 | |
| Company type | Limited Company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Vehicles |
| Founded | Late 1940s |
| Defunct | 1974 |
| Headquarters | Peel, Isle of Man |
Key people |
|
ThePeel Engineering Company was a manufacturing company based inPeel on the west coast of theIsle of Man that primarily madefibreglass boats through its subsidiary companyWest Marine Ltd. andfairings for motorcycles.[1]
Cyril Cannell founded the Peel Engineering Company in Peel in the late 1940s.[2] At first he mainly manufactured GRP fairings for motorcycles and cars. The sports fairings were recognisable for their styling with integral 'blisters' enclosing the handlebar-ends and rider's hands, and were available for racing, named Mountain Mile, with a similar sports-style for road use incorporating a distinctive, large rectangularCibié headlamp, named Peel 707. A different design was for touring, aptly named TT Tourer.[3][4] In 1955 Cannell built the first Peel microcar -the Manxcar. The company also built an experimentalhovercraft design in 1961 powered by a 500ccTriumph engine.[5]
On 31 December 1964 the company was renamed Peel Engineering Limited.[2] The original company was dissolved on January 8, 1965. The directors were Cyril Cannell and George Henry Kissack.[2] In 1965, the former directors arranged for all fairing production to be transferred under licence to Mike Ivory ofLuton,Bedfordshire, England. Prototype and development work continued on the Isle of Man.[6]
Over the course of its history, Peel Engineering developed thePeel Manxcar concept vehicle, the Peel P-1000 4-wheeledmicrocar, thePeel P50 and thePeel Trident 3-wheeled microcars, in addition to thePeel Viking Sport and prototype GRP Minis forBMC.[7][8] These models constitute the onlyautomobiles manufactured on the Isle of Man. A limited-run Peel Manxkartgo-kart was also produced. ThePeel P50 is in theGuinness Book Of World Records as the world's smallest production car.
In 1966 Peel stopped producing cars, concentrating again on motorcycle fairings and – under the name West Marine Ltd. – on the construction of fiberglass boats, especially small fishing boats with outboard motors such as the Peel Inshoreman 18.[9]
After the death of George Henry Kissack on 16 March 1972, his widow Eileen May Kissack became director on 3 November 1972.[2] She resigned from the post on 25 November 1973 and was replaced by Alice Victoria Maud Cannell on 30 November 1973.[2] On 10 May 1974, the owners decided to dissolve the company, which was then carried out on 29 August 1974.[2]
In August 2010, it was announced that two British entrepreneurs, Gary Hillman and Faizal Khan from Peel Engineering inSidcup, founded in 2008, were rebuilding the P50 almost to its original state.[10][11] Instead of the 45cc petrol engine used at the time, anelectric motor now drives the single rear wheel. The new edition, which will only be produced in 50 units, will also have a reverse gear. The price of the car per unit will be around 15,300 euros.[12]
Arthur Alan Evans also producesreplicas of the Peel P50 through hisGainsborough-based company - Bambycars, which he founded in 2011.[13][14]
