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Writer's pictureStory Cars

1962 Peel P50 Prototype

The smallest car Peel P50 was produced in England in 1962 . The P50 was designed to be "one person and one bag." Work on the car began in 1961, and a year later, visitors to the London Motor Show crowded in surprise around the tiny one-eyed freak. Its length was 134 centimeters, width - was 99 cm.


Interestingly, there was no reverse gear in the gearbox of this machine. But that didn't present a problem. A car weighing 59 kilograms (the body was made of fiberglass) could easily be deployed on the spot by simply lifting it from one side by the bumper.


However, the Peel was reluctant to develop the declared speed of 64 km / h, tilted, crackled, and hissed while cornering, and the dimensions made the driver hardly handle the large steering wheel and knock his head on the ceiling.


Legendary Peel P50, the World's Smallest Production Car! At a mere 54 inches long and just 41 inches wide, it has held the Guinness Book of World Records' title for over 50 years! With only one headlight and door powered by a diminutive powerplant, its design stands as a symbol of automotive minimalism!


It was initially manufactured in the 1960s on the Isle of Man. The Peel P50 was the Brainchild of serial inventor and Peel Engineering Company's owner Cyril Cannell. He envisioned an ultra-compact, tiny commuter car traveling at 40 mph while comfortably seating one adult carrying a briefcase.


Production ceased in 1964, with only fifty Peel P50s ever being produced. Of these originals, only twenty-seven are still in existence, making the Peel P50 one of the rarest automobiles in the World! The Peel P50 is now being produced in limited numbers by Peel Engineering Ltd. in the United Kingdom!


Source: www.peelengineering.co.uk

Images: Peel Engineering



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