Two-parter:
1) How much steel (measured in weight) is in your average (i.e., mid-sized) car?
2) What kinds of steel are predominantly used for automobile
production i.e., stainless, cold-rolled, etc.

Any answer requires a link or pointer to a source where I can verify the response.

Hello.


"Despite the push for lighter weight materials, the average new
vehicle in 2001 is thought to contain 1,780 pounds of steel parts..."
source: Stripline News, Summer 2002
http://products.teckcominco.com/Products/articles/strip9.pdf

"....steel still commands about 55% of the mass of an average vehicle
-- a percentage that hasn't changed in 20 years."
source: Taking The Shine Off
Automotive Industries,  Oct, 1999
http://www.findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m3012/is_10_179/ai_57513423


"MATERIAL APPLICATIONS: North American automakers and their parts
suppliers used about 17,940,000 tons of steel in their vehicles in
1998. In fact the average vehicle contained about 1,810 net pounds of
steel parts made from flat-rolled, bar, tubular, rod and wire stock.
This included 319 pounds of high- and medium-strength steel and 49
pounds of stainless steel."
source:
AMM.com Automotive Industry Profile
http://www.amm.com/ref/auto.HTM


Also see:

 Material Breakdown of a 1995 Model Year Generic US Family Sedan

                      Mass KG     % of vehicle
Steel (cold rolled)   114           7.4%
Steel (EAF)           214          14.0%
Steel (galvanized)    357          23.3%
Steel (hot rolled)    126           8.2%
Steel (stainless)     19            1.2%

(note: EAF = "electric arc furnace")


Average Material Consumption Domestic Auto 1990

                          pounds      % of total weight

conventional steel         1405        45%
(cold-rolled and pre-
coated)           

high strength steel         238         8%

other steels except          40         1%

stainless steel              29         1%

source: Management - End of Life Vehicles, 2001
http://css.snre.umich.edu/css_doc/CSS01-01.pdf
stainless


----------
search strategy:
"pounds of steel" "average new"
"pounds of steel" "average vehicle"
"average vehicle" "cold rolled" stainless

I hope this helps.  If anything is unclear, please let me know via the
"request clarification" feature. Thanks.