Most cars made today weigh at least 2000 kg, which explains why today if we look at cars that weigh around 1,102 pounds or 500 kg, we’ll find that most of them are older model vehicles.
We’re looking at some of the lightest-weight cars that have ever been in production — seven cars that weigh around 500 kg. We should note that most of these models are not on the market today.
1. 2020 Caterham Seven — 500 kg
The Caterham Seven is a long and narrow car. Although it’s one of the few modern cars we’ll talk about today, it has a 1970s look.
With features like round headlamps, a large grill, the “7” logo in the middle, and roofless, it looks like a machine from a different time in history.
The front wheels sit out, and there’s a long exhaust pipe that runs down the side of the vehicle. The creator of this vehicle (Colin Chapman) boasts simplicity.
2. 1964 – 1968 De Tomaso Vallelunga — 500 kg
The De Tomaso Vallelunga is a mid-engine sports car produced from 1964 to 1967. They sold until 1968. A racecar enthusiast himself Alejandro De Tomaso named this car after one of his favorite racecourses in Italy.
He got his start making Formula One cars in the late 1950s. The Vallelunga was the first road-going vehicle he produced.
The Vallelunga is powered by a Ford engine and has a 1.5-liter four-cylinder engine. It hit 0-60 in 6 seconds and had a top speed of 115mph. Only 55 of these cars were ever built and are money makers at auctions.
3. 1957 – 1975 Fiat 500 — 500 kg
You may be familiar with the Fiat 500 of 2007. That was manufactured as a 50th-anniversary item from the date of the first launch of the Fiat 500. Although inspired by the 1950s model, the 2007 Fiat 500 is considerably heavier and larger than the earlier model.
In 1957, the Nuova 500 was launched measuring only 2.97 meters (9 feet 9 inches) long and originally powered by an appropriately sized 479 cc two-cylinder, air-cooled engine. It redefined the term “small car” and is considered one of the first city cars.
4. 1962 Lotus Elan — 584 kg
Now, this is a true classic. The Lotus Elan was the mother of all sports cars. It had precision handling, peppy acceleration, and the ability for the driver to feel like he was in control of what was going on.
There were other spin-offs from this that you may be more familiar with, the Alfa Romeo and the Mazda MX-F Miata, to be exact. The Lotus Elan lasted for 13 years before it was resurrected in 1989 with the Elan M100. Unfortunately, it was not as popular as its predecessor and only lasted seven years.
5. 1959 Mini 850 — 580 kg
The Mini is a small economy car produced by the English-based British Motor Corporation (BMC) and its successors from 1959 until 2000. In 1999, it was voted the second most influential car of the 20th century, behind the Ford Model T, and ahead of the Volkswagen Beetle.
The Mini Mark I had three major UK updates – the Mark II, the Clubman, and the Mark III. The performance versions, the Mini Cooper and Cooper “S” were successful as both race and rally cars, winning the Monte Carlo Rally in 1964, 1965, and 1967. The car is known as the “classic mini” to distinguish it from the modern versions.
6. 2020 Morgan 3-Wheeler — 524 kg
This car is the second of our more modern cars listed today. The 3-Wheeler features an entirely hand-crafted aluminum body coach that is built over a wooden structure made from ash.
The body is styled to evoke the same design features as the original 1920s vehicles. Its centerpiece is a 1998cc S&S V-Twin engine which helps to propel the vehicle from 0-62 mph in 6 seconds.
7. 2012 – 2020 Renault Twizy — 450 kg
The Renault Twizy is a two-seat microcar that was designed and marketed by Renault. It debuted as a concept car at the 2009 Frankfurt Motor Show and was designed by Francoise Leboinne and Luciana Bove.
The Twizy was the top-selling plug-in electric vehicle in Europe during 2012. Global cumulative sales totaled 29,118 units through December 2019, with Europe being its main market.
