Small Cars, Big Joy: 19 Adorable Vintage Microcars With One Fun Fact For Each

2. The Peel P50 – From Isle of Man to World Records: One Adult And A Shopping Bag Car!

Country of Origin: Isle of Man

Designer: Cyril Cannell

Production Years: 1962-1965

Units Produced: 50

Length: 52 inches (1.32 meters)

Top speed: 28 mph (45 km/h)

Power output: 4.2 hp (5.6 kW)

The Peel P50 was a single-seat super light vehicle manufactured by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man.

The P50 was initially designed as a city car that could easily navigate through narrow streets and park in small spaces. Its advertisements from the 1960s famously marketed it as a car that could accommodate only one adult and a shopping bag.

The Peel P50 was sold for £199 and still holds the record for the smallest car ever recorded (shorter than a Vespa scooter) by 2010 Guinness World Records.

Peel Engineering Company also produced The Peel Trident micro bubble car in limited numbers, with an estimated 45 to 55 units as the successor to the Peel P50 from 1965 to 1966.

It featured a slightly larger design with room for the driver and passenger.

Both The Peel 50 and The Trident were commercial failures because they were impractical for everyday use and had limited range.

Since 2011, there has been a renewed interest in the Peel P50, with a number of replica and recreation models produced by Peel Engineering Ltd.

Fun Fact: The original Peel P50 model lacked a reverse gear, but when necessary, a 130-pound (59 kg) car may be moved backward manually with a handle at the back.