‘You’ll have to be pretty slight’, inside the world’s smallest sports car with bizarre ‘bubble’ windscreen
YOU could take a spin in the world’s smallest sports car with a bizarre “bubble” windscreen – but getting in and out might be a struggle.
The three-wheeled 1965 Peel Trident, meant to sit two people, has gained a classic cult following among car enthusiasts over the years.
But it might be the dream car to own if you struggle to find parking spaces for your motor as the Trident is only 73in long and 39in wide.
Built in 1963, the car was pitched as a cheap motor for two people to sit occasionally.
Manufacturers of the motor claimed it to be “almost as cheap as walking” which went on to become its only selling point.
But with a seat that is just 31 inches long, sharing it with another person becomes a challenge in the cramped space.
However, with just 45 Tridents ever produced, the wacky motor eventually became a collector’s special – and continues to be a famous motor with a bizarre design that everyone wants to drive at least once.
Sharing a review of the car, a motor enthusiast, who goes by the name I Drive a Classic on YouTube, said: “You have to be pretty slight because the width of both the seats is just 31 inches.”
The motor enthusiast revealed that the car’s bizarre-looking “bubble” is actually a “perspects dome” made of fibreglass.
One has to lift off the dome to get in and out of the car – but it is not all bad for a car of that size.
The expert said that because of the transparent fibre-glass material, the driver gets a 360-degree view while driving the motor – and there are no blind spots.
She added: “The blind spots are nowhere to be seen. Visibility in [the car] is unrivalled and incredible.
She explained that while Trident was launched as a new hatchback with a refreshed design, it still equipped its predecessor’s 49cc DKW engine that is capable of churning out just 4.2 horsepower while reaching a top speed of 28mph.
Due to the size of the tiny motor, there are almost no safety features inside the car.
The interior comes without padding, there are no airbags fitted for accidental crashes – even the seats don’t have a belt for the driver to put on.
The expert added: “There’s no in-built crash protection or even a vague crumple zone.”
With no safety features whatsoever and a fragile body made of fibreglass, Peel Trident is surely a car that needs extra care.
“You have to be very careful with this [car]. It is very slight and very delicately put together,” the expert said.
“You can’t be manhandling this.”
The Peel Trident was the second small car designed by the company after the P50.
Last year, motorist and YouTuber Robert Dunn took a look inside the Peel P50, which many would recognise as an iconic car from Top Gear and which he describes as a “wonderful, tiny death trap”.
Only two P50s have come up for auction in the last 30 years – the last selling for £120,000 – and the model has been dubbed as the “holy grail” for microcar collectors.
At just 4ft 5ins long and 3ft 3ins wide and tall, the dinky motors are no bigger than an average mobility scooter.
Manufactured by Isle of Man-based Peel Engineering Company, 50 models sold for just £199 each between 1962 and 1965.
There are just 27 examples left today and are highly sought-after by collectors of unusual cars.
The P50 gained more modern popularity when 6ft 5in Jeremy Clarkson drove one around the BBC offices in a 2007 episode of Top Gear.
The wacky three-wheeler doesn’t have a reverse gear, meaning drivers have to get out and pull the car backwards by hand.
It’s so small that designers could only fit one headlight and a single windscreen wiper, too.
And it had a top speed of just 38mph – although reaching that pace wasn’t advised.
RM Sotheby, an auction house owner, said: “The Peel P50 is rare, cute, and a guaranteed conversation starter – what more could anyone want?
“You could park this car in your office, a la Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear, or have it greet guests in the entrance of your home.
“There are collectors who specialize in microcars exclusively, for whom an original P50 is the holy grail.
“As with anything, the value is indicative of the market and it could easily be another decade before we see another Peel P50 at auction.”
