Are cars getting heavier? Kerb weight by decade
Beta Median kerb weight of new car generations by the decade production started. Beta: kerb weight is known for only part of our catalog, so every decade rests on a small sample — the table shows how many cars.
Key findings
- Median kerb weight of new car generations: 1,380 kg in the 1950s, 1,863 kg in the 2020s (+35%).
- The lightest decade was the 1960s, with a median of 1,310 kg.
- Beta — small sample: 11–181 generations per decade. We are adding kerb weights to the catalog.
Data table
| Decade | Generations | Median kerb weight | Average kerb weight | Heaviest | Heaviest: car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 17 | 1,380 kg | 1,455 kg | 2,540 kg | Rolls-Royce Phantom V |
| 1960s | 11 | 1,310 kg | 1,293 kg | 1,600 kg | Oldsmobile Hurst/Olds 4-4-2 |
| 1970s | 19 | 1,366 kg | 1,306 kg | 1,957 kg | Chevrolet Caprice II |
| 1980s | 21 | 1,450 kg | 1,508 kg | 3,400 kg | ZIL-41047 |
| 1990s | 36 | 1,464 kg | 1,509 kg | 3,559 kg | Hummer H1 I |
| 2000s | 85 | 1,517 kg | 1,560 kg | 3,000 kg | Hummer H2 I |
| 2010s | 181 | 1,621 kg | 1,689 kg | 3,275 kg | BMW X5 G05 |
| 2020s | 88 | 1,863 kg | 1,866 kg | 2,794 kg | Mercedes-Benz EQS V297 |
Methodology
For each generation we take its heaviest version (kerb weight in kg). Values outside 400–4,500 kg are excluded. Median, average and heaviest are shown per decade.
Passenger cars only: trucks, buses and vans are excluded (the same rule as our rankings).
Decades with fewer than 8 generations are not shown; the table gives the number of generations behind every figure.
Values come from the 1CARS catalog. Part of the specifications are extracted from our articles and not yet checked by an editor; obvious outliers are excluded. Figures describe the cars in our catalog, not the whole market.
Free to reuse under CC BY 4.0: credit “1CARS” and link to this page. License terms.