Light car
Encyclopedia
A Light Car is a term used in Great Britain
since the early part of the 20th Century for an automobile
less than 1.5 litres (or about 90 cubic inches) engine
capacity. In modern car classification
this term would be roughly equivalent to a subcompact car. There are numerous Light Car clubs in Britain and Australia.
It goes on to state:
There was a specification for the light car promulgated in 1912 by the ACU
. By which engine capacity was limited to 1500cc.
There used to be a magazine published in Great Britain
by the Temple Press the publishers of the Autocar, magazine. Originally named The Light Car and Cyclecar, and later The Light Car. It was first published in October 1913; it was on sale every Friday and cost 3 old pennies, but it ceased publication many years ago. This magazine covered topics on the range of cars used by the average motorist. This indicates that the term "Light Car", was in popular use. There are various references to quotes from The Light Car and Cyclecar, on the Internet
and in many publications.
today as is "Small car", and "Medium car", also large and luxury cars.
Japan
has a "light car" category of cars for taxation purposes, which relate to very small city car
s or kei car
s.
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
since the early part of the 20th Century for an automobile
Automobile
An automobile, autocar, motor car or car is a wheeled motor vehicle used for transporting passengers, which also carries its own engine or motor...
less than 1.5 litres (or about 90 cubic inches) engine
Internal combustion engine
The internal combustion engine is an engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer in a combustion chamber. In an internal combustion engine, the expansion of the high-temperature and high -pressure gases produced by combustion apply direct force to some component of the engine...
capacity. In modern car classification
Car classification
Cars may be classified by a number of different criteria; however, comprehensive classification is elusive, because a vehicle may fit into multiple categories, or not completely satisfy the requirements for any. This article details the most commonly used systems of classification. Where...
this term would be roughly equivalent to a subcompact car. There are numerous Light Car clubs in Britain and Australia.
History
A paragraph in the Autocar Handbook, sixth edition (1914) states:- "As a matter of fact no definition of a light car exists beyond the fact that the R.A.C. (Royal Automobile ClubRoyal Automobile ClubThe Royal Automobile Club is a private club and is not to be confused with RAC plc, a motorists' organisation, which it formerly owned.It has two club houses, one in London at 89-91 Pall Mall, and the other in the countryside at Woodcote Park, Surrey, next to the City of London Freemen's School...
) has so far limited the size of engine for light cars in trails (an early form of rallyingRallyingRallying, also known as rally racing, is a form of auto racing that takes place on public or private roads with modified production or specially built road-legal cars...
) to 1400cc".
It goes on to state:
- " Nor indeed would it be very easy to devise a definition since there is between the light car and the large car no great gulf fixed, but merely a line of demarcation".
There was a specification for the light car promulgated in 1912 by the ACU
AutoCycle Union
The Auto-Cycle Union is governing body of motorcycle sport in Great Britain . Founded in 1903 and acquiring its current name in 1907 its aim was to develop motor sport through clubs and arrange touring facilities for members...
. By which engine capacity was limited to 1500cc.
There used to be a magazine published in Great Britain
Great Britain
Great Britain or Britain is an island situated to the northwest of Continental Europe. It is the ninth largest island in the world, and the largest European island, as well as the largest of the British Isles...
by the Temple Press the publishers of the Autocar, magazine. Originally named The Light Car and Cyclecar, and later The Light Car. It was first published in October 1913; it was on sale every Friday and cost 3 old pennies, but it ceased publication many years ago. This magazine covered topics on the range of cars used by the average motorist. This indicates that the term "Light Car", was in popular use. There are various references to quotes from The Light Car and Cyclecar, on the Internet
Internet
The Internet is a global system of interconnected computer networks that use the standard Internet protocol suite to serve billions of users worldwide...
and in many publications.
Current usage
The term "Light car", is used in AustraliaAustralia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
today as is "Small car", and "Medium car", also large and luxury cars.
Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
has a "light car" category of cars for taxation purposes, which relate to very small city car
City car
A city car is a small car intended for use primarily in an urban area.City cars are sold worldwide and most automotive industry manufacturers have one or two in their line-up. In North-America city cars are often referred to simply as "subcompacts" alongside the superminis. These kind of cars...
s or kei car
Kei car
Kei cars, K-cars, or , are a Japanese category of small vehicles, including passenger cars, vans, and pickup trucks. They are designed to comply with Japanese government tax and insurance regulations, and in most rural areas are exempted from the requirement to certify that adequate parking is...
s.
See also
- Car classificationCar classificationCars may be classified by a number of different criteria; however, comprehensive classification is elusive, because a vehicle may fit into multiple categories, or not completely satisfy the requirements for any. This article details the most commonly used systems of classification. Where...
- Vehicle size classVehicle size classVehicle size classes are a way of classifying cars. The common North American parlance is word-based, while English-speaking European writers also use words to describe car sizes...
- Subcompact carSubcompact carSubcompact car is a North American term used to describe automobiles whose class size is smaller than that of a compact car, usually not exceeding in length, but larger than a microcar...
- Compact carCompact carA compact car , or small family car , is a classification of cars which are larger than a supermini but smaller than or equal to a mid-size car...
- Mid-size carMid-size carA mid-size car is the North American/Australian standard for an automobile with a size equal to or greater than that of a compact...