In the world's tiniest car

It looks as if someone has unbolted it from a merry-go-round and plonked it down in some traffic. Postman Pat’s van could probably outrun it and the cabin is so cramped that Noddy would struggle to bring any shopping back from Toytown. Ah, but there’s nothing quite like a Peel Car for driving to the office. In through the front door and straight up the ramp. Into the lift and along the corridor. Steady on the carpet tiles… mind the girl in high heels by the photocopier… toot toot on the horn as we round the bend by the water cooler. Then – handbrake, neutral, and straight down to work. That’s the beauty of this impossibly cute, appealingly awful throwback to a 1960s vision that never got far beyond the starting grid. It’s the world’s smallest production car – and you can park it next to your desk. True, you won’t be too popular if you opt for the petrol version over the eco-friendly electric one. But out on the road, this quirky, ugly, rattly little Ronnie Corbett of an automobile is a giant in one rather unexpected area. It has more pulling power than a Ferrari. Take the Peel Car out for a spin and you instantly become the centre of attention. But don’t be fooled into thinking this is a grown-up car. You might be able to drive from London to Bristol on a gallon of petrol (or for 32 miles in the electric car) but you won’t be allowed on the motorways. The car is the born-again version of a uniquely British classic that was made on the Isle of Man between 1962 and 1965. Only 50 were ever produced. Now it is being remanufactured as the P50 Peel Car by two enthusiasts who recently won backing from Dragons’ Den investor James Caan. They are planning a limited edition run before deciding whether to produce a viable, everyday micro-car that would be hand-built in Britain. But at £15,000 each (or more than £100,000 for a mint condition original) why would anyone buy one? ‘We sold one to a lawyer who travels by private jet to London from the North of England,’ 29-year-old company co-owner Faizal Khan said. ‘He parks the jet, gets out the P50 and drives to work. And women seem to like it because although it’s classed as a scooter it’s got a roof, you don’t get your hair messed up, and you can park it virtually anywhere.’