The 'Manxcar'

 When WW2 ended there was a great shortage of private cars in the UK, all new ones being reserved for export. Kit cars were offered by some small firms for self assembly to offset the purchase tax then being levied on assembled vehicles. This seemed an attractive option for producing in the Isle of Man and a simple 3-wheeler design was evolved,as this could be driven by holders of a motorcycle driving licence.

However, there were objections from the then UK based Customs & Excise and payment of purchase tax would have greatly reduced the sales potential so the project was abandoned with regret.

P.1000 Car Body

The first car body that we produced was designed for fitting to the Ford 8/10 or Morris 8 chassis. A simple one piece shell it found a ready market but it required internal framework for support, so a self supporting body was eveolved, consisting of a front section with bonnet, lid and dashboard, double skinned doors with integral pockets, a rear section with boot lid and named the P.1000. Sales were very encouraging, the sections could be packed into a crate of 5ft cube and at one time nearly 500 of these were in circulation.

The Viking Sport

A design for a sports car based on the Mini was evolved but using the longer Minivan wheelbase. The entire body shell was moulded in GRP and many of the original Mini fittings and components utilised, but with the addition of a raised central floor tunnel to give longitudinal stiffness. A light steel tube frame was bonded internally to connect all the important stress points and termed the 'bird cage'.

The prototype car was exhibited at the London Racing Car Show and this was a great opportunity to meet some of the most prominent designers and builders in the racing and sports car field, at least one of whom subsequently produced a car using virtually the same technology

The GRP 'Mini' for the British Motor Corporation (Austin/Morris)

For political reasons in some overseas countires, BMC required a GRP version of the very popular 'Mini' and our 'Viking Sport' was possibly the reason for our being awarded the contract. this was to design and produce prototypes and associated moulds, jigs and tools - a considerable personal responsibility. The BMC distributors in Chile were the primary outlet, so a number of South Americans arrived in Peel to view the project.

One car was taken to MIRA for the crash test and well exceeded the standard metal version, likewise another on the tordion testing rig at the Austin Factory in Birmingham.

Peel P.50 Production

Initial sales ofthe P.50 were quite encouraging with interest shown by several large motorcycle dealers in the UK, Europe and the USA. An unexpected problem arose with the 2-stroke engine: a number of owners omitted to add oil to the petrol when refueling, in spite of more than adequate warning and even after a specially made combined filler cap and oil measure were added. So, with engine failures, and in light of the virtually fraudulent but ferocious legal threats, the decision was taken to abandon the project for the time being.

The Trident

The P.50 was intended as a strictly single seater vehicle, but a suggestion was made for a slightly larger version, perhap to carry an adult plus child and a larger luggage capacity. So the idea for the ultimate in  utility car body design came about with just two GRP mouldings: the chassis with seats and a top moulding (hinged at the front with a spring loaded stay, making it easily lifted for access). A machine was built to produce clear pespex 'bubble top' canopies, assessed to be near aircraft quality, which gave superb all round vision.

A 4-stroke engine was sought but, in the meantime, all the cars built were fitted with the DKW unit as for the P.50. Just one example was built with a Triumph 'Tina' engine with automatic drive but quantities were not available for nearly twelve months, by which time other contracts were undertaken.