Automotive superlatives include attributes such as the smallest, largest, fastest, lightest, best-selling, and so on.
This list (except for the
firsts section) is limited to automobiles built after World War II, and lists
superlatives for earlier vehicles separately. The list is also limited to production road cars that:
Are constructed principally for retail sale to consumers for personal use transporting people on public roads. No commercial or industrial vehicles are included
Have had 25 or more instances made by the
original vehicle manufacturer offered for sale to the public in new condition (cars modified by either professional tuners or individuals are not eligible)
Are
street-legal in their intended markets and capable of passing any official tests or inspections required to be granted this status
Calendar years rather than "model years" are used except when explicitly marked as otherwise.
Production station wagon – 2,449.5 kg (5,400 lb) – 1973–74 (for the 1974 model year)
Buick Estate and
Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser (with third seat and woodgrain)
Limited production convertible – 4,400 kg (9,700 lb) (armoured) – 1938–1943
Mercedes-Benz 770 W150[4]
Plug-in hybrid – 1,118 kW (1,520 PS; 1,499 bhp) –
Koenigsegg Regera (820 kW (1,115 PS; 1,100 bhp) of combustion engine power on 95 octane
RON (somewhat more on
E85) from a 5,000 cc (305.1 cu in) V8 and 520 kW (707 PS; 697 bhp) of electric propulsion)
Highest power by body style
2-door coupé – 1,471 kW (2,000 PS; 1,973 bhp) – 2020
Lotus Evija; four electric motors
4-door sedan – 761 kW (1,035 PS; 1,021 bhp) – 2022
Tesla Model S Plaid; three electric motors[18]
The following are all vehicles once certified for sale in the United States. Some vehicles from other countries have better fuel economy. Figures (showed in miles per
US gallon units) are based on laboratory estimates, not consumer data.
All-diesel production vehicle – 1984
Nissan Sentra with 41 combined / 37 city / 46 highway.[35]
All-petrol production vehicle – 1986
Chevrolet Sprint ER with 48 combined / 44 city / 53 highway[36]
All natural gas production vehicle – 2012
Honda Civic GX with 31 combined / 27 city / 38 highway[37]
Quickest 0 to 97 km/h (0 to 60 mph) with 1 foot rollout – 1.74 seconds –
Rimac Nevera[53]
Quickest 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) with 1 foot rollout – 1.81 seconds –
Rimac Nevera[53]
Quickest 0 to 161 km/h (0 to 100 mph) with 1 foot rollout – 3.21 seconds –
Rimac Nevera[53]
Quickest 0 to 200 km/h (0 to 124 mph) with 1 foot rollout – 4.42 seconds –
Rimac Nevera[53]
Quickest 0 to 300 km/h (0 to 186 mph) with 1 foot rollout – 9.22 seconds –
Rimac Nevera[53]
Quickest 0 to 400 km/h (0 to 249 mph) with 1 foot rollout – 20.68 seconds –
Koenigsegg Regera (with non-standard Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres)[54]
Mostly full-production vehicles are listed here. Many were preceded by racing-only cars. This list mainly includes developments that led to widespread adoption across the automotive industry.
First integrated car systems control – 1987
Toyota Soarer (Electro Multi Vision)[164]
Climate control
First exhaust system heat – 1917 (???)
First cooling system heat – 1926 (???) (
Cadillac also lists heat as an option for $32 in the 1926 model year although it is not clear what the source is)
First
radio – May 1922
Ford Model T (fitted to the passenger door by 18-year-old George Frost, president of the Lane High School Radio Club in
Chicago)[165]
Least-expensive full-featured automobile – US$300 (equivalent to $5,163 in 2023) – 1926–27 (for the 1927 model year)
Ford Model-T
Fastest pre-war stock production vehicle –
Cord Automobile – 1937
supercharged 812 Beverly sedan 173 km/h (107.66 mph) – September 1937 at the Bonneville Salt Flats
Fastest pre-war limited production vehicle –
Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 – 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 clocked to 211 km/h (131 mph) average at Brooklands Speedway (41 made)
Fastest pre-war vehicle –
Railton Mobil Special – 2-SC Napier Lion V-12 – 595 km/h (369.740 mph) – Driver John Cobb on 23 August 1939 at the Bonneville Salt Flats
Longest pre-war production – 6,096 mm (240.0 in) – 1933–35 (for the 1934–35 model years)
Cadillac V-16
Longest pre-war limited production – 6,400 mm (252.0 in) 1927–33
Bugatti Royale
Longest pre-war production wheelbase – 3,912 mm (154.0 in) – 1933–37 (for the 1934–37 model years)
Cadillac V-16
Longest pre-war limited production wheelbase – 4,572 mm (180.0 in) 1927
Bugatti Royale Prototype
Longest pre-war Production convertible – 6,096 mm (240.0 in) (29 produced) – 1933–1935 (for the 1934–35 model years)
Cadillac V-16
Longest pre-war Production coupe – 6,096 mm (240.0 in) (20 produced) – 1933–1935 (for the 1934–35 model years)
Cadillac V-16
Longest pre-war Limited production convertible – 6,401 mm (252.0 in) – 1932
Bugatti Royale Weinberger
Longest pre-war Limited production coupe – 6,401 mm (252.0 in) – 1931
Bugatti Royale Kellner
^Hull, Peter. "Delahaye: Famous on Road and Race Track", in Ward, Ian, executive editor. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 5, p.523.
^Wise, David Burgess, "De Dion: The Aristocrat and the Toymaker", in Ward, Ian, executive editor. The World of Automobiles (London: Orbis Publishing, 1974), Volume 5, p.514
^
abcd"History of Automobiles and Early Transmissions". National Capital Freenet. Canada. Retrieved 10 October 2016. In 1889, Bernardi started building larger engines. One engine built in 1889 had the following innovations: 1) detachable head, 2) overhead valves actuated by a camshaft and rockers, 3) centrifugal governor on the inlet valve, 4) a constant level carburettor with a float and hand control, 5) filters for air and gas, 6) automatic lubrication of moving parts, 7) cooling by water circulation, 8) a tubular radiator, 9) a silencer, and 10) roller bearings for the transmission and wheel hubs.
^"Archived copy"(PDF). Archived from
the original(PDF) on 30 December 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.{{
cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link) CL-Class press kit
^"Ansaldo "Tipo 22" – 1930". museonicolis.com. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2017. The gear lever is rather singular too: it has a lock with a special security key, one of the first car antitheft devices
Automotive superlatives include attributes such as the smallest, largest, fastest, lightest, best-selling, and so on.
This list (except for the
firsts section) is limited to automobiles built after World War II, and lists
superlatives for earlier vehicles separately. The list is also limited to production road cars that:
Are constructed principally for retail sale to consumers for personal use transporting people on public roads. No commercial or industrial vehicles are included
Have had 25 or more instances made by the
original vehicle manufacturer offered for sale to the public in new condition (cars modified by either professional tuners or individuals are not eligible)
Are
street-legal in their intended markets and capable of passing any official tests or inspections required to be granted this status
Calendar years rather than "model years" are used except when explicitly marked as otherwise.
Production station wagon – 2,449.5 kg (5,400 lb) – 1973–74 (for the 1974 model year)
Buick Estate and
Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser (with third seat and woodgrain)
Limited production convertible – 4,400 kg (9,700 lb) (armoured) – 1938–1943
Mercedes-Benz 770 W150[4]
Plug-in hybrid – 1,118 kW (1,520 PS; 1,499 bhp) –
Koenigsegg Regera (820 kW (1,115 PS; 1,100 bhp) of combustion engine power on 95 octane
RON (somewhat more on
E85) from a 5,000 cc (305.1 cu in) V8 and 520 kW (707 PS; 697 bhp) of electric propulsion)
Highest power by body style
2-door coupé – 1,471 kW (2,000 PS; 1,973 bhp) – 2020
Lotus Evija; four electric motors
4-door sedan – 761 kW (1,035 PS; 1,021 bhp) – 2022
Tesla Model S Plaid; three electric motors[18]
The following are all vehicles once certified for sale in the United States. Some vehicles from other countries have better fuel economy. Figures (showed in miles per
US gallon units) are based on laboratory estimates, not consumer data.
All-diesel production vehicle – 1984
Nissan Sentra with 41 combined / 37 city / 46 highway.[35]
All-petrol production vehicle – 1986
Chevrolet Sprint ER with 48 combined / 44 city / 53 highway[36]
All natural gas production vehicle – 2012
Honda Civic GX with 31 combined / 27 city / 38 highway[37]
Quickest 0 to 97 km/h (0 to 60 mph) with 1 foot rollout – 1.74 seconds –
Rimac Nevera[53]
Quickest 0 to 100 km/h (0 to 62 mph) with 1 foot rollout – 1.81 seconds –
Rimac Nevera[53]
Quickest 0 to 161 km/h (0 to 100 mph) with 1 foot rollout – 3.21 seconds –
Rimac Nevera[53]
Quickest 0 to 200 km/h (0 to 124 mph) with 1 foot rollout – 4.42 seconds –
Rimac Nevera[53]
Quickest 0 to 300 km/h (0 to 186 mph) with 1 foot rollout – 9.22 seconds –
Rimac Nevera[53]
Quickest 0 to 400 km/h (0 to 249 mph) with 1 foot rollout – 20.68 seconds –
Koenigsegg Regera (with non-standard Michelin Pilot Sport Cup 2 R tyres)[54]
Mostly full-production vehicles are listed here. Many were preceded by racing-only cars. This list mainly includes developments that led to widespread adoption across the automotive industry.
First integrated car systems control – 1987
Toyota Soarer (Electro Multi Vision)[164]
Climate control
First exhaust system heat – 1917 (???)
First cooling system heat – 1926 (???) (
Cadillac also lists heat as an option for $32 in the 1926 model year although it is not clear what the source is)
First
radio – May 1922
Ford Model T (fitted to the passenger door by 18-year-old George Frost, president of the Lane High School Radio Club in
Chicago)[165]
Least-expensive full-featured automobile – US$300 (equivalent to $5,163 in 2023) – 1926–27 (for the 1927 model year)
Ford Model-T
Fastest pre-war stock production vehicle –
Cord Automobile – 1937
supercharged 812 Beverly sedan 173 km/h (107.66 mph) – September 1937 at the Bonneville Salt Flats
Fastest pre-war limited production vehicle –
Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 – 1939 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900 clocked to 211 km/h (131 mph) average at Brooklands Speedway (41 made)
Fastest pre-war vehicle –
Railton Mobil Special – 2-SC Napier Lion V-12 – 595 km/h (369.740 mph) – Driver John Cobb on 23 August 1939 at the Bonneville Salt Flats
Longest pre-war production – 6,096 mm (240.0 in) – 1933–35 (for the 1934–35 model years)
Cadillac V-16
Longest pre-war limited production – 6,400 mm (252.0 in) 1927–33
Bugatti Royale
Longest pre-war production wheelbase – 3,912 mm (154.0 in) – 1933–37 (for the 1934–37 model years)
Cadillac V-16
Longest pre-war limited production wheelbase – 4,572 mm (180.0 in) 1927
Bugatti Royale Prototype
Longest pre-war Production convertible – 6,096 mm (240.0 in) (29 produced) – 1933–1935 (for the 1934–35 model years)
Cadillac V-16
Longest pre-war Production coupe – 6,096 mm (240.0 in) (20 produced) – 1933–1935 (for the 1934–35 model years)
Cadillac V-16
Longest pre-war Limited production convertible – 6,401 mm (252.0 in) – 1932
Bugatti Royale Weinberger
Longest pre-war Limited production coupe – 6,401 mm (252.0 in) – 1931
Bugatti Royale Kellner
^Hull, Peter. "Delahaye: Famous on Road and Race Track", in Ward, Ian, executive editor. World of Automobiles (London: Orbis, 1974), Volume 5, p.523.
^Wise, David Burgess, "De Dion: The Aristocrat and the Toymaker", in Ward, Ian, executive editor. The World of Automobiles (London: Orbis Publishing, 1974), Volume 5, p.514
^
abcd"History of Automobiles and Early Transmissions". National Capital Freenet. Canada. Retrieved 10 October 2016. In 1889, Bernardi started building larger engines. One engine built in 1889 had the following innovations: 1) detachable head, 2) overhead valves actuated by a camshaft and rockers, 3) centrifugal governor on the inlet valve, 4) a constant level carburettor with a float and hand control, 5) filters for air and gas, 6) automatic lubrication of moving parts, 7) cooling by water circulation, 8) a tubular radiator, 9) a silencer, and 10) roller bearings for the transmission and wheel hubs.
^"Archived copy"(PDF). Archived from
the original(PDF) on 30 December 2014. Retrieved 11 November 2014.{{
cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (
link) CL-Class press kit
^"Ansaldo "Tipo 22" – 1930". museonicolis.com. 4 February 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2017. The gear lever is rather singular too: it has a lock with a special security key, one of the first car antitheft devices