Photo Credit: Philip (flip) Kromer from Austin, TX GFDL CC BY-SA 2.5-2.0-1.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Measuring just 134cm (52.8inches) in length and 99cm (39 inches) in width, the car was designed to fit just the driver (hopefully not too tall) and a shopping bag. Meet the Peel P50, the world's smallest roadworthy automobile.

Designed as a city car, the Peel P50 had three wheels and came equipped with only a left door, a single windshield wiper, and one headlight. It's 49cc engine, allowed for a maximum speed of 38mph and the manual three-speed gear could be used for only a forward motion - yes the car had no reverse gear!

If the driver wished to reverse, he or she would have to manually push it, or pull it around using the handles at the front or back of the 130lbs car (see picture). It is therefore not surprising to learn that the manufacturer produced only fifty of these cars and they were deemed roadworthy only in Britain. However, priced at just about $400 USD, the car was quite a bargain. Today with only 20 of the original ones left, they can fetch between $60,000 to $75,000 USD from collectors.

Much to the delight of the people in London, Ripley's Believe It Or Not recently acquired an original for their England location, and it now stands proudly among its other 800+ equally amazing exhibits. While we are not sure this car is safe, it looks like it would be fun to drive and definitely easier to park than normal vehicles.

Source: Wikipedia.org, telegraph.co.uk