How much to build a car from the ground up?

Answer 1

If you want to design, test, prototype, then manufacture a new car to sell on the market which meets government requirements, several hundred million given that you are starting from scratch. This is where current manufacturers have the advantage as they have the tools, materials, staff, etc. in place which reduces the initial cost of design.

If you want to build a new car with parts from the dealership, plan on spending about 3 to 5 times what the car sells for new.

If you would like to build a kit car from the ground up with all new parts and you are willing to perform the work yourself (maybe farming out the paint work to an inexpensive shop), $17k or so. This can ramp up quickly depending on how fancy you want your car and if you want a professional paint job.

If you are willing to build a basic kit car with new and used parts, a friend built an American based car for around $13k.

Finally, if you are willing to build a VW based kit car and use the gel-coated fiberglass finish, you can probably build one for around $8k.

Answer 2

There are so many choices it is hard to say.
1. From a pile of tubing and sheet steel - most of the cost is labor, pounding the steel into shape. Fiberglass makes the shell cheaper.
2. Buying parts new on the open market - about 5 times the cost of the car they came from.
3. Getting junk parts from yards. About half the cost of a new car.
4. Developing the car in detail for production, controlling the design of all parts - several million.

Answer 3

for a prototype to production?
1/2 mill

from a frame and piece it out? depends on the car, make, year, NOS parts, engine, time, paint quality.....etc

Answer 4

Between a third and half what they sell for. The end price is due to dealer markup, and having to warranty it, amongst many other things.

Answer 5

Well first you buy yourself some iron ore. Then you have it refined into steel. The you........................and finally you apply a sales sticker.

There wasn't that cheap and easy?