Cool car facts for your next trivia night

Do you know how many surfboards you can possibly fit on a car? Or the record for the most people in a MINI? We’ve got all the quirky car facts you could ever need for trivia night, right here.

1: What are the most common car colours?

Globally, greyscale colours (white, black, grey and silver) account for around 70% of all cars being produced and in New Zealand they’re the most popular colours too.

2: What is the fastest speed ever reached by a car?

According to the Guinness World Records, the official land-speed record is 1,227.985 km/h, set in 1997 by Andy Green from the UK in the Black Rock Desert, Nevada. His Thrust SSC car was powered by two Rolls-Royce Spey 202 jet engines which generate 222 kN (50,000 lb) of thrust.

3: What is the average lifespan of a car?

Probably more than you think – the latest New Zealand Transport Agency statistics showed it as 14 years in 2015, up from around 11.5 back in 2000.

4: The first cars did not have a steering wheel. What do you think was used instead?

The first cars actually used a lever, not a steering wheel. It wasn't until 1894 that a racing car company incorporated a wheel instead of a lever.

5: When was the first car radio invented?

In 1929. Motorola offered one of the first car radios, which retailed for about $110 US. With inflation taken into account, that translates to a price tag of about $1,621 US today (approximately $2,461 NZD).

6: How many surfboards can you fit on a car?

The record was set in 1998 by a group of Californian surfers who successfully stacked 282 surfboards on top of a Humvee and drove a very short distance of just over 30 metres.

7: How fast can you change a car tyre?

The fastest time to change all four wheels on a road car is 58.43 seconds. This was achieved by Reifen Umert in Germany in 2015.

8: What is the top selling car brand in NZ?

According to the Motor Industry Association, Toyota is our top selling car brand.

9: Most popular car in the world?

According to Forbes, the Toyota Corolla has become the best-selling car in the world, since it was first produced in 1966.

10: How many people can you fit in a mini?

The most people crammed into a new model Mini is 29. This record was set in China in 2014. The most people crammed into a large car is 41 and this happened in Russia in 2015 in a Toyota Rav4.

11: Which popular song was dedicated to Kiwi roadie Greg Carroll?

U2’s One Tree Hill. Kiwi roadie, Greg Carroll died in a motorcycle accident in Ireland, which devastated the band. The track was written in his memory, reflecting Bono’s thoughts during his first night in New Zealand on tour in 1984 when Carroll took him up Auckland's One Tree Hill.

12: How much tax do you pay on petrol?

At the moment, 67 cents per litre is collected by the government in fixed excise tax (excluding GST), although this is likely to increase in the next few years. In addition, a GST of 15% is collected on the overall price of fuel.

13: How many times can you lift a car?

The greatest number of times the rear of a car has been lifted clear off the ground in one hour is 580. Mark Anglesea from the UK holds the record, set in 1998. The car was a Rover Mini Metro, weighing 810kg.

14: How far can a solar-powered car go?

The longest car journey made using solar energy is 29,753 km, with a German team travelling around the world from Australia and back again in 2012. They spent 168 days driving and eight days solely recharging the vehicle.