---
title: "RIP: The $14,595 Chevy Spark, America’s Cheapest Car"
description: "Pour one out for the Chevy SPark, which also happens to be the last small American car."
date: "2022-02-02"
modified: "2022-02-02"
authors:
  - name: "Chris Tsui"
    job_title: "Contributor"
    link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/chris-tsui"
url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/44123/rip-the-14595-chevy-spark-americas-cheapest-car"
categories:
  - "Chevrolet News"
  - "News"
  - "News by Brand"
tags:
  - "Chevrolet"
  - "compact"
  - "Hatchback"
  - "Spark"
---

# RIP: The $14,595 Chevy Spark, America’s Cheapest Car

![](<https://www.thedrive.com/wp-content/uploads/images-by-url-td/content/2022/02/2021-Chevrolet-SparkACTIV-003.jpg>)
*\<em\>www.thedrive.com\</em\>*

Those who accuse America of being addicted to conspicuous consumption and big, powerful, expense-laden vehicles can prepare to be proven right once again because the [Chevrolet Spark](<https://www.thedrive.com/article/7269/chevrolet-ends-spark-ev-production>)—the cheapest new car in the country and, by my count, the last small car made by an American automaker—is going bye-bye after this summer.

First reported on by [*CarsDirect*](<https://www.carsdirect.com/automotive-news/industry-news/chevy-spark-will-be-discontinued-after-summer-2022>), General Motors will no longer build its smallest and [least expensive car](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/34640/the-fascinating-design-history-of-the-dominos-dxp-pizza-delivery-vehicle>) after a final production run expected to last through the coming summer.

"The Spark is being produced through August 2022, then it will be phased out of Chevrolet’s product lineup," a GM spokesperson confirmed to *The Drive*. "Customers seeking comfort, function and style at an approachable price still have strong options within Chevrolet’s family of compact SUVs."

The Spark leaves behind the $22,595 Trax subcompact crossover as Chevy's most entry-level offering and the mid-size Malibu sedan as the brand's lone remaining "car" that isn't a Camaro or Corvette.

Per [*CarsDirect*'s own listicle](<https://www.carsdirect.com/deals-articles/cheapest-new-cars-you-can-buy>) and corroborated by another list compiled by [*Autotrader*](<https://www.autotrader.com/best-cars/8-least-expensive-new-cars-you-can-buy-today-238919>), the Spark was the absolute cheapest new car you could buy in the U.S., commanding just $14,595 for a base, manual transmission version after destination. With the Spark gone, the cheapest car crown will fall to the $15,640 Mitsubishi Mirage. That's right, folks—America's least expensive new car isn't as cheap as it once was. Not because its manufacturer is giving it a price hike but simply because it'll no longer actually be made.

More notably perhaps, the Spark's demise also marks the departure of what is, as far as I can tell, the last non-luxury compact car made by an American manufacturer. [Ford has long given up on cars that aren't Mustangs](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/20415/ford-sedans-are-dead-in-the-u-s>) and unless there's a weird sedan version of the Jeep Renegade I don't know about, Stellantis doesn't have a small car in its extensive portfolio either. Even Fiat, which is only American via corporate ownership, sells nothing but 500X crossovers now.

In other, completely unrelated news, [production on the 1,000-horsepower, 9,000-pound, $100,000 GMC Hummer EV is going full steam ahead](<https://www.thedrive.com/news/43569/the-first-gmc-hummer-evs-are-finally-rolling-off-the-line>).

*Got a tip or question for the author about the Chevy Spark? You can reach them here: chris.tsui@thedrive.com*

## Author
Chris Tsui is *The Drive*'s former Reviews Editor and current freelance automotive journalist. He's based in Toronto.

### Author social links  
[Instagram](<https://www.instagram.com/cltsuii/>)