What is the World’s Slowest Car?
With a top speed of only 38 mph, the Peel P50 is known to be the slowest car in the world.
Written by Cameron Thiessen
Reviewed by Jessica Barrett
It’s generally accepted that the slowest car in the world is the Peel P50, a three-wheel microcar that was originally produced from 1962 to 1965. Although it holds the Guinness World Record as the world’s smallest car, it’s also the world’s slowest car with a top speed of only about 30 miles per hour.
The folks here at Jerry love fast cars as much as the next guy, but today we’re taking a look at the slowest cars (and car-like vehicles) in the world, from the Peel P50 to the Renault Twizy 45—heroes of the cramped streets of Europe.
Want to learn more about this tiny city car and some of the other contenders for the slowest car in the world?
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The 10 slowest cars in the world
Peel P50
Top speed: 38 mph
Horsepower: 3
The Peel P50 still holds the Guinness World Record for being the smallest production car ever made, but it is also considered the slowest car ever made. It’s only 54 inches long and 39 inches wide. Tom Cruise small. It doesn’t even have a rear gear—just a handle on the back for pulling it manually!
Only about 50 P50s were ever made during this oddity’s original production run. In 2010, London company Peel Engineering revived the Peel P50 and they’ve kept making them ever since. The originals were built with a 49 cc four-stroke gasoline-powered engine, but the new P50s have either petrol engines or electric motors.
Pros
- Small enough to be driven into otherwise-unfathomable spaces
- Very fuel efficient—original exceeded 100 mpg and there is a fully electric version
Cons
- Only one seat and one door
- Not cheap at 14,879 GBP (equivalent to nearly $18,000 USD)
Renault Twizy 45
Top speed: 28 mph
Horsepower: 5.4
Considered to be a quadricycle, 14-year-olds in some countries can get a special license to drive these super compact slow “cars.” The Twizy 45 has a maximum speed of 28 mph—though that’s thanks to electronic speed limiting. These vehicles are great for preparing young drivers to learn the rules of the road for when they get behind the wheels of small cars.
Pros
- Easy to drive, perfect for preparing young drivers for driving cars
- Cheap, compact, extremely efficient
Cons
- Batteries have to be leased at extra cost
- Not technically a car
Aixam Coupe
Top Speed: 28 mph
Horsepower: 8
The first no-license car in Europe, the Aixam Coupe is a two-seater quadricycle, with an electronically limited top speed of 28 mph. It’s certainly a practical pick for areas with narrow streets, fitting where even the smallest of cars often can’t.
Pros
- Don’t need a license to drive it in certain places
- More practical than a traditional car in crowded European city streets
Cons
- Not technically a car
- Less popular and more expensive than the Twizy
Fiat Qubo
Top speed: 92 mph
Horsepower: 76
Equipped with an engine that produces 76 horsepower, the Fiat Qubo Natural Power 1.4 may not have the lowest top speed or power output—but it takes a beyond-sluggish 17.7 seconds to reach 60 mph from a stop. This makes it one of the slowest accelerators among modern cars.
The 2003-2010 Fiat Seicento Elettra also deserves a mention for having an engine that only produces 41 horsepower.
Pros
- Big enough to carry cargo
- Fast enough to drive on highways
Cons
- Runs on gasoline
- Expensive
BMW Isetta
Top speed: 53 mph
Horsepower: 9.5
Older than the Peel P50 is the BMW Isetta “bubble car,” which has a top speed of only 53 mph. The Isetta was an affordable and lovable car for families in the 1950s. It was the first mass-produced car to get a 3 liters/100 km fuel economy rating—but it’s more of a visual icon than something you’d actually want to drive nowadays.
Pros
- Iconic classic car
- Impressive fuel economy
Cons
- Slow
- Too classic/rare to find an affordable one
Ford Model T
Top speed: 40 mph
Horsepower: 20
You might have heard of this one before! It’s known as the first mass-produced gasoline-powered car and it only had a 20-horsepower engine that could reach a top speed of 40 mph. In 1908, a Model T could get a fair 21 miles per gallon—not as impressive as newer high-efficiency models on this list, but still impressive!
Pros
- Good gas mileage
- Seats up to 7, depending on the body style
Cons
- Considered historical artifacts—expensive/hard to find
- Not practical
Hindustan Ambassador
Top speed: 60 mph
Horsepower: 75
A popular slowpoke from India, the Hindustan Ambassador was produced from 1958 to 2014. It has a laughable 0-60 time of 28 seconds, making it one of the all-time slowest cars ever made. And it’s not even that small!
Pros
- High class, spacious interior
- Durable, comfortable
Cons
- Not fast, not nimble, not fun to drive
- Hard to find outside of India
Maruti Suzuki Omni
Top speed: 60 mph
Horsepower: 32.8
The Maruti Suzuki Omni is one of the slowest new cars you can buy. It’s a microvan commercial motor vehicle (CMV) with a 0.8-liter inline-3 engine, and it’s another favorite in India. It’s just as slow as the Hindustan Ambassador, taking 28 seconds to reach 60 mph—and pretty much unable to go any faster.
Pros
- Reliable—many are still running around India and Asia
- Higher level of utility than other slowpokes on this list
Cons
- Built for commercial use
- Unavailable outside India and some parts of Asia
Smart ForTwo CDI
Top speed: 84 mph
Horsepower: 45
This is one you’re probably fairly used to seeing around town every once in a while. The
Smart ForTwo
is powered by a turbocharged inline-3 diesel engine that gets 45 horsepower and takes 19.5 seconds to go from zero to 60 mph. While it reaches a respectable 84 mph, it’s doesn’t touch the ability of most modern vehicles.Pros
- Built with U.S. drivers in mind
- Proven track record
Cons
- Small and cramped
- Don’t compete well against newer high-efficiency vehicles like hybrids and EVs
Mia Electric Car
Top speed: 62 mph
Horsepower: 13
The Mia Electric Car was only produced for a few years—and no wonder. It’s an electric car with abysmal speed performance. It’s even slower to get to 60 mph than some of the slowest cars on this list, taking a full 30 seconds.
Pros
- Highly efficient electric car
- Very affordable
Cons
- Lack of power
- Not many were made
What is the slowest car in 2022?
The Mitsubishi Mirage is the slowest new car that you can buy. It’s also the cheapest new car that you can buy, which means you should find some good savings on
Mirage insurance costs
.The Mirage is equipped with a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that gets only 78 horsepower. It can get up to a top speed of about 105 mph—but it takes a miserable 12.1 seconds to get from zero to 60 mph.
Other runners up for the slowest car in 2022 include the
Chevrolet Spark 1LT
, the Toyota CH-R
, and the Hyundai Kona SEL
.
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FAQ
What car has the slowest 0-to-60 time?
The Mia Electric car, which was produced in France from 2011 to 2013. It had a top speed of only 62 mph and it took 30 seconds to go from 0 to 60.
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