Everything we stock in black - silicone straights, elbows, reducers, couplers and caps; the fluorolined Fuel & Oil range; rubber radiator, heater, fuel, marine, airline and servo hose; PVC reinforced black hose; silicone air ducting; clips and P-clips; air filters; van lining carpet; and rubber matting.

Discretion. On a factory-look engine bay, a restoration, a commercial vehicle or an industrial installation, a bright blue or red hose looks obviously aftermarket, whereas black reads as original. It also hides dirt and oil staining far better on hoses that get handled.

For the standard silicone range, yes - colour is purely cosmetic and black, blue and red are identical in construction and rating. Some products are black only because their construction is not made in colours: the fluorolined Fuel & Oil range and the Classic Wrapped hose.

Black pigment gives good UV stability, and silicone is inherently ozone and UV resistant so it will not perish the way rubber does. Rubber hoses in the range have ozone-resistant covers for the same reason. None of it should be left permanently in strong sun if that can be avoided.

Only if it is the fluorolined Fuel & Oil range - the colour tells you nothing about the specification. Standard black silicone is exactly the same material as the blue and red and will swell in contact with petrol, diesel and oil. Check the specification on the product page, not the colour.

Black van lining stretch carpet, and rubber matting in 3mm and 5mm with checker plate, circular stud or smooth finishes. Sample packs are available for both, which is worth ordering first - texture and finish are hard to judge from a photograph and these are bought by the roll.