Average engine size by decade: the downsizing story
Displacement of the largest and the smallest engine offered in new car generations, by the decade production started, and how many generations made do with engines under 2.0 litres. The 1950s–70s figures lean on the many American V8 cars in our catalog.
Key findings
- The median largest engine peaked at 6.4 litres in the 1960s and is 3.0 litres in the 2020s.
- The median smallest engine on offer went from 4.9 litres (1960s) to 2.4 litres (2020s).
- 28.2% of 2020s generations come only with engines under 2.0 litres, against 23.5% in the 1950s.
Data table
| Decade | Generations | Largest engine, median | Smallest engine, median | Only engines under 2.0 l | Biggest engine | Biggest engine: car |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 51 | 3.5 l | 3.5 l | 23.5% | 7,045 cc | Ford Thunderbird II |
| 1960s | 95 | 6.4 l | 4.9 l | 21.1% | 7,536 cc | Ford Ranchero VI |
| 1970s | 69 | 5.0 l | 3.5 l | 27.5% | 7,538 cc | Ford Elite |
| 1980s | 57 | 2.8 l | 2.3 l | 28.1% | 7,700 cc | ZIL-41047 |
| 1990s | 93 | 2.9 l | 2.5 l | 22.6% | 7,990 cc | Dodge Viper SR I |
| 2000s | 170 | 3.7 l | 2.9 l | 17.6% | 8,382 cc | Dodge Viper ZB II |
| 2010s | 289 | 2.5 l | 2.0 l | 30.1% | 9,045 cc | Trion Nemesis I |
| 2020s | 78 | 3.0 l | 2.4 l | 28.2% | 8,000 cc | Bugatti Mistral I |
Methodology
For each generation we take the largest and the smallest combustion engine (petrol, diesel or hybrid) from its versions, in cubic centimetres. The table shows the median of both and the share of generations whose largest engine is under 2.0 litres. Values outside 300–15,000 cc are excluded.
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.