The smallest car in the world

Every new version of a car these days is (slightly) bigger than its predecessor.

It has not always been this way.

Between 1962 and 1965, a small company on the Isle of Man, between England and Ireland, wanted to find out how small a car could be made.

The Peel Engineering Company managed to put the smallest car in the world into production: the Peel P50.

And that little car was very small. About as small as a refrigerator. It's so small that it doesn't even need reverse. If you want to go backwards, you can get out and pull the car backwards.

It is not expensive to drive the P50. Its 49cc engine of 4,5 hp is enough with very small sips of petrol. The consumption is about 1 in 42.

TopGear fans may remember: Jeremy Clarkson drove the Peel P50 through the BBC office. It even fit in the elevator: https://youtu.be/dJfSS0ZXYdo

Only 50 Peel P47s were built, of which about 26 remain. I tried my best to buy one, but it was out of our budget. A few years ago, one was auctioned. It went for $176.000.

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What we were able to purchase was the smallest 4-person car in the world: a Fiat 500.

This bright yellow classic from 1972 is for rent. Still driving at almost 50 years old.

Not as economical as the P50, but fuel is included in the rental rate.

All information about our oldest acquisition can be found here.