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Buting a white car could leave motorists up to Pounds 5,000 in the red, experts revealed yesterday. White cars depreciate more than any other color over one year particularly at the luxury end of the market. Motorists looking to stem declining values should opt for metallic black, which can add Pounds 200 to the value of a 12-month- old car, according to the motoring industry price bible Glass's Guide. It claims that white is not a wise choice when buying an upmarket car. A white Mercedes, BMW or Audi could be worth Pounds 2,500 less than a silver or grey metallic one and Pounds 2,700 less than one in black metallic. Richard Crosthwaite, prestige car editor at Glass's, said: 'Buy a luxury roadster, such as a Mercedes SL-Class or Porsche 911, in white and you can easily expect a trade value after 12 months that is Pounds 5,000 lower than if it was in a desirable metallic.' Depreciation values for white cars are about 20 per cent greater among executive models such as the BMW 5 Series or Mercedes E- Class. But there were exceptions to the 'black is best' rule. Mr Crosthwaite said: 'The value of red on certain sports cars may perform better than on conventional saloons, because buyers feel the color is more suited to the character of the car.'
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