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'{{short description|Cars that are larger than a subcompact car but smaller than a mid-size car}} {{Globalize|1=article|2=US|3=Japan|date=October 2020}} {{multiple image | align = right | direction = vertical | width = 250 | image1 = 2011 Hyundai Elantra GLS -- 06-02-2011 2.jpg | caption1 = [[Hyundai Elantra]] <br/> (1990–present) | image2 = 2020 Volkswagen Golf Style 1.5 Front.jpg | caption2 = [[Volkswagen Golf]] <br/> (1974–present) | total_width = | alt1 = }} '''Compact car''' is a [[vehicle size class]]—predominantly used in North America—that sits between [[subcompact car]]s and [[mid-size car]]s. "Small family car" is a British term and a part of the [[C-segment]] in the European car classification. However, prior to the downsizing of the United States car industry in the 1970s and 1980s, larger vehicles with wheelbases up to {{convert|110|in|m|sigfig=3|abbr=on}} were considered "compact cars" in the United States. In Japan, '''small size passenger vehicle''' is a registration category that sits between [[kei car]]s and regular cars, based on overall size and engine displacement limits. == United States == === Current definition === The [[United States Environmental Protection Agency]] (EPA) ''Fuel Economy Regulations for 1977 and Later Model Year'' (dated July 1996) includes definitions for classes of automobiles.<ref>{{cite web|title=Code of Federal Regulations Sec. 600.315 - 82 Classes of comparable automobiles|url= http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/granule/CFR-1996-title40-vol16/CFR-1996-title40-vol16-sec600-315 |publisher=U.S. Government Publishing Office |date=1 July 1996 |access-date=7 February 2016 |page= 733}}</ref> Based on the combined passenger and [[cargo]] volume, compact cars are defined as having an ''interior volume index'' of {{convert|100|-|109|cuft|m3|1|abbr=on}}.<ref>{{cite web |url= http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/info.shtml#sizeclasses |title=FAQ - How are vehicle size classes defined? |website=fueleconomy.gov |access-date=5 January 2019 }}</ref> === 1930s to 1950s === [[File:1950-52 Nash Rambler conv.jpg|thumb|1952 [[Nash Rambler]] 2-door station wagon used until 1955, began 1950]] The beginnings of U.S. production of compact cars were the late 1940s prototypes of economy cars, including the Chevrolet Cadet and the Ford Light Car.<ref name="Stevenson">{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=FGU5qHJY-y4C&q=Americans+did+not+take+easily+to+small+cars.+The+pre-war+Austin+Seven-based+Bantam+was+not+a+success,+and+the+postwar+Crosley+enjoyed+only+a+brief+vogue+in+the+late+1940s+before+extinction+in+1952&pg=PA214 |page=214 |title=American Automobile Advertising, 1930-1980: An Illustrated History |first=Heon |last=Stevenson |publisher=McFarland |year=2008 |isbn=9780786436859 |access-date=7 February 2016}}</ref>{{refpage|page=214}} Neither car reached production in the U.S., however [[Ford SAF]] in France bought the plans of the "small Ford" and produced the [[Ford Vedette]].<ref name="Stevenson"/>{{refpage|page=214}} The first U.S produced compact car was the 1950 [[Nash Rambler]]. It was built on a {{convert|100|in|mm|0|adj=on}} wheelbase, which was nonetheless still a large car by contemporary European standards.<ref name="Stevenson"/>{{refpage|page=214}} The term "compact" was coined by a Nash executive as a euphemism for small cars with a wheelbase of {{convert|110|in|mm|0}} or less.<ref>{{cite book |last=McCarthy |first=Tom |title=Auto Mania: Cars, Consumers, and the Environment |publisher=Yale University Press |year=2007 |page=144 |isbn=978030011038-8 }}</ref><ref>{{cite book |title=Ward's automotive yearbook |publisher=Ward's Communications |location=Detroit |volume=22 |year=1960 |page=92 }}</ref> It established a new market segment and the U.S. automobile industry soon adopted the "compact" term.<ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=__JhCAAAQBAJ&q=Back+in+the+1950s,+the+Nash+Rambler+was+America's+first+small+car&pg=PT126 |title=In Search of the Obvious: The Antidote for Today's Marketing Mess |first=Jack |last=Trout |publisher=Wiley |year=2008 |isbn=9780470288597 |access-date=7 February 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|url= https://books.google.com/books?id=GW6jLldHjqsC&q=It+was+America's+first+compact+car,+and+to+get+a+name+for+it,+the+company+reached+back+almost+fifty+years+into+its+own+history.+1950+Nash+Rambler+was+a+historic+car+on+two+counts:+its+ancestry+and+its+small+size |page=115 |title=Car of the year, 1895-1970: a 75-year parade of American automobiles that made news |first=Henry Bolles |last=Lent |publisher=Dutton |year=1974 |isbn=9780525274513 |access-date=7 February 2016}}</ref> Several competitors to the Nash Rambler arose from the ranks of America's other independent automakers, although none enjoyed the long-term success of the Rambler. Other early compact cars included the [[Henry J|Kaiser-Frazer Henry J]] (also re-badged as the [[Allstate (automobile)|Allstate]]), the [[Willys Aero]] and the [[Hudson Jet]].<ref>{{cite web |last1=Nelson |first1=Jeff |title=Automotive History: The First Wave Compacts – The Pioneers Take The Arrows |url= http://www.curbsideclassic.com/automotive-histories/automotive-history-the-first-wave-compacts-the-pioneers-take-the-arrows/ |website=curbsideclassic.com |date=29 September 2011 |access-date=22 January 2019}}</ref> In 1954, 64,500 cars sold in the U.S. were imports or small American cars, out of a total market of five million cars. Market research indicated that five percent of those surveyed said they would consider a small car, suggesting a potential market size of 275,000 cars.<ref name=Kranz>{{cite journal|title=As the 1950s end, 'one size fits all' strategy gives way to Falcon, other economy cars |last=Kranz |first=Rick |journal=Automotive News |date=16 June 2003 |pages=176–177}}</ref> By 1955, the Nash Rambler that began as a sideline [[convertible]] model became a success and was now available in [[station wagon]], [[hardtop]], and [[sedan (car)|sedan]] body styles.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Donovan |first1=Leo |title=Detroit Listening Post |journal=Popular Mechanics |date=June 1955 |volume=103 |issue=6 |page=92 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Bd0DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA92 |access-date=12 January 2019}}</ref> During the [[Recession of 1958]], the only exception to the sales decline was American Motors with its compact, economy-oriented Ramblers that saw high demand among cautious consumers.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Gunn |first1=Malcolm |title=Today's compact cars trace roots to AMC's Rambler |url= https://www.newsday.com/classifieds/cars/american-motor-corp-s-rambler-predated-today-s-popular-compact-cars-1.4708103 |website=Newsday |date=26 February 2013 |access-date=12 January 2019}}</ref> By 1959, sales of small imported cars also increased to 14% of the U.S. passenger car market, as consumers turned to compact cars.<ref>{{cite book |last=McCarthy |first=Tom |title=Auto Mania: Cars, Consumers, and the Environment |date=2007 |publisher=Yale University Press |isbn=9780300110388 |page=144 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=Gr0nTRhwPJcC&pg=PA144 |access-date=12 January 2019}}</ref> By this time, smaller cars appealed to people with a college education and a higher income whose families were buying more than one car. Customers expected compact cars to provide improved fuel economy compared to full-sized cars, while maintaining headroom, legroom, and plenty of trunk space.<ref name=Kranz/> Between 1958 and 1960, the major U.S. car manufacturers made a push toward compact cars, resulting in the introduction of the [[Studebaker Lark]], [[Chevrolet Corvair]], [[Ford Falcon (North American)|Ford Falcon]], and [[Plymouth Valiant]].<ref>{{cite web |title=The New Compact Cars of the 1960s: Suddenly, Small Is In |url= https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/2018/06/new-compact-cars-1960s-suddenly-small/ |website=saturdayeveningpost.com |date= 4 June 2018 |access-date=22 January 2019}}</ref> These models also gave rise to [[compact van]]s built on the compact car platforms, such as the Studebaker Zip Van,<ref>{{cite web |title=Sit or Stand: Rare 1963 First-Year Studebaker Zip Van |url=https://bringatrailer.com/2018/10/06/sit-or-stand-rare-1963-studebaker-zip-van/ |website=bringatrailer.com |access-date=19 January 2019 |date=6 October 2018}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah: 1963 Studebaker USPS Zip Van |url= https://barnfinds.com/1963-studebaker-zip-van/ |website=barnfinds.com/ |access-date=19 January 2019 |date=15 June 2016}}</ref> [[Chevrolet Greenbrier|Chevrolet Corvair Greenbrier]], [[Ford E-Series#First generation_(1961–1967)|Ford Econoline]], and [[Dodge A100]]. === 1960s === [[File:1964 Corvair Monza.jpg|thumb|1964 [[Chevrolet Corvair]] Monza 900 convertible, used until 1969, began 1960]] During the 1960s, compacts were the smallest class of North American cars, but they had evolved into only slightly smaller versions of the 6-cylinder or V8-powered six-passenger sedan. They were much larger than compacts (and sometimes even mid-sizers) by European manufacturers,<ref>{{cite web |title=20 Most Interesting Classic American Compact Cars Ever Made |url=https://motor-junkie.com/20-most-interesting-classic-american-compact-cars-ever-made/8289/ |website=motor-junkie.com |access-date=22 January 2019 |date=14 October 2018}}</ref> which were typically five-passenger four-cylinder engine cars. Nevertheless, advertising and road tests for the [[Ford Maverick (Americas)|Ford Maverick]] and the [[Rambler American]] made comparisons with the popular [[Volkswagen Beetle]].<ref>{{cite web |title=1970 Gremlin vs VW folder |url= http://oldcarbrochures.org/United%20States/AMC/1970_AMC/1970%20Gremlin%20vs%20VW%20Folder/index.html |website=oldcarbrochures.org |access-date=16 November 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last=Ernst |first=Kurt |title="What's wrong with this picture?" The AMC Gremlin takes on the VW Beetle |url= https://www.hemmings.com/blog/2013/05/21/whats-wrong-with-this-picture-the-amc-gremlin-takes-on-the-vw-beetle/ |website=hemmings.com |access-date=23 January 2019 |date=21 May 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite journal |last1=Kilpatrick |first1=Bill |title=Maverick versus the mob |journal=Popular Mechanics |date=August 1969 |volume=132 |issue=2 |pages=73–77, 196 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=69cDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA73 |access-date=23 January 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |last1=Phillips |first1=David |title=AMC launches Gremlin in U.S. |url= https://www.autonews.com/article/20180403/CCHISTORY/180409897/amc-launches-gremlin-in-u-s |website=Automotive News |access-date=23 January 2019 |date=3 April 2018}}</ref> Compact cars were also the basis for a new small car segment that became known as the [[pony car]], named after the [[Ford Mustang]], which was built on the Falcon chassis. At that time, there was a distinct difference in size between compact and full-size models, and early definitions of vehicle size class were based on wheelbase, with models under 111 inches as compact, 111 to 118 inches intermediate, and over 118 inches as full size,{{citation needed|date=June 2019}} at least until EPA classes based on interior volume of the passenger and cargo compartments were introduced in the later 1970s. parking meter {{clear right}} === 1970s === {{multiple image | align = right | direction = vertical | image1 = 1978 AMC Concord DL 4-door sedan beige.jpg | caption1 = [[AMC Concord]] (1977–1983) luxury compact<ref>{{cite book |last1=Foster |first1=Patrick R. |title=American Motors Corporation: The Rise and Fall of America's Last Independent Automaker |date=2013 |publisher=Motorbooks |isbn=9780760344255 |page=163 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=CyBFAgAAQBAJ&pg=PA163 |access-date=12 January 2019}}</ref> | image2 = Ford Fairmont sedan 2.jpg | caption2 = [[Ford Fairmont]] (1977–1983) }} {{refimprove section|small=yes |date=January 2019}} In the early 1970s, the domestic [[automaker]]s introduced even smaller [[subcompact car]]s that included the [[AMC Gremlin]], [[Chevrolet Vega]], and [[Ford Pinto]]. In 1973, the [[1973 oil crisis|Energy Crisis]] started, which made small fuel-efficient cars more desirable, and the North American driver began exchanging their large cars for the smaller, imported compacts that cost less to fill up and were inexpensive to maintain. The 1977 model year marked the beginning of a [[Downsize (automobile)|downsizing]] of all vehicles, so that cars such as the [[AMC Concord]] and the [[Ford Fairmont]] that replaced the compacts were re-classified as mid-size, while cars inheriting the size of the [[Ford Pinto]] and [[Chevrolet Vega]] (such as the [[Ford Escort (North America)|Ford Escort]] and [[Chevrolet Cavalier]]) became classified as compact cars. Even after the reclassification, mid-size American cars were still far larger than mid-size cars from other countries and were more similar in size to cars classified as "large cars" in Europe. It would not be until the 1980s that American cars were being downsized to truly international dimensions. === 1980s to present === [[File:Tempo 06-20-2019.jpg|alt=1988–1991 Ford Tempo|thumb|[[Ford Tempo]] (1988–1991)]] [[File:Dodge Dart 2.0 Rallye 2014 (14217526095).jpg |thumb|right|[[Dodge Dart (PF)|Dodge Dart]] (2013–2016)]] {{expand section|date=January 2019}} In the 1985 model year, compact cars classified by the EPA included Ford's Escort and Tempo as well as the Chevrolet Cavalier. For the 2019 model year, the best sellers were the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic.<ref>{{cite web |title=Gas Mileage of 1985 Compact Cars |url= https://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/byclass/Compact_Cars1985.shtml |website=fueleconomy.gov |access-date=12 January 2019}}</ref> {{clear right}} == Japan == {{refimprove section |date= January 2019}} {{multiple image | align = right | direction = vertical | image1 = 2018 Toyota Corolla (MZEA12R) Ascent Sport hatchback (2018-11-02) 01.jpg | caption1 = 1966–present [[Toyota Corolla]] | image2 = 2019 Mazda3 SE-L 2.0 Front.jpg | caption2 = 2003–present [[Mazda3]] }} === Definition === In Japan, vehicles that are larger than [[kei car]]s, but with dimensions smaller than {{convert|4700|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} long, {{convert|1700|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} wide, {{convert|2000|mm|in|1|abbr=on}} high and with engines at or under {{convert|2000|cc|abbr=on}} are classified as "small size" cars. Small size cars are identified by a licence plate number beginning with "5". In the past, the small size category has received tax benefits stipulated by the [[Vehicle size class#Japan|Japanese government regulations]], such as those in the [[:ja:道路運送車両法|1951 Road Vehicle Act]].<ref>{{cite web |url= http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/S26/S26HO185.html |title=Road Vehicle Act of 1951 |language=ja |website=law.e-gov.go.jp |access-date=7 February 2016 |url-status=dead |archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20110904053631/http://law.e-gov.go.jp/htmldata/S26/S26HO185.html |archive-date=4 September 2011}}</ref> === 1950s and 1960s === In 1955, the Japanese [[Ministry of International Trade and Industry]] set forth a goal to all Japanese makers at that time to create what was called a "national car". The concept stipulated that the vehicle be able to maintain a maximum speed over 100&nbsp;km/h (62&nbsp;mph), weigh below 400&nbsp;kg (882&nbsp;lbs), fuel consumption at {{convert|30|km/L|abbr=on}} or more, at an average speed of 60&nbsp;km/h (37&nbsp;mph) on a level road, and not require maintenance or significant service for at least {{convert|100,000|km|mi|abbr=on}}. This established a "compact car" target that was larger than what has become known as the "light car" or the [[kei car]]. One of the first compact cars that met those requirements was the [[Toyota Publica]] with an air-cooled two-cylinder opposed engine, the [[Nissan Bluebird#110 series|Datsun 110 series]], and the [[Mitsubishi 500]]. The Publica and the Mitsubishi 500 were essentially "kei cars" with engines larger than regulations permitted at the time, while the Datsun was an all-new vehicle. These vehicles were followed by the [[Hino Contessa]] in 1961, the [[Isuzu Bellett]], [[Daihatsu Compagno]] and [[Mazda Familia]] in 1963, the [[Mitsubishi Colt]] in 1965, and the [[Nissan Sunny]], [[Subaru 1000]], and [[Toyota Corolla]] in 1966. Honda introduced its first four-door sedan in 1969, called the [[Honda 1300]]. In North America, these cars were classified as [[subcompact car]]s. === 1970s to present === By 1970, Nissan released its first front-wheel-drive car that was originally developed by [[Prince Motor Company]] which had merged with Nissan in 1966. This was introduced in 1970 as the [[Nissan Cherry]]. In 1972, the [[Honda Civic (first generation)|Honda Civic]] appeared with the [[CVCC]] engine that was able to meet California emission standards without the use of a [[catalytic converter]]. == See also == {{Div col|colwidth=22em}} * [[Vehicle size class]] * [[Compact MPV]] * [[Compact sport utility vehicle|Compact SUV]] * [[Economy car]] * [[Hot hatch]] * [[Minivan]] * [[Sport compact]] * [[Supermini|Supermini car]] * [[Compact executive car]] {{div col end}} == References == {{reflist|colwidth=30em}} == External links == * [http://www.fueleconomy.gov/feg/info.shtml#sizeclasses Official US government car size class definitions] {{Automobile configuration}} {{Automobile classification}} {{Authority control}} [[Category:Car classifications]] [[Category:Compact cars| ]]'