Now you too can own your own clown-car

Each one can hold one person or 14 clowns

From Gizmag:

World’s smallest production car gets a new lease on life

By

00:08 March 19, 2012

Originally manufactured in the 1960's, the world's smallest ever production car, the Peel ...

Originally manufactured in the 1960’s, the world’s smallest ever production car, the Peel P50 (right) and it’s stablemate, the Trident (left) are getting a limited production run with updated powerplants

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The quest for more fuel-efficient vehicles has seen a shift from the gas-guzzling behemoths of yesteryear to smaller and smaller cars, such as the Volkswagen up! and Toyota iQ. The smallest currently in production is the Tata Nano that measures just 122 inches (309.9 cm) long and 58.9 inches (223 cm) wide. But for the world’s smallest ever production car you’d have to look back to the early 1960’s and the Peel P50, which measured just 54 inches (137 cm) long and 41 inches (104.1 cm) wide, and weighed 130 lb (59 kg). Now replicas of the P50 -and its bigger brother, the Peel Trident – are getting a limited production run and will be offered with a choice of gasoline or electric powerplants.

Originally produced on the Isle of Man from 1962 to 1965 by the Peel Engineering Company, the Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar with one door, one headlight, and a single windscreen wiper. Powered by a 49 cc engine coupled to a three-speed manual transmission, the car has a top speed of around 38 mph (61 km/h) and no reverse gear. It was designed by, Cyril Cannel, the owner of Peel Engineering Company which focused mainly on making fiberglass boats and fairings for motorcycles. Designed to accommodate a single adult – and a shopping bag – only 50 of the original Peel P50s were produced and sold for GBP199 (approx. US$315) each.

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About Eeyore

Canadian artist and counter-jihad and freedom of speech activist as well as devout Schrödinger's catholic

11 Replies to “Now you too can own your own clown-car”

  1. Although they are seen with disdain by most conservatives (with whom I generally agree on most issues), I kind of like the idea of keeping the rain off (better than a motorcycle) plus getting maybe 1.5 liters per 100km instead of my current vehicle which uses about 12.5 liters for that 100km.

    I don’t need a Mack truck to feel safe on the roads. The SUV crowd actually ignore that ACTIVE safety (maneuverability to get out of dangerous situations) as opposed to PASSIVE safety (the ability to plow through a brick wall), is statistically the most significant factor in safety. Hence your kid is safer in the right seat of a Boxster than in an SUV.

    The worst thing about these cars I think is the high center of gravity and the three-wheeler’s greater tendency to roll during sudden turns.

    • Hey I am not objecting to these things. I am mocking them. That is a whole nuther thing. I mock lots of things I like. ask my dog. I don’t know enough about them to mock them. I do hold electric cars in disdain at this time however, if the purpose of them is environmental, as I do not think they are less destructive to the environment than regular efficient gas ones and in fact, some considerably more. Movies like, ‘Who Stole the Electric Car’ I think it was called, grotesquely misrepresent the facts and use lots of celebrity faces to try and sell an idea that is simply awful. The idea that a family that can only afford one car should be stuck with one that can only do 60 Kms. in a day for example, even if 90% of the trips we take are within that, it means no visiting grandma or taking family trips or any kind of trips. The celebrities who endorsed these things all had way more than 2 cars so it didnt matter to them.

      As one example of my disdain. As for these things they are worth a giggle but I don’t know anything about them in terms of practical value.

  2. The most perfect fanny repellant I’ve ever seen.

    It’s pathetic storage capacity makes it a segway for people too lazy to stand up.

    It’s only safe and viable (top speed of 38 miles an hour) to use in a city and within town centers. But most towns have bus service already.

    It could only be of use to the handicapped but there’s no space for a wheelchair or even crutches.

  3. They are thinking in the right direction though. But it has to be bigger and have larger storage capacity to be of any use. Something in between this and cars like the Nano, Up and IQ would be more useful.

  4. Top Gear UK did a piece on the peel a few years ago, I personally would not get one as the crumple zones is the driver, far too dangerous imo. However the Top Gear team had a great time making fun of it and back in the 60s there was alot less traffic on the roads than today. Also you can pick up the front end of the car and turn it around with the driver inside to face the traffic! Oh those Top Gear lads do like their practical jokes.

  5. I’d love to have the chance to drive one of these! They look like (if you can fit in them) they’re a load of fun!