Tags –
When it comes to cars, there are many factors that people take into consideration when making a purchase: performance, style, comfort, and of course, weight.
The lighter the car, the easier it is to move around and the more fuel-efficient it is.
Over time, the difficulty of producing super-light road vehicles has increased as a result of crash structuring and mandated safety equipment.
Some of the cars on this list come before that, and there are a few of the lightest production vehicles that you wouldn’t want to be in an accident in while driving!
1. 1957–1975 Fiat 500: 500 kg
The excellent little four-seater was Fiat’s adorable small town car before Mini stole the show.
The 500 name is derived from the original 479cc engine being rounded up to 500cc, rather than its 500 kg weight. Where the Mini had twice as much displacement, the Fiat 500 saved weight by having two fewer cylinders in its engine.
It stayed in production until 1976, with over 3.5 million units sold, and it was reborn in 2007, but with all of the features and conveniences we expect now.
2. 1959 Mini 850: 580 kg
The Mini was tiny, fashionable, and fuel-efficient, yet it could accommodate four people inside. It became so popular that a skirt was dubbed after it; however, we’re talking about the Mini since it weighed just 580 kg and had a lively 850-cc four-cylinder engine under the bonnet.
Although the first Mini remained in production until 1968, it gained weight when the British Motor Corporation decided to make it a little more robust and began using thicker steel.
The late 1950s and early 1960s models became popular with individuals wanting to race them, while the following versions became popular with everyone else.
3. 2020 Morgan 3 Wheeler: 524 kg
“The Morgan 3 Wheeler is a rebellion against sanitised, modern motoring,” according to the incredibly unique British company.
Each one is constructed of a handcrafted aluminium body and a tubular steel chassis, as well as a handcrafted ash wood frame.
A lack of a fourth wheel and any passenger seats or amenities, as well as the use of wood and aluminium to build the 3 Wheeler’s structure, help keep the weight down to 524 kg; a car designed to be enjoyed, not raced.
4. 1962 Lotus Elan: 584 kg
In Lotus-built road cars, Colin Chapman‘s idea of performance was based on simplicity and weight reduction, but it had to be reconciled with comfort and convenience; the Lotus Elan became the gold standard for performance.
To achieve its 584 kg weight, this was the first production car to use a steel backbone chassis and a fibreglass body.
The first Elan model ran until 1975, but it quickly began gaining weight as legislation increased and it became more refined.
5. 1986–1998 Citroen AX: 640 kg
The Citroen AX was created to be as fuel-efficient as a city car.
The lightest three-door hatchback design employed plastic panels in non-load bearing regions with careful use of various thicknesses of steel throughout to keep weight to 640 kg.
As time went on and this car developed more options, the AX did get heavier, especially in AX GT guise. Despite this, the AX GT still only came in at 722 kg, with a 1.4-litre engine making 101 horsepower, it was an impressive little hot hatch.
Rounding Up
Weight is the enemy for so many important automotive features like handling and performance – but for these cars above, not so much!
That said, it’s a no brainer – less weight means better efficiency and improved performance.
Want to know more? Get in touch today.
In the meantime, take a look at our Vehicle Weighing Solutions here.
You may also like: