Peel Trident
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| Manufacturer | Peel Engineering Company |
|---|---|
| Production | 1965-1966 Approximately 45 produced[1] |
| Class | Microcar |
| Body style | One-door coupe |
| Layout | Side-engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Engine | DKW 49 cc, 4.2 hp + some cars made with Triumph Tina 99 cc |
| Transmission | 3-speed manual |
| Length | 183 cm (72.0 in) |
| Width | 107 cm (42.1 in) |
| Curb weight | 90 kg (198 lb) |
| Related | Peel P50 |
| Designer | Cyril Cannell |
The Peel Trident was the second three-wheeled microcar made by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man. It was manufactured in 1965 and 1966. The Trident featured a clear bubble top and either two seats or one seat with a detachable shopping basket. It has been described as "a terrestrial flying saucer".[by whom?] Like its predecessor it was marketed as a "shopping car" or a "Saloon Scooter".[citation needed]
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[edit] Specifications
The car is 72 in (1,829 mm) long and 42 in (1,067 mm) wide, with a weight of 198 lb (90 kg). Like the P50, it uses a 49 cc (3.0 cu in) DKW engine, and a top speed at 38 mph. It was advertised that the Trident got 100 miles per imperial gallon (2.8 L/100 km; 83 mpg-US), "almost cheaper than walking". The original retail price was £190.[1]
All engines supplied to Peel from Zweirad Union (for both the P50 and Trident) were of the 49 cc 3-speed 4.2 horsepower 804-1600 type. Uniquely, however, the Peel engines had the 9th digit as a 4, thus being of the form 80416004***.[citation needed] This car is one of the smallest in the world.
[edit] Media appearances
The Trident made a late transatlantic media appearance in the American television series Monster Garage, when a team of engineers and fabricators attempted to fit a high-performance Suzuki Hayabusa superbike engine into the bodywork of a Trident, mounted onto a conventional go-kart frame. The project was a failure, and the unfinished car was destroyed by the show's host, Jesse James, with a single shot from a .50 caliber sniper rifle.[2] This car was actually a replica built by Andy Carter in Nottingham, UK.[3]
It also made a brief appearance in the BBC motoring programme Top Gear on BBC Two, where co-presenter James May described the Peel Trident as "something out of The Jetsons". Co-presenter Jeremy Clarkson described the Peel Trident, along with its sister, the Peel P50, as his perfect two-car garage. The Trident appeared on the BBC business programme Dragons' Den in August 2010.
[edit] Reviews
The Trident, along with its sister car the P50, have been on many of the world's Worst Car lists. TIME [4] has it on its 50 Worst Cars of All Time.
[edit] References
- ^ a b "Lane Motor Museum - 1965 Peel Trident". http://www.lanemotormuseum.org/. http://www.lanemotormuseum.org/collection/337-peel-trident-1965.
- ^ Monster Garage Season 3 Episode 58[dead link]
- ^ "Modern Microcars". Modern Microcars. http://www.modernmicrocars.co.uk/. Retrieved 2011-11-05.
- ^ "The 50 Worst Cars Of All Time". Time. 7 September 2007. http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/article/0,28804,1658545_1658498_1657834,00.html/.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Peel Trident |
- Peel Microcars
- Peel Trident Factory Movie
- Peel Cars photographs of 20+ Peel Cars at a rally in their hometown of Peel, Isle of Man.
- A little about the car and company
- Information and pictures
- Time Magazine's 50 Worst Cars Ever
http://www.micromaniacsclub.co.uk " Multi-make microcar club welcoming owners and drivers of Peels"
