Peel P50

Peel P50
Peel P50
Overview
Manufacturer	Peel Engineering Company and Peel Engineering Ltd (UK-based)
Production	1962–1965 2010–present (EV) 2011–present (Petrol)
Assembly	Isle of Man 1962-65, England 2010–present
Designer	Cyril Cannell
Body and chassis
Class	Microcar
Body style	One-door coupe
Layout	Side engine, rear wheel drive
Related	Peel Trident
Powertrain
Engine	'63–'64: DKW 49 cc, 4.2 hp, fan-cooled (top speed: 61 km/h (38 mph) 2011 Petrol: 49cc, 2.5 kW (3.35 hp), Four-stroke engine 2011 Electric: 2.3 kW (3.08 hp), Brushless DC electric motor
Transmission	'63–'64: 3-speed manual, no reverse 2010 EV: Single fixed gear 2011 Petrol & Electric: Continuously variable transmission
Dimensions
Wheelbase	1,270 mm (50.0 in)
Length	134 cm (52.8 in)
Width	99 cm (39.0 in)
Height	100 cm (39.4 in)
Curb weight	56 kg (123 lb)

The Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar originally manufactured from 1962 to 1965 by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man. It was listed in the 2010 Guinness Book of Records as the smallest production car ever made. It has no reverse gear but a handle at the rear allows the very lightweight car to be physically manoeuvred when required.

Designed as a city car, it was advertised as capable of seating "one adult and a shopping bag". The vehicle's only door was on its left side and equipment included a single windscreen wiper and one headlight. Standard colours were Daytona White, Dragon Red, and Dark Blue. The 1963 model retailed for £199 when new (about £1,400 in 2010, or $2,200 USD). 50 of them were produced, and only 27 of them are known to still exist.

In 2010, production of a replica version was started by a newly formed company, called Peel Engineering Ltd based in England (not to be confused with the original Peel Engineering Company from the Isle of Man). Externally this car was very similar to the original but with many major mechanical differences in the suspension, steering, and drivetrain. Driven by an electric motor and with a top speed of 16 km/h (10 mph), this version was produced as a display vehicle and was not road legal. In 2011 production commenced on new road legal petrol & electric versions. Most colours from the original are used in the 2010 models with only Dark Blue being replaced by Capri Blue.

Production is located in Sutton-in-Ashfield, England.

Statistics

At 54 in (1,372 mm) long and 39 in (991 mm) wide and with an unladen weight of 59 kilograms (130 lb), the P50 holds the record as the smallest car ever to go into production.

1962-66

The P50 used a 49 cc (3.0 cu in) DKW engine which gave it a top speed of approximately 60 km/h (37 mph), and was equipped with a three-speed manual transmission that had no reverse gear. Consequently, turning in a confined area could be achieved only by pushing, or lifting the car using the handle on the rear and physically pulling it round. The makers and users claim fuel consumption of 100 mpg_‑imp (2.8 L/100 km; 83 mpg_‑US).

In 1963, as a publicity stunt, A Peel P50 was taken to the top of Blackpool Tower in the lift and driven around the observation balcony.

At least one prototype, the Peel P55 Saloon Scooter, has also survived. Unlike the production Peel P50 (along with all developments and replicas thereof), this prototype used the less stable layout of a single wheel at the front and two at the back.

Approximately 47 Peel P50s were sold at £199 each.

On 15 February 2013 at the Bruce Weiner RM Auction a genuine 1964 Peel P50 (Registration number ARX 37B) achieved in excess of $120,000 which is £80,000 at the current exchange rate of 1.51 dollars/pound.

2011

In 2011 businessmen Gary Hillman and Faizal Khan went to the Dragons' Den asking for £80,000. They got the investment and started a new company which put their revised models into production. Three replica models were available initially: Gas, Eco, and Fun. The line was later reduced to two – the Gas and Eco models. The speed is usually restricted from the factory at 45 km/h (28 mph) by a computerized system, but can be increased at the buyer's request.

Andy Carter has also been building exact Peel P50 replicas in his Nottinghamshire-based workshops since the early 1980s.

Legal status

File:Peel P50 at Beaulieu.jpg

Peel P50

The Peel P50 was and is still road-legal in the UK and, being in the "three-wheeler" category, less than 8 long cwt (900 lb; 410 kg). The Peel P50 is now also street-legal in the United States. Cars were exported to other countries, sometimes being classified as a moped (e.g. the P50 that went to Finland).

Appearances in the media

On 28 October 2007, the P50 was featured in a segment of the BBC motoring programme Top Gear on BBC Two, during which presenter, Jeremy Clarkson, entered the car and drove through central London to work. Clarkson, who is 6' 5" tall (1.96 m), demonstrated that it is possible (albeit difficult) for tall people to drive the smallest car in the world, as accredited by Guinness World Records. The car also featured in a 2009 episode of The Xtra Factor, in which Holly Willoughby drove the car into the X Factor studio. A P50 again appeared in a Top Gear episode in 2013 when it was contrasted with the 'P45', a smaller, tongue-in-cheek road legal vehicle designed and built for the show by students from Coventry University.

See also

• Peel Trident

References

Ripley's Believe it or Not 2009 Edition, Ripley's Books (2009)

External links

• Peel Engineering Ltd
• Peel P50 Factory Movie
• Peel Cars – photos from the 2005 reunion in Peel of cars from all round the world

• Peel Microcars Register
• Sutton-in-Ashfield firm wins order for new microcars
• Peel Engineering a company based in England that produces replicas of some of the original Peel cars. They are not to be confused with the original Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man.