Many motorists choose to have their cars wrapped in one or more colour combinations to give it a unique look. The reason they choose wrapping in preference of a re-spray is partly the expense but more the factor of resale. When the owner decides to sell their metallic purple hot hatch they recognise it may not sell as well as when it was in the original manufacturer’s colour of plain white or red. And since wrapping is completely reversible it has become very popular, particularly amongst the so-called boy-racer fraternity. For them it may be their first car and although it may not be a Ferrari they still want it to stand out—and there is the rub.

So what does all of this mean when the DVLA does not charge anything to have the vehicle’s colours changed? The reason is to do with insurance premiums. As soon as an owner declares to the DVLA they’ve made any modification such as a change in engine size or colour the insurance goes up. It may not be a problem for a 60-something lady with no-claims but for a teenage boy the potential hike in premiums may put the skids on their plans to raise their car’s street cred.

James Cody of J Cody Signs in Grimsby says the changes will have an effect on the market. He thinks it will hit the lower end of the business where motorists shop around for the cheapest vehicle wraps rather than go to established sign-makers who will do a professional job. With increased insurance premiums many will also be put off altogether and in a price sensitive market even mature motorists will think twice about a change of colour on their Mondeo or Morgan.

Sign-makers with teenagers already know the cost of insuring their offspring so any increase could mean ownership maybe put off for a few years with a knock on effect on the used car market. For a teenage boy to insure a Vauxhall Astra is at least £1,500 with figures running up to over £4,000 depending on the car. Add on a vehicle wrap and a further hike in insurance and it is clear why James Cody sees the DVLA’s change is an issue.

The reason behind the change is so the UK’s police forces’ automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) systems can detect a stolen car.  The last thing any teenager wants is to see is blue flashing lights in their mirror with the long arm of the law reminding them their ten year old Fiesta has not notified the DVLA of its change of colour.

Have you been pulled over by the police for an unusual reason like the colour of your car? Send your anecdotes to online_ed@signlink.co.uk