Tata Motors marketed the 2008 Tata Nano as the world’s least expensive new car.
The Nano was unveiled at the 2008 Auto Expo in New Delhi and was designed to make car ownership more accessible in India. Tata announced an introductory price of 100,000 Indian rupees before taxes and transport costs, a figure that made the model internationally famous.
To reach its target price, the Nano used a compact rear-engine layout, a small two-cylinder petrol engine and a deliberately simple specification. Cost-saving measures included limited equipment and lightweight construction. Production later moved from Singur to Sanand after a dispute over the original factory site.
The “world’s cheapest car” label refers to its announced introductory price, not necessarily the final on-road cost paid by every customer. Sales never reached the levels Tata hoped, and production ended in 2018. Even so, the Nano remains a notable experiment in ultra-low-cost car design.