"Undesirable" colours - convince me!
Discussion
Looking at S2s I see that there's a fair old difference in price between those in colours everyone wants (blue, grey, silver, black to an extent) and those in less desirable colours (namely purple, green, non-metallic red and yellow).
Of course being tight I'm drawn to the "better value" of such cars, even though, like everyone else I'm not too keen on the colour.
While I'm well aware that ultimately it's my choice and I'd be the one who'd have to live with it, I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts on these less-favoured colours..
I really don't think I could touch one in red or green, however there's an apparently nice yellow 111s in the classified atm for £12.5k (60-odd thousand miles and some nice bits; roof, exhaust etc), which I'm sure would be 10-15% more were it in grey or blue.
I'm trying to convince myself that this bright colour would be a good idea - after all the styling of the car is hardly understated, so why not pair it with an extrovert colour? The cars are small and fast, so a high-vis colour would surely be a great idea from a "visibility to other road users" perspective..
From some angles (namely the rear) I think it looks pretty sweet.. from the front I'd much rather have something in grey or blue. Also, the car would be an indulgence; why not try and get exactly what I want rather than settling for less based on price..?
Funnily enough while yellow doesn't seem too popular on S2s, it seems far more desireable and iconic on S1s.. as regards future value does anyone think perceptions of colour might change over time?
Anyway, sorry for the rambling, vaguely-pointless post; I doubt any responses would push me over the edge into a purchase (I've been sat watching prices steadily rise for 2yrs) but I'd be very interested to hear what the good people of PH have to say on the matter!
Of course being tight I'm drawn to the "better value" of such cars, even though, like everyone else I'm not too keen on the colour.
While I'm well aware that ultimately it's my choice and I'd be the one who'd have to live with it, I'd be interested to hear people's thoughts on these less-favoured colours..
I really don't think I could touch one in red or green, however there's an apparently nice yellow 111s in the classified atm for £12.5k (60-odd thousand miles and some nice bits; roof, exhaust etc), which I'm sure would be 10-15% more were it in grey or blue.
I'm trying to convince myself that this bright colour would be a good idea - after all the styling of the car is hardly understated, so why not pair it with an extrovert colour? The cars are small and fast, so a high-vis colour would surely be a great idea from a "visibility to other road users" perspective..
From some angles (namely the rear) I think it looks pretty sweet.. from the front I'd much rather have something in grey or blue. Also, the car would be an indulgence; why not try and get exactly what I want rather than settling for less based on price..?
Funnily enough while yellow doesn't seem too popular on S2s, it seems far more desireable and iconic on S1s.. as regards future value does anyone think perceptions of colour might change over time?
Anyway, sorry for the rambling, vaguely-pointless post; I doubt any responses would push me over the edge into a purchase (I've been sat watching prices steadily rise for 2yrs) but I'd be very interested to hear what the good people of PH have to say on the matter!
Edited by Republik1980 on Sunday 30th August 13:05
Colours a personal thing. It's what does it for you that counts. History and condition of the car more important. A well presented car will look nice whatever the colour. Colours I'd personally avoid, black, aubergine and purple. However, even these can look great in certain conditions and have their followers. Probably not so easy to re-sell. I'd have no worries with yellow, but again not to everyones taste. Just go for what does it for you. Don't worry about the rest. I'd take a top condition aubergine over a shabby chrome orange. Which ever colour you get, you'll see one after that you like even more. Bit like women!!!!!Doesn't change the driving experience one bit
simpo555 said:
Colours I'd personally avoid, black, aubergine and purple.
Why would you avoid black?I was fairly open to colours when I bought mine. Wanted a magnetic blue car but with not many cars popping up, I decided it probably wasn't worth waiting for the right colour so ended up in a black one
I'd happily have had yellow though 
AyBee said:
Why would you avoid black?
I was fairly open to colours when I bought mine. Wanted a magnetic blue car but with not many cars popping up, I decided it probably wasn't worth waiting for the right colour so ended up in a black one I'd happily have had yellow though
I suppose it's because I've seen a couple that were looking a bit 'tired'. I've owned three black cars, Audi, Citroen and Renault. I feel they look fab for five minutes, after washing, but keeping them looking good is a real PITA. The paint seems to show up the smallest imperfections and they just look dirty with a touch of dust. However, add some stripes and the feeling changes. Tend to like them with silver-grey-white stripes and even with green stripes it doesn't look half bad. I was fairly open to colours when I bought mine. Wanted a magnetic blue car but with not many cars popping up, I decided it probably wasn't worth waiting for the right colour so ended up in a black one
I'd happily have had yellow though 
Republik1980 said:
Looking at S2s I see that there's a fair old difference in price between those in colours everyone wants (blue, grey, silver, black to an extent) and those in less desirable colours (namely purple, green, non-metallic red and yellow).
My desirable list would be the exact reverse of that you have stated, and would actively rule out a grey,silver or black car. The point is buy what you want, not what you perceive other people to think as better.sato said:
Republik1980 said:
Looking at S2s I see that there's a fair old difference in price between those in colours everyone wants (blue, grey, silver, black to an extent) and those in less desirable colours (namely purple, green, non-metallic red and yellow).
My desirable list would be the exact reverse of that you have stated, and would actively rule out a grey,silver or black car. The point is buy what you want, not what you perceive other people to think as better.
Same here. I really wanted a Purple car but they were rare. The only colours I absolutely would not have gone for were white, silver, grey and black. Just buy whatever you like, the difference in price is pretty negligible.
My advice is buy the car for the car, not the colour. I was looking for a white or orange one for months, declaring I would never buy a black one.
I bought a black one. Mainly because of the spec, one previous owner and very low miles. The colour was the only downside but it looks like the Batmobile so that's not such a bad thing.
I bought a black one. Mainly because of the spec, one previous owner and very low miles. The colour was the only downside but it looks like the Batmobile so that's not such a bad thing.
When I bought my Exige S back in 2007 I made sure I ordered one in Solar Yellow on the basis that if you're going to buy a car like that, you may as well stand out whilst using it 
I'd also considered the Burnt Orange or Krypton Green that was available but preferred the look of the yellow / black contrast.
When I eventually sold it, just short of 3 years later, on a SOR basis via the dealer I bought it from, it hadn't devalued very much, and it certainly didn't take long for the dealer to find it's new owner as he also wanted a bright / noticeable colour.
Looking at prices now a few years on, it certainly seems that those colours are still holding good values
A few pics for the sake of nostalgia
I'd also considered the Burnt Orange or Krypton Green that was available but preferred the look of the yellow / black contrast.When I eventually sold it, just short of 3 years later, on a SOR basis via the dealer I bought it from, it hadn't devalued very much, and it certainly didn't take long for the dealer to find it's new owner as he also wanted a bright / noticeable colour.
Looking at prices now a few years on, it certainly seems that those colours are still holding good values
A few pics for the sake of nostalgia
Edited by AlexRS2782 on Wednesday 12th August 19:01
Thanks guys - the Exige looks fantastic Alex!
It's good / interesting to see such a spread of preferences - I suppose there really is no accounting for taste!
Maybe it's just me projecting my preferences but I'm sure the colour affects the asking price significantly. For example there's an early Red 80k S2 111s with a hard top on Auto trader currently for £11k - had it been silver / grey / blue I'd have expected it to have been maybe £1-1.5k more. Likewise the (now sold) Yellow one that inspired my original post seemed a lot cheaper than comparable cars in other colours.
I agree with the "buying the car, not the colour" argument, however ultimately the car would be an indulgence bought purely for the purpose of enjoyment, so I wouldn't want to be constantly thinking I'd wished I'd bought a different colour - superficial as that might be. I did this with my last car (discounted the fact it was red on the basis of the otherwise good condition) which I lived to regret (although I suspect a red Elise shouldn't turn pink as quickly as an old Golf).
Perhaps if nothing else this thread has made me a little more open to colours I wouldn't nec. have considered in the past - typically now it's gone the Yellow one is seeming more appealing...
It's good / interesting to see such a spread of preferences - I suppose there really is no accounting for taste!
Maybe it's just me projecting my preferences but I'm sure the colour affects the asking price significantly. For example there's an early Red 80k S2 111s with a hard top on Auto trader currently for £11k - had it been silver / grey / blue I'd have expected it to have been maybe £1-1.5k more. Likewise the (now sold) Yellow one that inspired my original post seemed a lot cheaper than comparable cars in other colours.
I agree with the "buying the car, not the colour" argument, however ultimately the car would be an indulgence bought purely for the purpose of enjoyment, so I wouldn't want to be constantly thinking I'd wished I'd bought a different colour - superficial as that might be. I did this with my last car (discounted the fact it was red on the basis of the otherwise good condition) which I lived to regret (although I suspect a red Elise shouldn't turn pink as quickly as an old Golf).
Perhaps if nothing else this thread has made me a little more open to colours I wouldn't nec. have considered in the past - typically now it's gone the Yellow one is seeming more appealing...
Yellow FTW. Shows off the lines best.
Don't see the point in buying a black one its not as if they are subtle cars in the first place.
Unless you go for a crazy colour like lilac which alienates the majority of your future market (men) then I don't see it impacting values much. Remember when looking at classifieds that a) different sellers have different idea of values - it's not one guy pricing them all and b) that's what they are advertised for not necessarily what they sell for.
It could depend on supply and demand in certain models - Elise S1 azure blue seems to be the most common colour so more choice on the market = potential price impact.
Interior colour can be the most off putting for some buyers.
Don't see the point in buying a black one its not as if they are subtle cars in the first place.
Unless you go for a crazy colour like lilac which alienates the majority of your future market (men) then I don't see it impacting values much. Remember when looking at classifieds that a) different sellers have different idea of values - it's not one guy pricing them all and b) that's what they are advertised for not necessarily what they sell for.
It could depend on supply and demand in certain models - Elise S1 azure blue seems to be the most common colour so more choice on the market = potential price impact.
Interior colour can be the most off putting for some buyers.
Edited by antiok on Wednesday 12th August 09:07
Republik1980 said:
Maybe it's just me projecting my preferences but I'm sure the colour affects the asking price significantly.
I think this is the case. When I was looking I was convinced that all the grey/silver/black cars were cheaper until I actually started recording the prices of all the cars I could see for sale and it turned out there was absolutely no difference in terms of average price. I think you've just found one or a handful of outliers which happen to be cheap for a reason other than their colour. Any S2 111S for £11k has something wrong with it; excluding racing cars, the cheapest two S2 111Ss on Pistonheads are silver.ETA: Actually one of them is a 111 not a 111S but the principle still applies.
Edited by kambites on Wednesday 12th August 09:37
antiok said:
Yellow FTW. Shows off the lines best.
Don't see the point in buying a black one its not as if they are subtle cars in the first place.
Unless you go for a crazy colour like lilac which alienates the majority of your future market (men) then I don't see it impacting values much. Remember when looking at classifieds that a) different sellers have different idea of values - it's not one guy pricing them all and b) that's what they are advertised for not necessarily what they sell for.
It could depend on supply and demand in certain models - Elise S1 azure blue seems to be the most common colour so more choice on the market = potential price impact.
Interior colour can be the most off putting for some buyers.
Yeah, typically now the "good deal" has sold I'm starting to warm to the colour.. funnily enough I've been looking at Azure S1s and they do look very nice; in my case a happy coincidence that the colours I like are pretty common!Don't see the point in buying a black one its not as if they are subtle cars in the first place.
Unless you go for a crazy colour like lilac which alienates the majority of your future market (men) then I don't see it impacting values much. Remember when looking at classifieds that a) different sellers have different idea of values - it's not one guy pricing them all and b) that's what they are advertised for not necessarily what they sell for.
It could depend on supply and demand in certain models - Elise S1 azure blue seems to be the most common colour so more choice on the market = potential price impact.
Interior colour can be the most off putting for some buyers.
kambites said:
I think this is the case. When I was looking I was convinced that all the grey/silver/black cars were cheaper until I actually started recording the prices of all the cars I could see for sale and it turned out there was absolutely no difference in terms of average price. I think you've just found one or a handful of outliers which happen to be cheap for a reason other than their colour. Any S2 111S for £11k has something wrong with it; excluding racing cars, the cheapest two S2 111Ss on Pistonheads are silver.
ETA: Actually one of them is a 111 not a 111S but the principle still applies.
Yup; I did start a spreadsheet but it all got a bit depressing so I gave up! ETA: Actually one of them is a 111 not a 111S but the principle still applies.
To be fair of the two silver 111's in the classifieds, as you say one is not an "S" (and is also a very early one so lacks the leccy windows, sound proofing etc of the later cars), the other is also early so lacks the refinement of later cars.. although doesn't seem a bad price given the silly low mileage..
There are 2 or 3 nice looking Blue 111s' around atm; although unfortunately I can't quite justify what's being asked for them..
Edited by Republik1980 on Thursday 13th August 14:40
Having recently been in the market for my first Elise I found that advertised prices varied massively. Some dealers list the same spec, condition and mileage cars for as much as 4K more than private sellers.
I wouldn’t be put off by going to see higher priced cars as I doubt they actually sell for anywhere near the list price. Seeing an Elise is never a waste of time as you’ll quickly learn which ones are good and you might also surprise yourself by liking a colour you had discounted. I didn’t think I’d like the ardent red colour, but having seeing it in the flesh, it changed my mind.
It took me a good few months to find the right one for me. I had been keeping a close eye on the market for more than a year before taking the plunge.
In the end I got an S2 111S in magnetic blue, which was the colour I was after. It cost the same as the yellow 111S you mentioned and milage was around the 50K mark. It was a private sale, with similar spec cars listed far higher at the dealers.
I also went to see black, red, silver, yellow and ice blue cars. They all look great, but I’m glad I was patient and got the colour I wanted in the end. It’s a toy, I worked my socks off to be able to finally buy one, so for me it was important to be 100% happy with the colour.
I wouldn’t be put off by going to see higher priced cars as I doubt they actually sell for anywhere near the list price. Seeing an Elise is never a waste of time as you’ll quickly learn which ones are good and you might also surprise yourself by liking a colour you had discounted. I didn’t think I’d like the ardent red colour, but having seeing it in the flesh, it changed my mind.
It took me a good few months to find the right one for me. I had been keeping a close eye on the market for more than a year before taking the plunge.
In the end I got an S2 111S in magnetic blue, which was the colour I was after. It cost the same as the yellow 111S you mentioned and milage was around the 50K mark. It was a private sale, with similar spec cars listed far higher at the dealers.
I also went to see black, red, silver, yellow and ice blue cars. They all look great, but I’m glad I was patient and got the colour I wanted in the end. It’s a toy, I worked my socks off to be able to finally buy one, so for me it was important to be 100% happy with the colour.
When I was looking for my first Exige, my most desirable colour was black and least was red. I didn't like the black one in the flesh as much as I liked it on a computer screen, the colour just seemed to make it lose some detail. Having seen my least desirable colour in the flesh, Ardent Red, I fell in love with it and bought it.
I've been looking for an S3 and again been a little thrown by the colours. I think it looks best in carbon grey, it really shows the lines off and looks great. However, an Exige is one of the few cars that looks good in lairy colours so have just bought an orange one. I do think it looks 'nicer' in grey, but this car deserves to be orange!!
Ironically, I don't think an S2 or S3 Exige look that great in Silver, but if I was buying an S1 Exige then it would HAVE to be silver!
It's all very subjective!
I've been looking for an S3 and again been a little thrown by the colours. I think it looks best in carbon grey, it really shows the lines off and looks great. However, an Exige is one of the few cars that looks good in lairy colours so have just bought an orange one. I do think it looks 'nicer' in grey, but this car deserves to be orange!!
Ironically, I don't think an S2 or S3 Exige look that great in Silver, but if I was buying an S1 Exige then it would HAVE to be silver!
It's all very subjective!
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