Smallest and Slowest Car in the World: Peel P50
These days when it comes to cars, bigger is often better. However, the Peel P50 staked its claim on being the smallest car in the world.
Written by Hannah DeWitt
Reviewed by Kathleen Flear
With most
car manufacturing
, bigger or faster is usually the name of the game. Cars are meant to be big enough to carry what you need or fast enough to make driving more fun.We’ve gone a step in the opposite direction and found the slowest car in the world. Introducing the Peel P50, along with some other tastefully small and
slow rides
.What is the world’s slowest car?
According to
Cars From Japan
, the world’s slowest car is the Peel P50, released in 1962 by Peel Engineering. The car has three wheels, one headlight, one seat, and tops out at 28 mph. However, its speed is not the only remarkable thing about it.With a length of 54 inches, it’s also the smallest car in the world. The P50 even holds the Guinness World Record for the smallest car ever produced.
Though the car is manufactured today, the model was discontinued 1969, then brought back in 2010. The original version of this three-wheeled beauty ran on gas, but now there are
electric and combustion
versions available.Another welcome addition to the new Peel P50 model is a reverse gear. The ’62-’69 models relied on a rear handle and the strength of the driver, as its one forward gear required it to be pulled backward by hand. The car’s 130-pound weight made this less of a chore than it might seem, but a reverse gear is welcome, nonetheless.
However, the new engine puts out less power than the original, which is surprising given that the original engine only generated 4.2 horsepower. The current engine has just 3.35 horsepower, but it makes an impressively fuel-efficient 118 mpg. This outstanding fuel economy will cost you, though. The P50 costs nearly $16,000.
Other honorable mentions
Though the Peel P50 holds the records for both slowest and smallest, that hasn’t stopped other companies from following in their footsteps.
According to
DriveTribe
, the second slowest car in the world is the Aixam Coupe. It’s a bit more car-like than the P50 in that it has two doors, two seats, and four wheels. It even has some trunk space in the back, though not much. Its top speed is well below 60 mph, and it puts out a measly 5.6 horsepower. But hey, that doesn’t mean it wouldn’t be fun to drive.Another one of the world’s slowest cars is the
Renault
Twizy. Like the P50, it has just one seat, but it boasts a hefty 17 horsepower, which leaves the rest of these beauties in the dust.Are there benefits to driving slow cars?
MORE: Can You Get a Ticket for Driving Too Slowly?
Though these cars aren’t going to save you any time on your commute, their excellent fuel efficiency has to count for something. Saving that much money on gas might be worth adding some time to your drive. Plus, they release less carbon than most cars.
And hey, you’ll at least save money on potential speeding tickets, as these cars likely aren’t capable of breaking many speed limits in the first place. If you need something to help break you of your speeding habits, you might want to look into it.
Speed up the process of finding the right car insurance
Even if your vehicle is more of a cart than a car, you’ll still need to insure it if you plan to drive it on the roads. Finding the right car insurance policy for you at the best price is no easy task, but
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