Peel Trident
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| Manufacturer | Peel Engineering Company |
|---|---|
| Production | 1965-1966 Approximately 45 produced[1] |
| Class | Microcar |
| Body style(s) | One-door coupe |
| Engine(s) | DKW 49 cc, 4.2 hp + some cars made with Triumph Tina 99 cc |
| Transmission(s) | 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 (making it larger than the earlier Peel P50, which had only a single seat). 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), with a weight of 198 lb (90 kg). Like the P50, it uses a 49 cc (3.0 cu in) DKW engine, but has a greater top speed at 46 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 4.2PS 804-1600 type. Uniquely, however, the Peel engines had the 9th digit as a 4, thus being of the form 80416004***.[citation needed]
[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 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"
[edit] Availability and value
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This section does not cite any references or sources. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. (April 2009) |
Only a few genuine Tridents remain, partly due to vulnerability of the bubble-top. The majority of these are still in Great Britain.
[edit] References
[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
