YOU could take a ride in the world’s smallest sports car with a bizarre bubble-shaped windscreen – but getting in and out could be a struggle.
The 1965 three-wheeled Peel Trident, designed to seat two people, has gained a cult classic among car enthusiasts over the years.
4
4
But it could be the dream car if you have trouble finding parking spaces for your motorbike, as the Trident is just 73 inches long and 39 inches wide.
Built in 1963, the car was introduced as a cheap motor for two people to occasionally sit in.
The engine’s manufacturers claimed it was “almost as cheap as running”, which became its only selling point.
But with a seat only 31 centimeters long, sharing it with someone else becomes a challenge in the tight space.
However, with only 45 Tridents ever produced, the crazy engine ended up becoming a collector’s special – and remains a famous engine 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 really light because the width of both seats is just 31 inches.”
The motor enthusiast revealed that the car’s bizarre-looking “bubble” is actually a “perspective dome” made from fiberglass.
You have to lift the dome to get in and out of the car – but not everything is bad for a car of this size.
The expert said that because of the transparent fiberglass material, the driver has a 360-degree view while driving the engine – and there are no blind spots.
She added: “Blind spots are nowhere to be found. Visibility in [the car] It’s incomparable and incredible.
She explained that although the Trident was launched as a new hatchback with an updated design, it still equipped its predecessor’s 49cc DKW engine, which is capable of producing just 4.2 horsepower and reaching a top speed of 45 km/h.
Due to the small engine size, there are almost no safety features inside the car.
The interior is unpadded, there are no airbags for accidental collisions – not even the seats have belts for the driver to put on.
The expert added: “There is no integrated collision protection or even a vague crumple zone.”
Without any safety features and with a fragile body made of fiberglass, the Peel Trident is certainly a car that needs extra care.
“You have to be very careful with this [car]. It is very light and delicately assembled,” said the expert.
“You can’t be dealing with this.”
The Peel Trident was the second small car designed by the company after the P50.
Last year, driver and YouTuber Robert Dunn took a look inside the Peel P50, which many would recognize as an iconic Top Gear car and which he describes as a “wonderful little death trap”.
Just two P50s have been auctioned in the last 30 years – the last selling for £120,000 – and the model has been dubbed the “Holy Grail” for microcar collectors.
At just 4 feet 5 inches long and 3 feet 3 inches wide and tall, the little engines are no bigger than a standard scooter.
Manufactured by the Isle of Man-based Peel Engineering Company, 50 models were sold for just £199 each between 1962 and 1965.
Only 27 examples remain today and are highly sought after by collectors of unusual cars.
The P50 gained more modern popularity when 6ft 1in Jeremy Clarkson drove one around the BBC offices in a 2007 episode of Top Gear.
The crazy 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 were only able to fit a headlight and a single windshield wiper.
And it had a top speed of just 38mph – although it wouldn’t be advisable to hit that pace.
Auction house owner RM Sotheby 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, like Jeremy Clarkson on Top Gear, or have it greet guests on your driveway.
“There are collectors specializing exclusively in microcars, for whom an original P50 is the Holy Grail.
“As with anything, value is indicative of the market and it could easily be another decade before we see another Peel P50 at auction.”
4
This story originally appeared on The-sun.com read the full story
