Assembling super-light cars is becoming more difficult as the years go by. Companies are focusing less on light road-legal cars because of compulsory safety equipment and crash structuring. While low weight and performance go hand in hand, reasons like fuel economy also contribute to why light cars are made. The smaller the engine capacity the better the fuel economy.
Hence, the main reason companies would try to make a car as lightweight as possible is for motorsports. However, some of these featherlight cars made it on the streets, and they came in the most unusual and varied shapes.
Enthusiasts love these cars either because they're extremely desirable on the collector's market or just make affordable transportation options that aren’t toxic to the environment and require little maintenance.
Well, here is our countdown of the 10 lightest road-legal cars ever made.
10 1964–1968 De Tomaso Vallelunga: 1601 LBS
In 1964, De Tomaso built its first road-going sports car – the De Tomaso Vallelunga. It was named after the Autodromo di Vallelunga racing circuit north of the city of Rome.
This beautiful car was powered by a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine that was mated to a four-speed gearbox. This engine pushed 104 horsepower at 6,200 rpm. The Vallelunga sprinted from 0-60mph in 6.0 seconds with a top speed of 155 mph.
De Tomaso built only 55 units of the Vallelunga. This Italian beauty, powered by a Ford engine, is already known to break banks in auctions.
9 1959 Mini Moke: 1294 LBS
The 1959 Mini 8950 was small, fuel-efficient, and stylish with a capacity of hauling four people. This beauty was assembled from 1959 to 2000. After it debuted in 1959, the Mini 850 was considered to be the second most influential car of the 20th century after the Ford Model T.
Under its hood, an 850cc four-cylinder engine powered this beauty. The first generation of the Mini 850 was in production until 1968, the British motor company started using thicker steel on the later models.
Over 5,387,862 units were sold before the company discontinued the production of the Mini 850 in 2000.
8 1962 Lotus Elan: 1289 LBS
Precise handling, peppy acceleration, and proper handling describe the 1962 Lotus Elan. The Elan is a beautiful rear-wheel-drive two-seater from Britain that's still quite affordable on the used market.
This beauty was Lotus's first production car that had a steel chassis, a fiberglass body, and weighed just about 1289 lbs. The first Elan model ran up to 1975 with only 22 units of the product line were which were fitted with 1.5-liter engines that were lighter. However, Lotus enlarged the engines to 1.6 liters when legislation increased this made the Lotus Elan become heavier.
7 2010 Murray T.25: 1267 LBS
The 2010 Murray T.25 debuted on June 28 2010 at the Smith School’s World Forum on Enterprise and Environment. This car measures just over 9 feet long, 4 feet wide, and 5 feet tall, and weighs a total of 1267 lbs.
The 2010 Murray T.25 features the McLaren F1-seating arrangement and has a 6-meter turning circle.
The T.50 is powered by a 660cc three-Cylinder engine that pushes 51 ponies at 7000 rpm and 42 lb-ft of torque at 4000 rpm. It has a top speed of 90 mph.
6 2006 Caterham Superlight R400: 1258 LBS
The 2006 Caterham Superlight was the first Caterhams model to benefit from the laser cutting and robot welding chassis technology that resulted in the increase of torsion rigidity by 14%.
This beauty was powered by a 2.0-liter Cosworth engine that pushed 210 ponies and 150 lb-ft of torque. The superlight weight of just 1258 lbs results in a power-to-weight ratio of 400 ponies per ton and allows the car to sprint from 0-60mph in 3.6 seconds.
The superlight features included a limited-slip differential, carbon fiber front wings, a wind deflector, and bucket seat arrangement.
5 2020 Caterham Seven: 1190 LBS
Based on Colins Chapman’s Lotus 7, Caterhams cars are always light and nimble. This concept was derived from Chapman’s philosophy that performance is derived from simplicity and reduction of weight.
This beauty was powered by a 1.6 liter naturally aspirated Ford Sigma engine that generated 135 ponies and 122 lb-ft of torque. The Caterham seven’s power to weight ratio was around 250 horsepower per ton. This led it to weigh a total of 1190 lbs with a top speed of 122 mph.
4 2020 Morgan 3-Wheeler: 1157 LBS
Driver involvement, performance, and timelessness are characteristics that the Morgan cars have upheld since 1950. When technology was added to the 2020 Morgan 3-Wheeler, it made it relevant for the 21st century. This beauty is described as a rebellion against sanitized modern motoring.
Every unit of the Morgan 3-Wheeler is assembled using a tubular steel chassis, an aluminum handcrafted body, and an ash-wood frame that ensured this British beauty remains lightweight.
The 2020 Morgan 3-Wheeler is powered by a 1998cc S&S V-Twin engine mated to a 5-speed transmission. This engine pushes 82 ponies at 5,250 rpm. The Morgan sprint from 0-60 mph in 6 seconds. Well, this beauty is to be enjoyed and not raced.
3 1957–1975 Fiat 500: 1100 LBS
Fiat unveiled the fiat 500 in 1957 as the successor of the Topolino 500. This rear-wheel-drive four-seater was produced between 1936 and 1955. It was used to haul passengers in post-war Europe. It derived its name from its original 479cc-engine that was rounded up to 500cc.
This Italian machine was powered by a 479 cc two-cylinder air-cooled engine that mated to a four-speed, non-synchronized manual gearbox. This engine pushed 13 horsepower and 20 lb-ft of torque. The Fiat 500 had a top speed of 53 mph.
2 2012-2020 Renault Twizy: 992 LBS
The Renault Twizy was launched in 2009 at the Frankfurt motor show. This small electric vehicle was designed for urban transportation. Even though the Twizy is more comfortable compared to the scooter, it lacks amenities such as air conditioning for very hot days and rainy days.
In 2012, the Renault Twizy was the top-selling electric vehicle in Europe when it first hit the market. It had a base price of $8,500. The Twizy measures 2.3 meters long and 1.4 meters wide and weighs a mere 992 lbs.
1 1991-1998 LCC Rocket: 839 LBS
The LLC rocket was the lightest car ever made in the world and was limited to only 55 units. It weighed less than the lotus or the Caterham. This lightweight car measures in at 11 feet in length and is just wide enough to fit one brave individual in the driver's seat.
Light Car Company built the LCC rocket as an open, doorless two-seater vehicle that had a motorcycle seating arrangement. It was powered by a 1000cc engine that pushed either 143 horsepower or 165 horsepower. The LCC Rocket sprinted from 0-60mph in 4.4 seconds.