You may never have heard of the Peel P50 but it is one of the most famous things to have come out of the Isle of Man. It was an unlikely venture from the Peel Engineering Company in the early 60's - long before a Smart car was ever dreamt about. Marketed as a car to take "one adult and a shopping bag" it went on sale for about €250. For that you got a 49 c.c. moped engine; an impressive top speed of 61 KPH; one seat; three wheels; no reverse gear and a headlight. Some 50 were produced before production halted in 1965 and 27 are still around.
The P50 remained a curiosity until it was elevated to valuable classic collector status at a Sotheby's auction in American last week and sold for a whopping €156,000.
The car had been fully restored and in immaculate condition.
No wonder though that the Peel Company has taken to re-building its micro-car since 2010. It looks a little different but now it is produced as an electric vehicle in addition to the petrol model.
