What year was the last carbureted engine made?
The last mass‑produced carbureted engines for passenger cars in the United States were produced around model year 1990, with electronic fuel injection (EFI) becoming the standard by 1990–1991. In other regions, carburetors lingered on some budget or niche models into the mid to late 1990s, but widespread use in new cars ended in the early 1990s.
Carburetors mix air and fuel before it enters the engine, and the shift to EFI was driven by tighter emissions rules, improved performance, and better fuel economy. The precise “last year” depends on what you count (mass‑market cars, trucks, or regional exceptions). This article concentrates on automotive engines for passenger cars and light trucks, while noting that non‑automotive uses and regional variations can extend carburetor use beyond the automotive mainstream.
Defining the end of the carburetor era
To understand the timing, it helps to define what counts as a “carbureted engine.” Most people mean engines in new passenger cars and light trucks; others count carbureted engines used in boats, lawn equipment, or older stock vehicles. The timeline below focuses on automotive production but acknowledges regional differences that slowed or extended the transition in some markets.
Key factors shaping the timeline
Fuel‑injection adoption hinged on cost, regulatory pressure, and consumer demand for better emissions and efficiency. The following timeline summarizes the general arc from widespread carburetors to near disappearance in new cars.
Before the list paragraph explains the forthcoming items.
- 1980s: Electronic fuel injection (EFI) becomes the norm on most new passenger cars in the United States and Western Europe; carburetors remain on a minority of lower‑cost or older designs.
- 1990: For mass‑market U.S. passenger cars, the transition to EFI is effectively complete; new cars predominantly use fuel injection rather than carburetors.
- Early to mid‑1990s: A small number of regions and budget models outside the U.S. still ship with carbureted engines, though these are becoming rare.
- Late 1990s onward: Carburetors in new light vehicles become extremely uncommon; most remaining carburetors are found in niche applications, non‑road equipment, or legacy stock in some markets.
Concluding paragraph: By the turn of the millennium, the automotive industry had largely retired the carburetor from new passenger cars in most parts of the world. Carburetors persisted primarily in non‑road contexts and in very limited regional markets for some time thereafter.
Global context and regional variations
While the United States and Western Europe moved away from carburetors in the early 1990s, some regions in Asia, Africa, and Latin America adopted EFI more slowly due to cost and infrastructure. In these markets, carbureted engines could linger on low‑cost vehicles or in regions with limited distributor networks for fuel‑injection systems into the mid‑ to late‑1990s, and in rare cases beyond. Today, carburetors are overwhelmingly found in non‑automotive engines (small engines, boats, motorcycles) rather than new cars.
Summary paragraph: The broadly accepted end of the carburetor era in mass‑production automobiles is around 1990–1991 in the United States, with limited regional exceptions stretching into the mid‑1990s. Today, carburetors survive mainly in non‑automotive engines and in very small, niche medical or rural markets, rather than in new passenger cars.
Summary
In short, the last carbureted engines used in new passenger cars were produced around 1990, with EFI fully dominating by 1991 in most Western markets. Some regions and specialized models continued with carburetors into the mid‑to‑late 1990s, but the carburetor’s role in modern automotive engineering effectively ended at the turn of the decade. For non‑car automotive uses, carburetors persist in limited circumstances to this day.
What was the last car to have a carburetor in the US?
1994 Isuzu Pickup
So there you have it. The 1994 Isuzu Pickup with a base engine was the last carbed passenger motor vehicle sold new on U.S. soil. Automakers may have been nudged into fuel injection by California's rigid emissions monitoring and nationwide OBD-II requirements, but the change was indisputably for the better.
When was the last carburetor made?
Cars stopped using carburetors in the early 1990s, as electronic fuel injection (EFI) became standard to meet stricter emissions and fuel efficiency regulations. The transition was gradual, but by the mid-1980s, most new cars were using fuel injection, with only a few low-cost or base models using carburetors until the mid-1990s. The last new car sold with a carburetor in the U.S. was a 1994 Isuzu pickup truck.
Timeline of the transition
- Mid-1980s: The shift to EFI began in earnest, driven by emissions control requirements, particularly the three-way catalytic converter, and the need for better fuel economy. Many manufacturers started equipping high-end cars with fuel injection first.
- Late 1980s: Carburetors were increasingly relegated to the cheapest economy cars.
- Early 1990s: Carburetors were almost completely phased out of new passenger cars.
- 1994: The last vehicle sold in the U.S. with a carburetor was the Isuzu Pickup truck.
- 1996: The mandatory adoption of the OBD-II standard in the U.S. made carburetors incompatible with the required engine control systems, solidifying the transition to fuel injection.
When did they stop making carbureted engines?
Most car and light truck manufacturers stopped using carbureted engines in the late 1980s and early 1990s, with the final new models sold in the U.S. being a few 1991 and 1994 vehicles. The transition to fuel injection was primarily driven by the need for better fuel efficiency and emissions control to meet stricter environmental regulations.
Last carbureted vehicles in the U.S.
- 1991: The Ford LTD Crown Victoria with the 5.8-liter V8 engine and the Jeep Grand Wagoneer were the last passenger vehicles sold with carburetors.
- 1994: The final model of a light truck with a carburetor was the Isuzu F-series (Fasted).
Reasons for the change
- Emissions control: Carburetors were less effective at controlling emissions than fuel injection, which can precisely manage the air-fuel mixture.
- Fuel efficiency: Fuel injection provides a more consistent and optimal air-fuel ratio, leading to better fuel economy.
- Performance: Fuel injection offers more consistent performance and eliminates issues like pre-ignition.
Continued use
- Carburetors are still used today in some smaller engines for applications like lawnmowers, generators, and certain motorcycles.
- They are also still widely used in many piston-engine aircraft.
What was the last carbureted vehicle made?
The Final Family Sedan Sold With A Carburetor In The US
While the 1994 Isuzu Faster was the final model sold in the US with a carburetor full-stop, the last passenger sedan to be sold with a carb was the 1991 Ford LTD Crown Victoria.
