Peel Engineering · 1965–present
Peel Trident
The Peel Trident is the second three-wheeled microcar built by the Peel Engineering Company on the Isle of Man. An all-new design from its one-seat counterpart the Peel P50, the Trident has two seats.
Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Predecessor: Peel P50
All Peel Engineering Trident data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →
History
The Trident was launched at the 1964 British Motorcycle Show held at Earls Court. The seat, stated as being 31 in (79 cm) wide, was intended to provide for use as an occasional two-seater. A completely new design from the earlier side-engined Peel P50 microcar, the Trident was manufactured in 1965 and 1966. In 2011, Peel Engineering Ltd. reinstated manufacture of the Peel Trident and P50, in Sutton-in-Ashfield, near Nottingham, England. All vehicles are hand-built to order in petrol and electric form.
Description and specifications
The glass-fibre shell was a monocoque with coil-sprung, undamped wheels. It featured a clear bubble top and either two seats or one seat with a detachable shopping basket. The Lakeland Motor Museum observes that the Trident's bubble top constituted grounds for its sobriquet "The Terrestrial Flying Saucer." Like its predecessor, it was marketed as a "shopping car" or a "Saloon Scooter". The car is 73 in (185 cm) long and 39 in (99 cm) wide, with a weight of 330 lb (150 kg). Like the P50, it uses a 49 cc (3.0 cu in) DKW engine which generates 4.2 hp (3.1 kW), and a top speed of 28 mph (45 km/h). 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. All engines supplied to Peel from Zweirad Union (for both the P50 and Trident) were of the 49 cc 3-speed 4.2 hp 804–1600 type. Uniquely, however, the Peel engines had the 8th digit as a 4, thus being of the form 80416004***. This car is one of the smallest in the world.
Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.
Specifications
- name
- Peel Trident
- Manufacturer
- Peel Engineering Company (1965–1966), Peel Engineering Ltd. (2011–present)
- Production
- 1965–1966, (Approximately 45 produced), 2011–present
- Class
- Microcar
- Body style
- Flip-top (no-door) coupé
- Engine
- DKW 49 cc , Triumph Tina 99 cc
- Transmission
- 3-speed manual
- Length
- 73 in
- Width
- 39 in
- Layout
- Rear-engine, rear-wheel drive
- Kerb weight
- 330 lb
- Predecessor
- Peel P50
- Successor
- Peel Viking Sport
- Designer
- Cyril Cannell
- Related
- Peel P50, Peel Manxcar, Peel Viking Sport
- sp
- uk
Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Check the linked sources for citations.
More photos
Sources
- Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q2223824CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peel_TridentCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1312613101 · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:PeelTrident.jpgCC BY 2.0 · Photo: David Hunter · retrieved 2026-10-01
- Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.