Can you believe it? Dragon’s Den Investment is actually thinking about resurrecting the Peel!
In case you forgot or never watched one of the most entertaining episodes of Top Gear, the Peel P50 is a three-wheeled microcar manufactured in 1962 and 1965 by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man. Brand new it retailed for £199 (the equivalent of $2224 when converted to USD and adjusted for inflation), and currently holds the record for the smallest-ever automobile to go into production.
Designed as a city car, it was advertised as capable of seating “one adult and a shopping bag.” The vehicle’s only door was on its left side, and equipment included a single windscreen wiper and only one headlight. Standard colors were Daytona White, Dragon Red and Dark Blue.
How’d you like to decorate your home or office with one? Well, you might just get a chance to make it happen! If you go to the Peel Engineering website right now, you can reserve one for a deposit of $775 USD (not including shipping and tax). I don’t know that I’d recommend you buy one as your morning commuter, with its top speed (downhill) of under 40 mph. It might go faster if fancy yourself a scooter tuner and have a death wish. The good thing about having such a small car though, is that you don’t have room for the Grim Reaper to ride along with ya! (but, then again, he’d be easily capable of keeping up on horseback) SERIOUSLY though, if you were riding this microscopic device downtown, you’d have NO problem being noticed by surrounding traffic.
Here’s the sales pitch:
Peel Engineering are pleased to announce the production of 50 special limited edition official Peel Cars.
Buy signing up today you will be putting your name down on the official Peel waiting list for an official Peel P50 or Peel Trident.
You will own a piece of History and be the envy of all your friends and family with your very own Peel Car.
Please fill in the relevant information and your deposit to reserve one of only 50 of these super rear automobiles.
This is a must for any true car enthusiast and we must stress that these 50 will sell like hot cakes.Please add your name to the waiting list by placing your deposit and full contact details.
(In case you wondered what was under its skirt)
So, if you want to be part of the Peel revival but don’t feel like placing a pre-order for the actual car, you can always go with the cap and t-shirts found on Peel Engineering’s webshop! Tip of the hat goes to Tim! Good scoopin’!
20. August 2010 at 9:46 pm
You can read what OTHER people think about the Revenge of the Peel over at the Top Gear site: http://www.topgear.com/uk/car-news/peel-p50-returns
21. August 2010 at 8:15 am
It’s like a production version of the Moonbeam! I might drive one in residential areas but with a top speed of “slow” I don’t think I would chance it anywhere else.
21. August 2010 at 6:41 pm
I would prefer they go with the Messerschmitt KR201. More style, more class, greater appeal, greater chance of surviving a mishap. http://cache.wists.com/thumbnails/c/de/cdec004fe2fc9b0ce32101703b706dd8-orig
21. August 2010 at 7:35 pm
The Peel looks alot like a kids stroller. Actually, it has little appeal.
20. January 2011 at 10:04 am
You have actually been able to get replicas of the P50 and Trident (as well as the Messerschmitt) for quite some time from Andy’s Modern Microcars
http://www.modernmicrocars.co.uk/index.html