with the trend to ‘monochrome’ seeing brighter colours fall out of favour. In 2017, silver/aluminium was the most commonly seen car colour on the road, followed by black and blue. Data from 2007 reveals that blue was then the top choice, followed by silver/aluminium and, in third place, red, which has now fallen out of the top five completely, along with green, which was previously the fifth most popular shade.

Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive, stated, “Consumers are enjoying greater freedom and mobility than ever before, which along with greater reliability and improved fuel efficiency, make owning a car a more attractive and affordable option for millions of people. With every new model launched, more motorists are benefitting from more advanced technology. From innovative safety systems such as autonomous emergency braking and adaptive speed control, to state-of-the-art infotainment and comfort features, including head-up navigation, heated seats and air-con, in-car WiFi and vastly improved connectivity. Our latest Motorparc analysis highlights the shifts in consumer preferences and behaviour over the past decade and provides valuable insight for car makers and dealers to help them adapt to changing consumer behaviour in the future.”

Did you know?

• From 2007-2017 the number of female registered car keepers jumped 21%, compared with a 10% increase for men. More than one-in-three cars in Britain is now registered to a woman, equivalent to some 11.8m vehicles.
• In 2017 the UK’s most popular cars were the Ford Fiesta (1.5m), followed by the Ford Focus (1.4m) and Vauxhall Corsa (1.2m).
• This compares with a top three in 2007 of the Ford Fiesta (1.3m), followed by the Vauxhall Astra (1.2m) and Vauxhall Corsa (1.1m).
• Many of the top-selling cars from the 1980s are still going strong today, including 2,089 Ford Sierras, 506 Vauxhall Cavaliers and 228 Austin Maestros.
• Birmingham has the majority of pure electric and plug-in hybrid cars in the country – 8.7% of the national total.
• There are just 582 cars on the Isles of Scilly.
• Worcester has more British-built cars on the roads than anywhere else, while Bridgend has the fewest.
• Milton Keynes is home to the greatest number of specialist sports cars, including brands such as Aston Martin and McLaren.
• Looking at unusual colours, Leicester has the highest amount of pink cars in the country.