Big challenge for tiny car as driver crosses Britain
A VINTAGE car enthusiast is heading for Cornwall in the world’s smallest car – a tiny three-wheeler with a top speed of just 23mph.
Alex Orchin, 31, set off from John O’Groats last Saturday and by Tuesday he had covered 360 miles in the Peel P50, which is just 134cm long, 98cm wide and 100cm high.
He hopes to reach Land’s End, Cornwall, in around three weeks, becoming the first person to take on the journey in a P50.
P50s were first made on the Isle of Man in the 1960s and in 2010 were named the smallest production car ever built in the book of Guinness World Records.
Alex got the car three years ago from a man in Wales, after becoming obsessed with them when he saw Jeremy Clarkson drive one on Top Gear.
The car was built in 2017 but is based on the original design from the first production models in the 1960s.
Alex, from East Sussex, said: “I saw the P50 on an episode of Top Gear when Jeremy Clarkson was driving it and I was completely captivated by it. I am vintage car enthusiast – I have had a 1914 Model T and a 1968 Morris Minor.
“I got fixated on this idea of having a P50 but when I saw an original was £100,000 it kind of killed it off.
“Then three years ago I bought one of the newer ones from a guy in Wales, so I’m only the second owner.
“The newer ones were made in 2017 and they are a bit more eco-friendly.”
Alex, who is 5ft 11in, crams in the car for 100 miles a day and said people are amazed when they see the tiny motor.
He has taken on the challenge to raise money for BBC Children in Need and is being supported by a friend who is following along in a campervan.
The P50 was transported to the start point in John O’Groats in the back of the campervan.
Alex said: “When Peel found out I was planning to do the trip, they put a new engine in it for me, so it only has 360 miles on the clock – which is exactly how far I have travelled.
“Its top speed is about 23mph – it’ll cruise along nicely at that but nearer 30mph it shakes itself to pieces.
“It wasn’t made for long journeys,” he added, “which is what makes this such a challenge. I’m 5ft 11in and you’re pretty much sitting on the floor with your knees jammed either side of the steering wheel.
“We should reach Land’s End in about two or three weeks,” he said. “We’re stopping off a lot to talk to people about the car and the trip.
“The journey is about 870 miles but I think it will be nearer 1,000, with the stops.”