Another Peel on the market.

[Big Al]

I wonder if I dare mention this and if I am behind the times. I have just been emailed about a 125cc Peel Trident replica of increased size using Vespa wheels ready to hit the market. It claims to have a reverse. I have sent the link to Stuart as he is far more likely to know something about it and place it before you in a way you can all see it. I note Jonathon has been on Facebook about it so maybe its old news.

[Jonathan Poll]

I wonder if I dare mention this and if I am behind the times. I have just been emailed about a 125cc Peel Trident replica of increased size using Vespa wheels ready to hit the market. It claims to have a reverse. I have sent the link to Stuart as he is far more likely to know something about it and place it before you in a way you can all see it. I note Jonathon has been on Facebook about it so maybe its old news.

Yeah, its also 1/4 size bigger if I'm right. Mold was not took off an original, all by computer and hand!

[Bob Purton]

Either the Trident is very big or the Chinaman is very small!  I cant see the point, surley the fascination with Peels is that they are small.

[Big Al]

Why not own the biggest replica of the smallest car ever made? Its as sensible as owning a half sized replica of best microcar ever made. The big thing behind all this, though, is to own the biggest profit in making a totally useless car!

[Bob Purton]

Just read this from Isetta world.

Replicas are not my cup of tea, especially when there are original vehicles
still existing, but in the following email which I received today, someone
believes that yet another version of the Peel Trident can find a place in the
already crowded market. But... if you're interested, here are the details ....

( Quote )
Hi, ( from Pedromacosta@... )

If your business is scooters and motorcycles, then here is the product that will
make you a fortune.
Me and my partners are currently manufacturing scooter-cars also know as
microcars and will have them ready for the UK streets this year.
Based on the 1950s Peel Trident scooter-car our microcar is 20% larger than the
original, with a solid metal chassis, vespa wheels and built to height
standards. It comes with a 125cc scooter engine and is fully road legal.
The economy of operating such a small car (125cc scooter engine) or cars with
very small engines being treated as motorcycles for tax and insurance purposes
are enormous. In the UK , microcars with a certain maximum weight are considered
motorcycles and therefore no car driving licence is needed (also in Austria ,
France , Germany , Spain , Italy and most of Europe ).
Our microcar will be fully road legal and can be parked perpendicular, where
other cars park parallel, or be lifted by hand, like a motor scooter, to get
into a tight spot. But the best of all is the fact that it will have an inbuilt
reverse gear, this engine has been developed by us and is the only of its kind,
the only 125cc engine to have an inbuilt reverse gear.
Follow our progress on facebook
https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.283093258368065.77935.100000021786213&\
type=1&l=83b8678885
Be the first one to place an order for this revolutionary means of
transportation.
Prices start at around £1,500.00 (FOB), models with Honda engines will not have
reverse gear.

Thank you ( Quote ends )

You can tell they are microcar enthusiasts ( NOT ! ) because they tell us the
Peel Trident was a vehicle from the 1950's. Maybe they know of some early cars
which were ahead of the 1960's cars which we all know ?

What do Isetta World readers think of replicas in general ?

Terry

[Chris Thomas]

Dear Friends

Like all small cars they are only fun to drive if you can get into them in the first place. Being horizontally and vertically stretched this is often something of a challenge for me to get into vehicles designed for the average Indian or Chinese national. The possibility of a small car that you can get into and drive comfbortably will be of interest to some people, especially those that do not worry about owning an original.

I can see it selling in small numbers in the northern USA.( no air conditioning) and some European countries where there are tall people. But beyond that I can not see it competing with VW, Toyota and Ford.

at £1500 each I can not see anybody making any profit. Do not hold your breath on this one.

Chris Thomas

[micro marshall]

 as much a i hate replicas because they are basically "fakes" but they are increasing the values of the originals

[Bob Purton]

We are all entitled to our opinion but I disagree on both counts, a replica is only a fake when its meant to defraud someone or deceive them.  For example I'm building a replica Wimshurst machine at the moment for a film prop, seen from a distance it will look the business but it will never be passed off as the real thing, its just a cheaper option for the film makers rather than buying a real one and its the same with cars.  How have replicas increased the value of real ones? I would have thought the opposite? Is it because all the replicas have created more awareness? 

[Jim Janecek]

I agree with Bob.
I think the existence of Peel Replicas "waters down" the market value of the real ones.
Part of the "value" of the remaining cars is the attention they get.
Lane Motor Museum recently brought their P50 and Trident to Detroit Michigan for the 2013 International Auto Show to display with 6 other Microcars.
As usual, the Peels were a big hit.  Got more attention than any of the other micros.

As more replicas become available to own, the sphere of people that pay crazy money for things that attract attention is reduced.
Why pay a lot of money when you can get a Replica that looks the same?

That doesn't mean there are not people out there that appreciate original vehicles and are willing to pay a fair price for them, but recent sales seem to support my opinion.

I know people that have tried to pass off replica Peels as "real", mostly in terms of display; when they say the vehicles are "1965" model vehicles.
When pressed they will admit they are replicas, but until then....no comment.

[Big Al]

A look on eBay where Emma and Alan Evans have advertised a 'kit' version of their Peel replicar at a 'knock down' price would rather suggest the smiley bulgy bottom is hanging out of the fashion statement trousers on this one. To many of anything reduces the value of the lot. However a stunningly good bargain for someone wanting Peelesque excitement in a carpark or field somewhere. Depends what your into Peels for, investment or the joy of ownership. The few real ones with supporting documentation will remain collectable but at what value? Anything else is a calculated risk, fiscally. Perhaps we need an investors section....

[micro marshall]

  you only need to look at how much the price of a peel has increased since the replicas have been around. i can understand that paying ten thousand for a replica is cheaper than the real thing but its when they start saying trying to say they have a original and trying to take them to rallies that why i don`t like the replicas.

[richard]

how many horses do the new ones contain or am i mincing them up with something else ?

[micro marshall]

what the new peels?

[Bob Purton]

I agree Jamie that its wrong when they try and pass them off as originals but I dont see why people cant take replicas to microcar rallies, as far as I know there is no age rule for microcars at the rallies I go to, its often quite interesting to see a few modern microcars. Now I'm getting worried that you are becoming like  all the other Peel owners I know,there main occupation is to talk up the value of there cars!   I'm of the opinion that the values have actually dropped recently. Forget values and enjoy your car, hey, why dont we try and fix it at the work party this spring, what do you think you need to get it running?

[micro marshall]

me! no bob, i like seeing some new cars there as well i just think that rallies like the National should be mainly for the originals, i am fine having them there because it is interesting to see ho people build them, and those people are a mind of information. i just think the originals are the rare ones and they should be in the spot light not the replicas.
  I am sure you aggre