Smallest production car ever made

What to remember

At 1.37 m long, the Peel P50 is the smallest production car ever made. This three-wheeled microcar was first built from 1962 to 1965 by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man, and then again from 2010.

Its other dimensions match: 99 cm wide and an unladen weight of 59 kg. Designed as a city car, it was advertised in the 1960s as capable of seating "one adult and a shopping bag." It had a single door, on the left side, one windscreen wiper and one headlight. The original model has no reverse gear: a handle at the rear lets the very lightweight car be moved by hand when needed. The 1963 model retailed for £199 when new, in Daytona White, Dragon Red or Dark Blue.

The company produced 50 P50s. One of them sold for a record US$176,000 at a Sotheby's auction in March 2016. The car has also had its moment on television: in an episode of Top Gear, Jeremy Clarkson drives one through the BBC offices in London.