WHITE van man, the driver commonly regarded by others as suffering from every social disability available, is going up in the world.

A report on the attitudes and habits of the men behind the wheels of Britain’s 2.2 million vans says that White Van Man is evolving into Silver Van Man; a driver so proud of his more upmarket vehicle, which could cost as much as £25,485 excluding VAT, that he is turning into a more considerate driver.

According to Peter Marsh of the Social Issues Research Centre, which carried out the survey of van owners and drivers for Renault, Silver Van Man also feels he has more in common with other motorists and drives accordingly.

While most van drivers are aged between 26 and 35, half the drivers of silver vans are aged between 36 and 45. There are also more women driving silver vans; almost 40 per cent in fact, rather than the 15 per cent in white vans.

Readership of broadsheets has doubled, and 2 per cent of the drivers have even taken to playing classical music on their sound systems. More than one in eight (13 per cent) now drinks wine compared to only 7 per cent previously. The proportion who drink beer has fallen from 30 per cent to 23 per cent.

The average age of vans on Britain’s roads is still seven years, but the increase in home deliveries has led to a recent surge in sales of light commercial vehicles, which were up 28 per cent in June.

According to DVLA figures, sales of silver vans have risen by 300 per cent in the past five years. While white is still the most popular colour among new van buyers — 92,000 of the 145,000 registered in the first six months of this year — 11,351 have turned to silver.

Dealers confirm that tradesmen are choosing silver vans rather than white because they want a new level of sophistication in what was once regarded as simply a utilitarian box on wheels.

The items that van drivers are keenest to have as extras include air-conditioning, CD stereo, hands-free mobile phone kits and safety features such as ABS brakes and airbags.

Mr Marsh said: “Our research has shown that White Van Man has evolved rapidly in the past five years. Today’s Silver Van Man has both civility and aspirations.”