New cars registered between March and August will retain £300 more over three years than those bought at any other time of the year.

Research by EurotaxGlass’s of more than 100,000 trade values shows that the owner of a three-year-old car registered during that period would be offered £300 more in part-exchange than someone trading-in a similar car registered between September and February.

Adrian Rushmore, managing editor at EurotaxGlass’s, said: “Used car buyers remain willing to pay more for the most up-to-date registration plate available within their budget, but dealers consistently report a price premium for the March to August plate (ie 02, 03, 04, etc) series because people find it much easier to identify the age of the car.

“In the typical year, sales during the period September to February usually account for around 45% of total annual registrations, so these weaker residual values are affecting a very significant number of used cars.”