Beschreibung
The Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar, originally made from 1962 to 1965 by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man, and then from 2011 to the present.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 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 only door was 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 (about £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 $176, 000 at a Sotheby's auction in March 2016.
In 2010, Peel Engineering Ltd. re-established in England, production of the P50 and Trident models from its premises in Sutton-in-Ashfield, England. Externally, this car is very similar to the original, with the same dimensions and curb weight as the original, but with mechanical differences in the suspension, steering, and power train, and a fully functioning reverse gear, making them road legal. today's rules. Production included petrol models with a 49 cc four-stroke engine and electric models with an electric moped motor and gelled electrolyte batteries. The top speed of both cars is about 45 km/ h.
Statistics
Measuring 54 inches (137 cm) long by 39 inches (99 cm) wide and with a curb weight of 59 kg (130 pounds), as of 2021, the P50 holds the record for the smallest car ever to enter production. The small size and width of the Peel P50 means it can fit through doorways and into buildings quite easily, as Jeremy Clarkson demonstrated during a sequence 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 about 37 mph (60 km/ h), and was fitted with a three-speed manual transmission that had no reverse gear. Consequently, turning in a confined space could only be achieved by pushing or lifting the car using the rear handle and physically pulling it around. The makers and users claim a fuel economy 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 of 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 1964 Peel P50 (registration number ARX 37B) fetched over US$120, 000 (£80, 000) at the Bruce Weiner RM Auction.
Since 2011
In 2011, businessmen Gary Hillman and Faizal Khan went to the Dragons' Den to ask for £80, 000. They got 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 about fifteen P50s annually, plus a dozen or so continuations of its bigger sister, the two-seat bubblecar Peel Trident. The conventional piston-engined P50 is more in demand in the UK, priced at £14, 879, while greater demand for the Peel comes from the US, where the electric model (€13, 679) helps owners meet emissions regulations.
Legal status of Peel P50
The original Peel P50 has always been road-legal in the UK, though the many replica versions are classed as Kitcar and as such, require MSVA inspection for 3 wheel Moped or 4 wheel Quadricycle. It is street-legal in the US. Cars were exported to other countries, sometimes being classified as a moped (e. g. the P50 that went to Finland). In the Netherlands there are two original Peel Tridents registered as tricycles, but the Trident replica with the 50cc engine and 59 km/ h (37 mph) top speed was registered as a moped. In Amsterdam the Ripley's Believe It Or Not museum has one. Due to local traffic rules it may not be driven on the cycle path. In Wassenaar the Louwman Museum had an original P50 on display; it was on the poster of the "Dwarfcar" themed exhibition.
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