Peel Trident

The Isle of Man, situated between England and Ireland, was home to Peel Engineering — the only carmaker ever to emerge from the island.

Though small, the company left a lasting mark on the microcar world with ideas still discussed decades later. Peel began with motorcycle fairings and boat hulls, and by the 1950s was also producing car body kits.

In 1962 the company introduced its most famous creation, the P50, celebrated as the smallest production passenger car ever made.

Peel followed with the Trident, unveiled at the 1964 British Motorcycle Show at Earls Court. Although based on the same basic chassis as the P50, it was an entirely new design, built in 1965–66.

The body was larger, styled for two passengers on a 79-centimetre-wide seat, and covered by a big clear plastic dome that lifted for entry.

Production came to roughly 45 units, with the last six receiving a 98 cc Triumph Tina scooter engine with automatic belt drive.

In 1966 Peel even offered a 12-volt electric version with a range of about 65 kilometres, and eventually moved on to producing Mini body shells.

As TIME wryly noted, “The Trident is a good example of why all those futuristic bubbletop cars of GM’s Motorama period would never work: the sun would cook you alive under the Plexiglas.”