With small cars that leave little footprint starting to carve a serious niche in the automotive marketplace, it really just might be a good idea to reintroduce the Peel P-50, the smallest production automobile of all time. Move over Smart and Mini, the original pint-sized car is staging a comeback.
Originally manufactured from 1962 to 1965, the tiny ride sits a single passenger, with extra space to fit a bag of groceries. To achieve the unusual size, cabin area is not the only thing it downsized: it runs on three wheels, has a lone door on the left side and illuminates the road on a single, centrally-located headlight. They threw in one windshield wiper too, so you wouldn’t feel too left out.
How small is it? The Peel P-50 measures 54 inches long, 41 inches wide and 47.2 inches tall. Sporting a one-door coupe design, it weighs a ridiculous 130 lbs, making it lighter than some its prospective passengers. It runs on a 49cc DKW engine, with a 38 mph top speed and three-speed manual transmission. There’s no reverse gear, though, so it’s a bit difficult to take on the road. Or you just have to be careful how you park it and all. Still makes for a pretty cool car.
After recently reopening their doors, Peel Engineering has decided to resurrect the vehicle with a limited run of 50 cars. The units will be divided between the P-50 and the slightly larger, but equally far-out, Trident. Geared towards collectors (with little fear of getting into road accidents), the vehicle is expected to cost £12,499, a far cry from the original’s £199 price tag. An electric motor will be substituted in place of the original scooter engine.
[Peel Engineering via Cnet]