We all know the song, Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer had a very shiny nose. Some say that it even glowed. Unfortunately, bullying is a thing, and Rudolph was socially berated for having such an odd snout. But let’s be honest, there had to be more to it than that. I mean, having a red nose is strange, yes, but Rudolph more than likely had other impediments preventing him from occupying a higher rung on the reindeer hierarchy.
I imagine Rudolph was small, odd-looking, maybe a bit awkward, and probably not fast either. I mean, reindeer don’t have thumbs, or hands for that matter, so their games are reduced to tag, hide-and-seek, and maybe jumping over fences. If they wouldn’t let him play it is quite possible that Rudolph wasn’t very athletic.
Having considered all these intangibles, I believe I have found the one car that best embodies the spirit of Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer.
The 1962 Peel P50.
Originally designed as a city car, the P50 had enough space for one person and one shopping bag. The song doesn’t say Santa chose Rudolph because of his size, strength, or cabin space. No, Rudolph was picked because he had one headlamp that was red. Which, by the way, red is only good for retaining night vision, not illuminating dark places. A study proved that deer see blue wavelengths best and red wavelengths worst. So, Rudolph’s dim, red light would not help any of the other reindeer see, and Santa would be relying on his night vision.
Regardless, the Peel P50 could be easily modified with a red head lamp, and its quirky looks, diminutive size, and lackluster performance makes it the perfect Rudolph. Running off a 49cc four-stroke engine with a top speed of 28mph, there is no way the P50 would be invited to play any sort of reindeer games.
As it turns out, Santa has such a big heart that he is willing to risk missing his Christmas Eve delivery quota just to make an awkward animal feel better. What a guy.
