Two Peel micro-cars have been sold for a total of more than £200,000 at auction in the United States.

A 1964 P50 and 1965 Trident, made by Peel Engineering, went under the hammer at Sothebys in California on Friday.

The P50 fetched a staggering £110,000 ($ 140,250) while the Trident sold for £94,000 ($121,000).

Speaking about the sale of the Trident, Nate Santavy of Sotheby’s said the rare vehicle had been a popular lot: ’It elicited a very positive reaction from the crowd when it drove onto the block.’

On the Sotheby’s website it described the P50 as ’among the rarest and most desirable microcars and has been certified as the smallest production automobile in the world by Guinness World Records’.

It continues: ’After the P50’s premier at the 1962 Earls Court Motorcycle Show in London, an estimated 47 of these three-wheeled delights were built between 1962 and 1965, of which fewer than 30 are known to exist.

’The Peel was advertised as being able to carry "one adult and a shopping bag" while being "almost cheaper than walking."

The original retail price of £199 and reported fuel mileage approaching 100 mpg shows that the slogan, while obviously hyperbolic, was not far from the truth.’

Meanwhile, the Trident was the successor to the P50. It was advertised as featuring ’saloon car comfort with scooter cost’.

It has a 49cc, 4.2 horse power engine and a top speed of 38 miles per hour.

The auction house explains: ’The all-new body was designed around a clear plastic dome which tilts forward to allow the driver to enter.

’Though only a single seater in practical use, the car was designed to theoretically accommodate two occupants.

’The futuristic dome and the overall spaceship-like appearance of the Trident gave Peel another natural slogan: "Your transport of tomorrow - today".’

A Trident famously appeared on Top Gear in 2007 and was described by presenter James May as ’something out of The Jetsons’.