Peugeot 403

Peugeot 403

Manufacturer	Peugeot SA
Production	1955–1966
Assembly	France Australia Argentina New Zealand (Motor Holdings)
Successor	Peugeot 404
Class	Large family car
Body style	4-door sedan 5-door estate 2-door convertible 2-door coupé utility (pickup)
Layout	FR layout
Engine	1,290 cc I4 1,468 cc I4 1,816 cc diesel I4
Wheelbase	2,660 mm (105 in) saloon 2,900 mm (110 in) estate
Length	4,470 mm (176 in) saloon 4,610 mm (181 in) estate
Width	1,670 mm (66 in)
Height	1,510 mm (59 in)

The Peugeot 403 is a car produced by French automobile manufacturer Peugeot from 1955 to 1966.

History

The 403 made its debut in saloon body style on 20 April 1955 at the Trocadéro Palace in Paris. The engine size gave the car a "tax horsepower" of 8 CV (8 hp), which placed it a class below the soon-to-be-replaced 11 CV Citroën Traction, but at least one class above the small cars produced by the principal competitor manufacturers.

When it was first shown, and until after 1958, the leading edge of car's nose carried an angular, forward-leaning chrome lion bonnet ornament – the lion image being Peugeot's trade mark. That was removed in 1959, due to safety concerns, and the logo was incorporated into a shield-shaped grill emblem.

Subsequently the semaphore-style trafficators on the C-pillars were replaced with flashing indicators within the light cluster. The front lights were modified to conform to new standards and in 1957 parallel windscreen wipers were substituted for the original "cross hands" ones featured at launch.

Design

Styled by Pininfarina, the 403 featured ponton, three-box styling incorporating, except on the most basic models, an opening roof panel.

Engine

The 403 came with an enlarged version of the Peugeot 203's 1290 cc petrol engine. Displacing 1,468 cc, the straight-four unit employed pushrod-actuated valves and hemispherical combustion chambers but no crossflow cylinder head to produce 65 hp (48 kW) at about 5,000 rpm and 75 lb·ft (102 N·m) of torque at 2,500 rpm. An unusual feature at the time was the thermostatically controlled engine fan which cut out when the engine temperature fell to 75°C and reengaged when the engine temperature increased to 84°C. Claimed advantages included an improvement in fuel consumption of between 5% and 10% according to average speed and the avoidance, under many conditions, of fan noise.

A diesel powered Peugeot 403 estate was introduced in the Autumn of 1958, the first of a long line, followed by a diesel saloon a year later.

Upon the 203's discontinuation in 1960, a 47 hp version its 1,290 cc powerplant became available as an option on a reduced specification version of the 403, branded initially as the "403 Sept" ("7") and soon afterwards as the "403 Berline Luxe". Car tax in France was based on engine size, and the smaller engined 403 fell within the 7CV taxation class rather than the 8CV of the bigger version.

Transmission

The 403 came with a manual 4-speed all-synchromesh transmission driving the rear wheels. The gear change lever stuck out from the right side of the steering column.

For the Paris Motor Show in October 1957 the manufacture offered, at extra cost, an electro-magnetic Jaeger automatic clutch, activated when changing gear.

Body variants

Peugeot 403 Familiale/Commerciale

The wheelbase was lengthened by 24 cm (10 inches) for the five door Peugeot 403 "Familiale" and "Commerciale" estate versions. The Familiale provided a third row of seats and was described as a 7/8 seater while the Commerciale offered a more conventional seat configuration for an estate car.

The lengthened 403 estate had a solid rear axle fitted to an aluminum differential case. It came with a manual column change gearbox and, in its "Familiale" guise, fully reclinable front seats. Sunroof and steel belted radial tires were standard. Reliability was considered excellent for the time.

A two-door cabriolet version of the car was also offered, with a luxurious interior featuring high quality leather upholstery. In 1958 the 403 cabriolet cost 80% more than the entry level "berline grand luxe" 403 sedan, and presumably for this reason the convertible 403 was produced and sold only in very modest numbers. In the spring of 1961 production of the 403 cabriolet came to an end, in anticipation of the launch later that year of the manufacturer's 404 Cabriolet.

In addition to Argentinian and Australian production, the local Volkswagen assembler in New Zealand built 1,033 Peugeot 403s in just under four years, beginning in March 1960.

The end

Superseded by the Peugeot 404 in 1960, the 403 remained in production as a budget alternative until 1966.

Gallery

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  Peugeot 403 sedan, rear

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  Peugeot 403 convertible

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  Peugeot 403 pickup

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Culture

On the American television show Columbo, starring Peter Falk, the shambling hero, detective Lt. Colombo, drove a shabby-looking 403 cabriolet dating from 1959 or 1960.