WE’VE SEEN SOME SILLY prices being paid for classic cars at auction lately, but this one takes the cake! And according to the auction house, Car & Classic (UK), the £111,000 ($A201,200) paid isn’t even the highest ever for the model (apparently, one sold for $A240,000 in the UK in 2016).
The P50 was built from 1962 to 1965 on the Isle of Man and is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest production car ever made. Reportedly, 47 were built and apparently, 27 are known to have survived.
The Peel doesn’t even look to be in particularly good condition, although it is said to have had a wild past, being used in a promotional stunt going all the way to the top of the Blackpool Tower. It may be the earliest model ever made, as a pre-production example sporting a lower fitment of the windscreen, early Lucas sidelights, a cream steering wheel and no rear roll bar. No other Peel has the same features.
Capable of 38mph (61km/h) and with fuel consumption of 100mpg (2.35L/100km), the 59kg car has no onboard instruments or odometer, nor a reverse gear, relying on being lifted and turned into the desired direction by the driver. Its compact and cheeky looks make it a striking choice as a city car. Partly because of its glamorous history and totally unique features as well as its rarity as a model, the Peel was the object of brisk bidding until the winning £111,000.
And if the Peel doesn’t float your boat, how about this 1973 Reliant Supervan (a model best known for appearing in Only Fools and Horses). Top speed for this is a heady 120km/h (although we’d be more than a little nervous trying to achieve it). It sold at the same auction for £6,200 ($A11,200).