Peel Microcars
The Peel Microcars were produced in the 1960s by Peel Engineering on the Isle of Man and were the world’s smallest cars. The Peel P 50 was a single seat 3-wheeler with a German 49 cc two-stroke engine produced by Zweirad Union (DKW) and originally was a moped engine. The car was a simple glass fibre construction with no chassis, a length of 54 in (1.37 m) and a width of 41 in (1.04 m). The car was available in red, white and blue. As the engine was placed under the driver’s seat the car was very loud. It also had hardly any comfort, no speedometer and not even indicators or brake signs. The driver had to use hand signs, which wasn’t too easy as only the window on the right hand side could be opened. Less than 50 cars were built from 1963 t0 1964.The Peel Trident was a 2-seater 3-wheeler and a few cars had a 99 cc Triumph Tina/T10 engine and an 8” rear wheel, instead of the 49 cc Zweirad Union engine. The car was a little bigger than the P 50 with a length of 71 in (1.81 m) and a width of 42 in (1.07 m). Some of the cars were fitted with a shopping basket instead of the passenger seat. The colours available were red and blue and a little more than 80 cars were built from 1964 to 1966.
Mini
As during the Suez Crisis in 1956 more and more German Bubble Cars were sold in Britain, the head of BMC, Leonard Lord, decided to design a miniature car. It was ‘to drive the Bubble cars off the roads’. The car should be no bigger than 10 x 4 x 4 ft (3 x 1.2 x 1.2 m) and an already existing engine was to be used.
A front-wheel-drive car with a conventional BMC A-series four-cylinder water-cooled engine was designed by Sir Alec Issigonis. The engine was mounted in transversely, with the radiator on the left and had an engine-oil lubricated four-speed transmission in the sump. The Mini was born. The first of the in Birmingham produced cars were sold in 1959. And from 1959 to 2000 5,387,862 cars were sold.
The Mini became at least as popular as the Volkswagen Beetle.
Here are some of the specifications of the Mini:
- Production – 1959-2000
- Manufacturer – BMC to MG Rover and Innocenti, Authi
- Class – Supermini
- Engine – A-series 850-1275 cc 14
- Transmission – 4-speed manual, 4-speed automatic, 5-speed manual( a few models only)
- Wheelbase – saloon: 80.3 in (2.14 m), estate and commercials: 84.3 in (2.40 m)
- Length – saloon: 120.1 in (3.05 m), estate and commercials: 133.9 in (3.40 m)
- Width – 55.1 in (1.40 m)
- Height – 53.1 in (1.35 m)
- Kerb weight – 1,360 to 1,512 lb (617 to 686 kg)
There will be a Mini4kids Show at Gunway Quays, Portsmouth on Sunday, October 11, 2009. All Minis and Mini based cars are welcome.
