Ever wondered what your choice of car colour says about you? We'd always assumed that white indicated a slightly unhealthy obsession with 1980s hot hatches, grey said 'look elsewhere - look at anything but me', and yellow told everyone you worked for a breakdown rescue service.

Apparently not. A new study from CNW Marketing Research in the US suggests that car colour is linked to confidence levels.

A study of some 1,900 Americans found that people with emerald green, dark blue and silver cars had above-average self confidence, drivers of white cars had average self confidence, while those who chose yellow, orange, blue or red cars had below-average self confidence.

The most downbeat colour of all, the report says, is black. Someone tell Batman. And Knight Rider. And Alan Sugar.

The CNW study also tracked responses over time, allowing researchers to calculate the 'moodiness' of drivers. Apparently people with black, dark blue or silver cars have the most consistent mood, while those driving orange, red, bright yellow or green cars have the most pronounced mood swings.

In other words, if your dentist drives a 599 GTB in Rosso Corsa red, be afraid. Mainly because you're paying him too much.

Just one more question, CNW: what does an Aston in full orange-on-blue livery say about us? It'd better be good...

Sam Philip