Peel P50 car
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Peel P50 car temporary Mediawiki image (i)
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Arch One , Area 76 1962 - 1965 |
Brighton Toy and Model Museum now has a Peel P50 microcar on show in its lobby, for about six months.
One of the engineering quirks of the P50 is that it has no reverse gear: instead, there is a metal handle on the back, which allows the user to put the car in neutral gear, get out, and haul the car backwards by hand as if it was a large piece of wheeled luggage.
The car is the property of Alex Orchin, who has driven it all over the UK to raise money for charity.
The Peel P50
At 130 cm long, the Peel P50 still holds the unbroken record for being the World's smallest production car, and has a cult following.
It was originally manufactured on the Isle of Man (an island not normally known for its automotive industry other than the famous TT motorcycle race) and was only made between 1962 and 1965. As a highly distinctive car prized by collectors, original examples of the Peel P50 can fetch over a hundred thousand pounds at auction.
Production of the Peel P50 and the Peel Trident (a true bubblecar "sister" to the P50 with a bubble-shaped acrylic top) restarted some time in the 2010's, and Alex Orchin's recent example is from this newer production.
External links
- Roadworthy tiny car goes on display in Brighton (bbc.co.uk) – 10 March 2024
- Danny Pike's show on BBC Radio Sussex (bbc.co.uk)– 26 March 2024
- BBC South East Today Evening News (bbc.co.uk)– 26 March 2024
general news
- Peel P50 micro car sells for 'record' £120,000 at auction (bbc.co.uk) – 14 March 2016
- MICRO MACHINE The Peel P50 – ‘the world’s smallest car’ – to sell for £90,000 despite costing just £199 in the 1960s, by Joe Finnerty (thesun.co.uk)
- ThisPeel P50 just sold for £111,000 at auction (topgear.com)
