I drive the smallest car in the world… people make fun of me, but I have the lowest gas bill in the country
A MAN who drives the world’s smallest car says people make fun of his tiny vehicle – but he’s got the last laugh with his £7 petrol bill.
Alex Orchin, 31, buzzes around his village in Wivelsfield, Sussex, on his daily chores in his quirky blue Peel P50.
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The 5ft 11in car enthusiast drives around in the tiny engine – posting letters and filling up with gas.
The car is only 134 cm long, 98 cm wide and 100 cm high and has a five liter petrol tank.
He says it costs “about £7 or so” to fill up.
The eccentric Alex is an avid car collector who loves to ride the tiny tricycle around.
The single seater cannot fit a backpack or suitcase, forcing Alex’s knees to go on either side of the steering wheel.
He says he’s been obsessed with cars ever since he watched Jeremy Clarkson drive one on Top Gear.
Last year he drove across the UK in the car, which has a top speed of just 23mph.
The latest pictures show him running errands in the tiny engine.
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Alex said: “Since I was a child, I have always been interested in old, classic and unusual cars.
“Nobody in my family was interested in it – it was kind of a random obsession!
“I used to be a classic car driver and also owned a 1914 Model T and a 1968 Morris Minor.
“I was fixated on this idea of having a P50 just because it was so small, but when I saw an original cost £100,000 it kind of killed me.”
About four years ago he bought one of the newer ones, previously owned by a person from the Isle of Man.
He said: “The car always attracts attention – it’s quite stunning because to me it’s just a tiny car.
“It’s a lot smaller than you think – everyone says that when they see the car in person.
“I can stow a shopping bag to the left of the car by the handbrake, but nothing else.”
His car, a P50, was first produced on the Isle of Man in the 1960s and entered the Guinness World Records Book in 2010 as the smallest production car ever built.
The vehicle was built in 2017 but is based on the original design of the first production models in the 1960s.
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The mini motor allows Alex to travel comfortably to and from home.
Alex began his 1488 mile journey on November 13th from John O’Groats and arrived at Land’s End on December 4th.
He arrived just in time for his three week goal – raising over £11,000 for Children in Need.
Alex said: “I’ve owned many cars and none of them get as much attention as this one.
“When I pull up in a Morris Minor, it’s usually drivers and enthusiasts who come up and want to talk to me.
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“But my Peel P50 attracts absolutely everyone, even people who are not interested in cars.
“They think it’s so funny and kids love it! Especially the under tens are crazy about it.”
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https://www.thesun.ie/motors/8577791/worlds-smallest-car-lowest-fuel-bill/ I drive the smallest car in the world… people make fun of me, but I have the lowest gas bill in the country