Automotive

World's smallest production car gets a new lease on life

World's smallest production car gets a new lease on life
Originally manufactured in the 1960's, the world's smallest ever production car, the Peel P50 (right) and it's stablemate, the Trident (left) are getting a limited production run with updated powerplants
Originally manufactured in the 1960's, the world's smallest ever production car, the Peel P50 (right) and it's stablemate, the Trident (left) are getting a limited production run with updated powerplants
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The Peel P50 measures just 54 inches (223 cm) long
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The Peel P50 measures just 54 inches (223 cm) long
The Peel P50
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The Peel P50
The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
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The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar with its distinctive bubble dome open
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The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar with its distinctive bubble dome open
The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
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The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
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The Peel P50 seats one person - and a shopping bag
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The Peel P50 seats one person - and a shopping bag
The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
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The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
The Peel P50
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The Peel P50
The Peel P50 three-wheeled microcar
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The Peel P50 three-wheeled microcar
The Peel P50 was originally produced from 1962 to 1965
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The Peel P50 was originally produced from 1962 to 1965
Only 50 of the original Peel P50's were built
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Only 50 of the original Peel P50's were built
The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
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The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
The Peel P50
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The Peel P50
The Peel P50
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The Peel P50
The Peel P50
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The Peel P50
The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
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The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
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The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
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The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
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The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
Parking the Peel P50 is a breeze since you can carry it into place
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Parking the Peel P50 is a breeze since you can carry it into place
Originally manufactured in the 1960's, the world's smallest ever production car, the Peel P50 (right) and it's stablemate, the Trident (left) are getting a limited production run with updated powerplants
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Originally manufactured in the 1960's, the world's smallest ever production car, the Peel P50 (right) and it's stablemate, the Trident (left) are getting a limited production run with updated powerplants
The Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar designed for the urban commuter
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The Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar designed for the urban commuter
View gallery - 24 images

The quest for more fuel-efficient vehicles has seen a shift from the gas-guzzling behemoths of yesteryear to smaller and smaller cars, such as the Volkswagen up!, Toyota iQ, and Tata Nano. The smallest currently in production is the smart fortwo that measures just 106.1 inches (269.5 cm) long and 61.4 inches (155.9 cm) wide. But for the world’s smallest ever production car you’d have to look back to the early 1960’s and the Peel P50, which measured just 54 inches (137 cm) long and 41 inches (104.1 cm) wide, and weighed 130 lb (59 kg). Now replicas of the P50 -and its bigger brother, the Peel Trident - are getting a limited production run and will be offered with a choice of gasoline or electric powerplants.

Originally produced on the Isle of Man from 1962 to 1965 by the Peel Engineering Company, the Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar with one door, one headlight, and a single windscreen wiper. Powered by a 49 cc engine coupled to a three-speed manual transmission, the car has a top speed of around 38 mph (61 km/h) and no reverse gear. It was designed by, Cyril Cannel, the owner of Peel Engineering Company which focused mainly on making fiberglass boats and fairings for motorcycles. Designed to accommodate a single adult – and a shopping bag – only 50 of the original Peel P50s were produced and sold for GBP199 (approx. US$315) each.

The Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar designed for the urban commuter
The Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar designed for the urban commuter

The original Peel Engineering Company was dissolved in 1974, but in 2010 Gary Hillman and Faizal Khan started a new company – with the same name – in the U.K. and they've begun a limited production run of replica P50s. The company is offering both gasoline and electric models, with the former powered by a 49 cc four stroke CVT engine generating 2.5 kW and 4.2 Nm of torque and boasting fuel economy figures of 118 mpg (50 km/liter). The electric model is powered by a DC brushless CVT electric motor also generating 2.5 kW, but with 14.4 Nm of torque and the removable battery pack providing a range of 20 miles (30 km). Both models have a limited top speed of 40 mph (65 km/h).

But the P50 isn’t the only pint-sized vehicle from the original Peel Engineering Company getting some love from the new Peel Engineering Company. A replica of the bubble-domed Trident, which was originally produced from 1965 to 1966 and sold for GBP190 (approx. US$301), is also getting a limited production run. Like the P50, the original Trident was a three-wheeled microcar that was powered by the same 49 cc engine as its stablemate, providing the same 38 mph top speed. However, at 72 inches (182.9 cm) long and 42 inches (106.7 cm) wide, the Trident was designed with two seats – or one seat and a detachable shopping basket.

The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar
The three-wheeled Peel Trident microcar

The updated Trident gets the same choice of gasoline or electric powerplants as the P50, and despite the gasoline-powered two-seater being some 80 lb (36 kg) heavier than the gasoline-powered P50 (198 lb/99 kg to the P50's 118 lb/54 kg), the Peel Engineering Company lists identical perfromance specs for both cars – it must come down to the improved aerodynamic performance of that bubble dome.

Like the original P50 and Trident, company says the replicas will be fully road legal in the U.K. and European Union – where they are classified as Three Wheeled Mopeds – and in the U.S. – where they are classified as a Motor Driven Cycle. The company will also custom build the P50 to road legal specifications for other countries. Prices start at around GBP8,000 (approx. US$12,676) with reservations now being taken on the company website.

Source: Peel Engineering Company

Note: Thanks to the readers that pointed out that the smart fortwo is the smallest car currently in production, not the Tata Nano. The article has been changed to reflect this.

View gallery - 24 images
30 comments
30 comments
Denis Klanac
PEEL, for peel you off the road when a truck runs over you.
Mr Stiffy
It's a pity they are not being made "more arrow like".
The little brick shape is Mmmmmmmm tacky.
DemonDuck
US$12,676!!!! Where! What! How! That's insane. The original cost was US$301. And now using all the advances in productivity and technology it costs 40 times as much???
I just don't understand this modern world.....
Alex Lekander
Who saw the blue one on Top Gear?
He wheeled it around the office by hand... No paying for parking.
Better question: why not just get an ATV and wear thick clothing, get a sealed basked on the back of the ATV and store your riding clothes there? You could also get a top speed closer to 60 mph on a good ATV that is large enough for a basket on the back.
Slowburn
re; DemonDuck
The dollar is a lot smaller.
VoiceofReason
Let's see....$12,600....ummm....no. I can get a real car for that. What too many of the trinkets offers fail to realize is that one of the main reasons people bought these back in the day was price. Even a VW Beetle was around $1500, when these sold for $320. Now they was as much for this as I can pay for a normal car? Get real.
Rigby5
The $12k cost is reasonable when you remember that it is hand built for now. If they sell enough, then the price will drop by more than half from the efficiencies of scale through mass production. And remember that something like this could virtually last forever, getting 120 mpg when gas prices are bound to quickly go over $5/gallon.
What we need is for a lane to be set aside for bicycles, mopeds, and commuter cars like this. The transition to vehicles like this must happen eventually. There is no other possible solution.
William H Lanteigne
There might be a market for this at 1/4 to 1/3 the price, in an urban/suburban setting where parking is a problem: it is, after all, a glorified shopping cart (I think it needs storage for at least 4 bags) yet would still be unable to find a parking spot close to the WalMart entrance. And yes, I could get 3 or 4 used Buicks for the same price and have extra capacity for hauling more people and groceries.
yrag
What's the latest with the Vauxhall RAKe? That, and other enclosed tandem three wheeled vehicles, are what I think would have real appeal if they don't price it out of reach of their market—those stepping up from scooters and motorcycles.
Matt Rings
Might I suggest a well-maintained 2000-2006 Honda Insight for half that amount, which seats two comfortably, tons of luggage/groceries, has A/C, and still get 70 mpg...!!!???
Seriously, this PEEL offering is for idiots.
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