Urba Centurion: The 1980s DIY Kit Car Built for Extreme Fuel Efficiency

Diesel Dream - Every few decades, the conversation around cars seems to circle back to the same point: fuel economy. Whenever gas prices spike, people suddenly start caring about how many miles they can squeeze out of a gallon. Then, when prices drop, the fascination shifts back to big trucks and flashy sports cars. But hidden in automotive history is a curious little project from the early 1980s that tried to offer a permanent solution to those cycles of worry—a quirky machine called the Urba Centurion.

The Urba Centurion, unlike typical showroom cars, was offered only as a $17 DIY kit of detailed blueprints published by Mechanix Illustrated in 1982 and designed by Quincy-Lynn Enterprises. (Picture from: NWFuel.ca)

The Centurion wasn’t your typical showroom car. In fact, you couldn’t even buy it fully assembled. Instead, it came as a set of detailed blueprints published through Mechanix Illustrated in 1982 for just $17. Quincy-Lynn Enterprises, the small company behind it, designed the car as a do-it-yourself kit. Builders were expected to source parts themselves and put the vehicle together in their own garages. 

The Urba Centurion required builders to source all parts and assemble it in their own garages, featuring a 1970 Triumph Spitfire chassis fitted with an 18-horsepower three-cylinder Kubota diesel in place of the original engine. (Picture from: Classic And Recreation Sports Cars in Facebook)

At its core, the Centurion used a 1970 Triumph Spitfire chassis, but gone was the British sports car’s original engine. In its place sat an 18-horsepower three-cylinder Kubota diesel, the kind of motor you’d normally find humming away inside industrial equipment.

The Urba Centurion featured a handmade fiberglass body instead of steel, crafted for maximum aerodynamic efficiency and sleek, lightweight, futuristic styling that resembled a cross between a race car and a science fiction vehicle. (Picture from: Thingies in Facebook)

The body was another distinctive touch. Instead of steel, the Centurion wore a handmade fiberglass shell shaped for maximum aerodynamic efficiency. Sleek, lightweight, and futuristic for its time, it looked like a cross between a race car and something out of a science fiction movie. That’s probably why one version of its sibling design even made a cameo in Total Recall as a robotic taxi. 

The Urba Centurion promised up to 128 miles per gallon at a steady 35 mph on paper, but in everyday driving it realistically achieved around 40 mpg, still impressive though far from its peak. (Picture from: Classic And Recreation Sports Cars in Facebook)

On paper, the Centurion promised staggering efficiency—up to 128 miles per gallon, as long as you were content to cruise steadily at 35 mph. In day-to-day driving, though, reality set in at closer to 40 mpg, still solid but nowhere near its advertised peak. 

The Urba Centurion was born amid fuel crisis anxiety, engineered with resourcefulness, and wrapped in a design that appeared decades ahead of its time. (Picture from: Ecomodder)

Performance wasn’t exactly its strong suit. With a top speed of 55 mph, the Centurion was more at home on quiet backroads than highways. Practical drawbacks didn’t help its cause either—tiny window openings meant poor airflow, and daily usability was limited. Yet despite these flaws, there was something undeniably clever about the whole concept. It was a car born in the middle of fuel crisis anxiety, engineered with resourcefulness, and wrapped in a design that looked decades ahead of its time. 

The Urba Centurion, sleek, lightweight, and futuristic for its time, looked like a cross between a race car and a science fiction vehicle, which likely led to a version of its sibling design appearing as a robotic taxi in the 1990 film Total Recall. (Picture from: Decampos in Flickr)

Quincy-Lynn wasn’t a one-hit wonder either. The company had already tried its hand at efficient transportation in 1977 with the UrbaCar, though that model never caught much attention. With the Centurion, they pushed further into futuristic territory, carving out a niche in experimental vehicles while continuing to offer design services beyond that era. Only a handful of Centurions are known to exist today, which makes spotting one almost like encountering a time capsule on wheels.

The UrbaCar, Quincy-Lynn Enterprises’ first design in 1977, was initially pitched to Popular Mechanics but ultimately featured in Mechanix Illustrated after PM considered it one of too many DIY projects. (Picture from: LaneMotorMuseum)

Now, think about how far technology has come since 1982. The same lightweight body paired with a modern small-displacement engine—or even an electric powertrain—could completely transform the Centurion’s potential. Imagine swapping that humble Kubota diesel for a contemporary three-cylinder turbo-diesel or an efficient hybrid system. The result would be a car that not only looks like it belongs in the future but also finally performs like it. 

The original UrbaCar concept car, built in 1973 in Ontario, nearly reached production but was less refined than the plan- or kit-built version seen here. (Picture from: LaneMotorMuseum)

The Urba Centurion may never have been a commercial success, but its spirit is what makes it memorable. It was a reminder that cars don’t always have to be loud, fast, or massive to be fascinating. Sometimes, innovation is about reimagining what a vehicle could be if you’re willing to question the norms. . | cHsQuDNkxA8 |

In a world where efficiency and sustainability are once again at the center of discussion, the Centurion stands as an odd but inspiring footnote—proof that even in a small garage in the early 80s, people were already dreaming about the kind of cars we’re still chasing today. *** [EKA | FROM VARIOUS SOURCES | LANEMOTORMUSEUM | CLASSIC AND RECREATION SPORTS CARS IN FACEBOOK | DIESELARMY | NWFUEL.CA | ECOMODDER ]

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