The Peel P50 is a 3-wheel microcar originally made from 1962 to 1965 by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man. It’s listed in the Guinness World Records as the smallest production car ever made. The original model had no reverse gear, but a handle at the rear allowed the extremely lightweight car to be turned around by hand when necessary. Designed as a city car, it was advertised in the ‘60s as capable of seating “one adult and a shopping bag.” The vehicle’s only door was on the left side and its equipment included a single windshield wiper and one headlight. The 1963 model retailed for $250 when new. The company only produced 50 of the P50s, of which 27 are known to still exist. In 2016, a P50 sold for a record-breaking $176,000 at Sotheby’s auction. In 2010, Peel Engineering Ltd. in England began manufacturing the P50. Externally, the car is very similar to the original, but has mechanical differences in the suspension, steering, and drive-train, along with a fully-functioning reverse gear to make it street-legal. The top speed for the original and the new P50 is about 28 mph.
