Would you pay more than £100k for a car that’s only big enough for one person? The world’s smallest production car ever made has just made big headlines after classic car collectors battled to win a unique piece of motoring history.
The Peel P50, at just 1.3 metres long and less than a metre wide would certainly turn heads and it certainly caught the eye of enthusiasts last month when 99 bids were made before being sold for £111,000.
Produced in 1963, it is thought that the red Peel P50 with the registration 747 UNN was the very first example of the a car which won a place in the Guiness Book of Records for its size. There were only ever 46 P50s ever built, and now only 26 are said to remain in existence, which probably accounts for its high price when auctioned by Car & Classic. The highest price paid for a P50 at auction came six years ago when a Florida auction sold one for £122k.
Engineered in the Isle of Man by Peel Engineering, the dinky car has certainly had a famous history. It featured on a 2007 episode of Top Gear, and the 747 UNN version achieved great heights when it was driven around the top of Blackpool Tower to demonstrate its ability to drive in tight spaces.
“No other Peel has the same features,' says Car & Classic.
“Partly because of its glamorous history and totally unique features as well as its rarity as a model, the Peel was the object of brisk bidding until the winning bid of £111,000.”
A P50 made headlines last year when an enthusiast used one to drive from John O’Groats to Land’s End in a journey which took three weeks, but made £8,000 for the Children in Need charity.