Gasoline vehicles have elevated emissions of volatile organic compounds during cold starts and idling and have recently been pointed out as potentially the main source of anthropogenic secondary organic aerosol (SOA) in megacities. However, there is a lack of laboratory studies to systematically investigate SOA formation in real-world exhaust. In this study, SOA formation from pure aromatic precursors, idling and cold start gasoline exhaust from one Euro II, one Euro III and one Euro IV passenger vehicles were investigated using photo-oxidation experiments in a 6 m<sup>3</sup> smog chamber. The experiments were carried out at atmospherically relevant organic aerosol mass concentrations. The characterization methods included a high resolution aerosol mass spectrometer and a proton transfer mass spectrometer. It was found that gasoline exhaust readily forms SOA with a signature aerosol mass spectrum similar to the oxidized organic aerosol that commonly dominates the organic aerosol mass spectra downwind urban areas. After 4 h aging the formed SOA was 1–2 orders of magnitude higher than the Primary OA emissions. The SOA mass spectrum from a relevant mixture of traditional light aromatic precursors gave <i>f</i>43 (mass fraction at <i>m/z</i> = 4 3) approximately two times higher than to the gasoline SOA. However O : C and H : C ratios were similar for the two cases. Classical C<sub>6</sub>–C<sub>9</sub> light aromatic precursors were responsible for up to 60% of the formed SOA, which is significantly higher than for diesel exhaust. Important candidates for additional precursors are higher order aromatic compounds such as C<sub>10</sub>, C<sub>11</sub> light aromatics, naphthalene and methyl-naphthalenes.