Editing Compact car (section)

== 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 postwar compact car was the 1950 [[Nash Rambler]].<ref>{{cite web|first=Bill |last=McGuire |title=America's First Postwar Compact: The 1950 Nash Rambler |url= https://www.macsmotorcitygarage.com/americas-first-postwar-compact-the-1950-nash-rambler/ |date=5 June 2018 |work= Mac's Motor City Garage |access-date=6 March 2024}}</ref> 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 magazine|title=As the 1950s end, 'one size fits all' strategy gives way to Falcon, other economy cars |last=Kranz |first=Rick |magazine=Automotive News |date=16 June 2003 |pages=176–177}}</ref> By 1955, the Nash Rambler that began as a [[convertible]] model became a success and was now available in [[station wagon]], [[hardtop]], and [[sedan (car)|sedan]] body styles.<ref>{{cite magazine |last1=Donovan |first1=Leo |title=Detroit Listening Post |magazine=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 magazine |last1=Kilpatrick |first1=Bill |title=Maverick versus the mob |magazine=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. 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 late 1970s.

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=== 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]].<ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.motortrend.com/vehicle-genres/amc-gremlin-terrible-cars-that-werent-terrible/ |title=Terrible Cars That Weren't Terrible: The AMC Gremlin |first=Aaron |last=Gold |date=1 June 2020 |work=Motor Trend |access-date=6 March 2024}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url= https://www.hemmings.com/stories/1970-amc-gremlin/ |title=We're Head Over Heels for this, Low-Mile 1970 AMC Gremlin! |first=Eric |last=English |date=4 March 2024 |work=Hemmings |access-date=6 March 2024}}</ref>

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.<ref>{{cite web|url= https://driving.ca/auto-news/news/rearview-mirror-the-fuel-crisis-that-changed-the-industry |title=Rearview Mirror: The fuel crisis that changed the industry |first=Jil |last=McIntosh |date=1 February 2017 |website=driving.ca |access-date=6 March 2024}}</ref>

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>

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