Peel p50
The Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar, originally manufactured from 1962 to 1965 by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man, and subsequently from 2011 to the present. It was listed in the 2010 Guinness World Records as the smallest production car ever made. The original model has no reverse gear, but a lever at the rear allows the very light car to be physically maneuvered if necessary. Designed as a city car, it was advertised in the 1960s as having room for "one adult and a shopping bag." The vehicle's single door was located on the left side, and equipment included a single windshield wiper and headlight. Standard colors were Daytona White, Dragon Red, and Dark Blue. The 1963 model sold new for £199 (approximately £6.600 in 2019, or $8.500). The company produced 50 P50s, of which 27 are known to still exist, one of which sold at a Sotheby's auction in March 2016 for a record sum of $176.
The Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar, originally produced from 1962 to 1965 by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man, and then from 2011 to the present. It was listed in the 2010 Guinness World Records as the smallest production car ever made. The original model has no reverse gear, but a lever at the rear allows the very light car to be physically manoeuvred if necessary.
Designed as a city car, it was advertised in the 1960s as having room for "one adult and a shopping bag." The vehicle's single door was located on the left side, and equipment included a single windscreen wiper and headlight. Standard colors were Daytona White, Dragon Red, and Dark Blue. The 1963 model sold new for £199 (approximately £6.600 in 2019, or $8.500). The company produced 50 P50s, of which 27 are known to still exist, one of which sold for a record sum of $176.000 at a Sotheby's auction in March 2016.
In 2010, Peel Engineering Ltd. re-established itself in England, producing the P50 and Trident models from its premises in Sutton-in-Ashfield, England. Outwardly, this car closely resembles the original, sharing the same dimensions and curb weight, but featuring mechanical differences in the suspension, steering, and drivetrain, as well as a fully functional reverse gear, making them road legal under today's regulations. Production included petrol models with a 49 cc four-stroke engine and electric models featuring a moped-style electric motor and gelled electrolyte batteries. The top speed of both cars is around 45 km/h.
Statistics
With a length of 54 inches (137 cm), a width of 39 inches (99 cm), and an unladen weight of 59 kg (130 pounds), the P50 holds the record as of 2021 for the smallest car ever to go into production. Due to the small size and width of the Peel P50, it fits through doorways and into buildings quite easily, as Jeremy Clarkson demonstrated during a segment in a 2007 episode of Top Gear, where a blue P50 was driven through the BBC's Television Centre.
1962-1966
The original P50 used a 3 cu in (49,2 cc) DKW single-cylinder engine, which gave it a top speed of around 37 mph (60 km/h), and was equipped with a three-speed manual transmission that lacked a reverse gear. Consequently, turning in a confined space could only be accomplished by pushing or lifting the car with the rear handle and physically pulling it around. Its makers and users claim a fuel consumption of 100 mpg-imp (2,8 L/100 km; 83 mpg-US).
In 1963, as a publicity stunt, a Peel P50 was lifted to the top of Blackpool Tower and driven around the observation balcony.
At least one prototype, the Peel P55 Saloon Scooter, also survived. Unlike the production Peel P50 (along with all its developments and replicas), this prototype used the less stable layout of a single wheel at the front and two at the rear.
Approximately 47 Peel P50s were sold for £299 each.
On February 15, 2013, a genuine 50 Peel P1964 (registration number ARX 37B) fetched over $120.000 (£80.000) at the Bruce Weiner RM Auction.
Since 2011
In 2011, businessmen Gary Hillman and Faizal Khan went to Dragons' Den to ask for £80.000. They received the investment and started a new company to put their revised models into production. Initially, three replica models were available: Gas, Eco, and Fun. The line was later reduced to two: the petrol and electric models. These are hand-built to order in Sutton-in-Ashfield by Micro Car Specialists for the domestic and export markets.
In 2018, it was reported that Peel Engineering sells approximately fifteen P50s annually, plus about ten continuations of its larger sibling, the two-seater bubble car Peel Trident. The conventional piston-engined P50 is more popular in the UK, priced at £14.879, while the greater demand for the Peel comes from the US, where the electric model (€13.679) helps owners meet emission regulations.
Legal status of Peel P50
The original Peel P50 has always been street legal in the UK, although the many replica versions are classified as Kitcars and, as such, require MSVA inspection for 3-wheeled mopeds or 4-wheeled quadricycles. In the US, it is street legal. Cars were exported to other countries, sometimes classified as mopeds (for example, the P50 that went to Finland). In the Netherlands, two original Peel Tridents are registered as three-wheelers, but the Trident replica with the 50cc engine and a top speed of 59 km/h (37 mph) was registered as a moped. In Amsterdam, the Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum has one. Due to local traffic regulations, it is not permitted to ride on the bike path. In Wassenaar, an original P50 was on display at the Louwman Museum; it was featured on the poster for the themed exhibition "Dwarfcar".