[{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BlogPosting","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/nec-classic-motor-show-peel-p50-the-biggest-show-with-the-smallest-car\/#BlogPosting","mainEntityOfPage":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/nec-classic-motor-show-peel-p50-the-biggest-show-with-the-smallest-car\/","headline":"NEC Classic Motor Show & Peel P50 – The Biggest Show with the Smallest Car","name":"NEC Classic Motor Show & Peel P50 – The Biggest Show with the Smallest Car","description":"The biggest UK classic car show starts on Friday 16th November at the Birmingham NEC.\u00a0 As the UK’s biggest classic car event with around 1500 classic cars and 350 classic motorbikes on display it provides a fine homage to motoring history.\u00a0 Whether you’re into vintage racers, pre-war classics, supercars, tiny micro cars or huge American beauties, some of the world’s oldest and most beautiful cars will be on display. As the show organisers state: “It’s all about bringing together people […]","datePublished":"2012-11-07","dateModified":"2012-11-07","author":{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/#Person","name":"Isabelle Lawrence","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/author\/isabelle-lawrence\/","identifier":30,"description":"Max Wheeler is a leading motoring journalist and classic car specialist at Smart Motoring, renowned for his sharp insight and infectious passion for all things automotive. With years of experience covering motoring news, supercars, and the enduring legacy of classic cars, Max brings stories to life with style and authority. Whether it\u2019s the roar of a Lamborghini, the elegance of an Aston Martin DB5, or the cultural impact of vintage motoring icons, he delivers expert commentary that inspires enthusiasts and collectors alike. Dedicated to celebrating the heritage and future of driving, Max Wheeler is your trusted voice for classic car news and beyond.","image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/8d331506e3c530b5ec4930c30a01ed8cc29b0537227573ae5da98f559e681401?s=96&d=mm&r=g","height":96,"width":96}},"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Smart Motoring","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2024\/10\/smart-motoring_news_logo_g-e1765846726493.webp","width":600,"height":60}},"image":{"@type":"ImageObject","@id":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/mv-size-facts.jpg","url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/11\/mv-size-facts.jpg","height":433,"width":577},"url":"https:\/\/smart-motoring.com\/latest-news\/nec-classic-motor-show-peel-p50-the-biggest-show-with-the-smallest-car\/","about":["CLASSIC CARS","Clubs \/ Events","LATEST CAR NEWS"],"wordCount":1393,"keywords":["birmingham","classic car","classic motor show","james caan","jeremy clarkson","nec","p50","peel","show","smallest car","supercars","top gear"],"articleBody":"The biggest UK classic car show starts on Friday 16th November at the Birmingham NEC.\u00a0 As the UK’s biggest classic car event with around 1500 classic cars and 350 classic motorbikes on display it provides a fine homage to motoring history.\u00a0 Whether you’re into vintage racers, pre-war classics, supercars, tiny micro cars or huge American beauties, some of the world’s oldest and most beautiful cars will be on display.As the show organisers state: “It’s all about bringing together people who share a passion for cars”This year’s show theme is ‘What’s the Story’ as many of the popular classic cars on display have a story to share.\u00a0 Perhaps it’s the car’s story that we really buy into when considering our classic car purchases.\u00a0 For example, would the Aston Martin DB5 be nearly as popular or expensive if it hadn’t featured as James Bonds car?\u00a0 How would we perceive the original British Mini if it wasn’t for the film The Italian Job?\u00a0 Talking of which, in celebration of this year’s event, The Electric Theatre in Birmingham, which is the UK’s oldest working cinema, will be showing original 1969 film featuring\u00a0 the iconic car chase scene with the red, white, and blue Mini’s on 10th November at 3pm.Performance Direct will of course be exhibiting at the Classic Motor Show again this year and as it’s story time at the Classic Motor Show we’ve picked a car with a long and interesting story behind it to show off on our stand; The Peel P50, renowned as the worlds smallest car.\u00a0 In fact, as they are so small we’ve got two of them.\u00a0 So, as the theme of the show suggests, let’s ask, “What’s the story?”.Firstly, I’d like to start with BMW.\u00a0 “What have BMW got to do with the Peel P50?” I hear you cry.\u00a0 And the answer is nothing at all really.\u00a0 Okay, so why bring it up?\u00a0 BMW have just released information on the 116d Efficient Dynamics five-door hatchback which won the award for the best internal combustion engine in the recent 64 mile Brighton to London run.\u00a0 The car averaged 103 mpg for the run and it was seen as a spectacular triumph for the famous car marque.\u00a0 But the Peel P50 makes this achievement look fairly insignificant as it has been doing over 100mpg since 1962, with the modern versions up to 118mpg.\u00a0 That’s almost 20 percent more efficient that a prize winning BMW.\u00a0 Yes the BMW can reach a top speed of 121mph, carry passengers, is comfortable to sit in and has a 0-62mph time of 10.5 seconds which is over twice the speed that the Peel P50 can reach but the Peel P50 is far cuter because it’s very very little.The Peel P50 is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the smallest car in the world.\u00a0 At 54 inches long and 41 inches wide it was designed to fit a single occupant with a single bag of shopping in.\u00a0 Originally retailing for under \u00a3200, the 2-stroke, 49cc, 4.5 HP engine powers the fibreglass three-wheeler up to a top speed of 28mph.\u00a0 The car has no reverse gear but is light enough that if you get yourself boxed in you can simply get out of the car, pick it up, and put it somewhere else.\u00a0 Something that is far more difficult in a BMW.The Peel P50 seems to win over the hearts and minds of anyone that sees it.\u00a0 I remember seeing it featured on Top Gear where Jeremy Clarkson drives one into the Top Gear offices.\u00a0 The entire Top Gear team found the car to be completely irresistible and were clambering over each other to get near to it, which really does say something when you consider the sort of supercars that they usually get to play with.\u00a0 Perhaps it was merely because it was the first car that Clarkson had driven inside the office but I like to think it was down to the unique appeal (a-peel) of the car.The cute little Peel P50 has seen a lot of celebrity action.\u00a0 As well as being featured on Top Gear it has also seen such stars behind it’s little wheel as Danni Minogue and Holly Willoughby.It was when it featured on Dragons Den in 2011 that the company got it’s biggest boost though.\u00a0 James Caan invested \u00a380,000 in the company and secured himself two Peels, a P50 and a Trident, for his driving pleasure.\u00a0 I wonder how often he drives them?\u00a0 The investment has seen the company being able to move forward and continue to trade this quirky and interesting piece of motoring history.\u00a0 Just to clear this point up, the modern Peel P50’s are manufactured by a company called Peel Engineering Ltd and are made in England.\u00a0 This company is not to be confused with the original company called the Peel Engineering Company which manufactured it’s cars on the Isle of Man until 1966.\u00a0 While they produce the same products and sound exactly the same they are two very distinct and separate companies.With the continued industry thrust for smaller engines, better economy and smaller city cars the Peel P50 takes a proud stance in both the history and the future of motoring.\u00a0 Without the P50 would we have the much larger but still relatively quite small Renault Twizy for example?\u00a0 The Peel P50 is particularly remarkable in one way – you only need to look at the photo of Danni Minogue below as this is the typical look of someone sitting in the car.\u00a0 You just can’t help but smile when you sit in one.More about the NEC Classic Motor Show.For classic car fans the NEC Classic Motor Show really does have a lot to offer.\u00a0 If you’re looking for car parts there is an Autojumble which is so large it’s been said that if you’re looking for a product of service for a classic car and it’s not at the show it probably doesn’t exist.TV’s ‘Wheeler Dealers’ Mike Brewer and Edd China will be hosting the popular live show again which is free to attend for ticket holders.\u00a0 Experts from Leeds City College will be demonstrating restoration and maintenance techniques in the Restoration Theatre so that you can learn new skills and old techniques from the masters.\u00a0 They’re an extremely knowledgeable team and are generally happy to chat and answer questions from like-minded car fans.While on the subject of restorations, Maguiars self-acclaimed ‘car crazy’ team will be showing off some of the finest restorations on their stand.\u00a0 The quality of restoration work is second to none and they always have something interesting to show off to the car fanatic crowd.If you’re in the market for a new, rather an old, classic car there is a Cars for Sale section with all tastes and budgets catered for, from 10k to over 100k, it’s a great place to consider your next purchase.\u00a0 Alongside this will be the acclaimed Silverstone Auctions which even if you have as little money as me it’s well worth a look round to drool over metalwork that you’ll probably never afford.\u00a0 I’m still drooling over the most beautiful Jaguar XK150 I’d ever seen from the last Silverstone Auction I went to.And who wouldn’t want a ride in their dream car in exchange for a donation to charity.\u00a0 Cobras, Ferraris, Maserati’s, Porsches, GT40\u2019s, Jags, MG\u2019s, Lamborghinis, Aston Martins will all be there ready for you to play with.\u00a0 The segment is run by the charity ‘Sporting Bears’ who give their time, fuel, and the wear and tear on their cherished cars free of charge.\u00a0 All the money collected goes to charity.So come along to the Classic Motor Show and visit Performance Direct and the Peel P50 on our stand (Number: 10T10).Show dates\/times are:Friday November 16th – from 10am – 6.30pmSaturday November 17th – from 9am – 6.30pmSunday November 18th – from 9am – 5.30pmFor those of you wishing to relive Jeremy Clarksons Peel P50 experience on Top Gear here’s the video:Peel photos: Andy CarterFor more information on the Peel P50 and Peel Trident please visit: www.peelengineering.co.uk"},{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org\/","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"name":"Latest 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