World’s Smallest Car - Almost cheaper than walking
In environmentally unconscious 1962, the Manx Peel Engineering Company of Great Britain came up with the concept of a 3-wheeled microvehicle designed to hold one person with a shopping bag. The P50, priced at a dirt cheap £150, was 53 inches long, by 39 inches wide, and weighed less than 139lbs. Its top speed was around 60 km/hr and it got an impressive 100mpg. Interestingly, it did not have a reverse gear. To get out of a confined space, the driver would have to pick up the vehicle by a handle mounted on the rear, and physically pull it around. Two years later, the company followed up the P50 with the Peel Trident, a slightly larger and more futuristic looking 2-seater. It too did about 100 mpg, but had a max speed of 75km/h. Both vehicles are still considered street legal in the UK, and about 20 originals still remain in the hands of collectors.
Peel P50
Peel Trident and Peel P50
Interior of the Peel Trident
Jeremy Clarkson of Top Gear takes a P50 out for a little spin
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