Hay all Was out back roading and seen somthing,and even wonce i looked at it i didnt know what it was....And had to come home and look on the web to figure it out, But it looks like it was Peugeot 403 i didnt have a camera unfortunitly but i belivie it was a late 50s model...i admit its the first one ive ever seen, i just wanted to share the find and see if anyone could tell me much. i new of Peugeots but didnt know they ever made it to the states....what you think would it be worth picking up...lord know it would be the first one ive ever seen on the road..LOL.... thanks all
They were semi-common in CA when they were current -- I think you're right, late '50s -- but they weren't exciting cars to drive, and I don't think their sales were enough to keep them active in the US market. Pretty much the story for all the French makes. As far as its value is concerned, it's probably worth what you'd be willing to pay for the novelty. I don't think there's a significant population of closet Peugeot fans looking for one. The only 403 that was really well-known was the convertible that Peter Falk drove in Columbo. Now that was a rare car.
They were sold in the US until 91 or 92ish. My first driveable car was an 85 505 turbo. Great car when it worked.
Ah well it was a neat little car and i might pick it up on these days LOL... just for the fact of how many ppl could say they have a chppped & channeled Peugeot..???? O well thanks for the info guys
Silly thing is, Peugeot-Citroën (PSA Group) are at the forefront of diesel technology these days; Citroën occupies the second-best selling new car list in the UK; PSA supply Ford with diesels for their European cars. It's no secret, my daily has been for years a Citroën of one type of another. The newer Cits are delightful to drive and very reliable (I had an '88 CX25GTi, now an '81 2CV6), trouble over here (USA) is/was the mechanics who would work on these cars. Most didn't understand them, and didn't care to, either. The World Rally winner for the last few years has been Citroën, driven by Sebastian Loeb. Peugeot also have been very competitive in WRC. My take is that PSA just do not wish to deal with our lawyers and/or our laws, and will do with selling all they can bolt together in every other country (Canada and Mexico also excluded). Renault, OTOH, have bought Mack truck and Nissan car, and are back in the states via that route. Similarly for Mercedes Truck, who own Sterling (previously Ford Truck) and Freightliner, and, of course, Dodge Sprinters are very thinly disguised Mercedes Sprinters. Yeah, I like 'em. Cosmo
More Peugeoeoet ??? stuff I read the 403 Falk drove on TV was ultra-rare because less than a handful of CVT's were imported. Take a look at an early 60's 404, you'll see Tri-Five tailfins and grill as well as other styling cues. Imitation is the sincerest... Of course those 3 bolt wheel hubs and 4 on the column shifters didn't meet US expectations. A guy had a Citroen something mid 50's car near me. It looked like an open fender 30's car. I even offered to buy it but when I told him what I had planned he got all snippy. Powerband
All kinds of little foreign cars were imported back in the day. I've seen Borgwards, Isettas, Holdens, MG sedans, we just junked the remains of a 60's English Ford(?) Escort wagon, etc. Saw an Anglia 4dr from the 60s once, and a '70's Opel sedan too. Plenty of Renautls, heck I can picture foreign jobs who's names I can't even remember. I think as the VW began to become popular, some of them were imported by GM and other carmakers to have something to compete with, others were imported by their respective carmakers on their own. Still others, like the 60's Holden 4dr I saw, are probably cars people imported on their own. I have a folder here somewhere that is circa-1958 Pontiac, covering info on the Vauxhall import they were apparently selling. The only ones I don't see much of any of are the Japanese cars, even the 70s' ones are few and far between. Course, if i'd had a salvage yard back in the day they'd be the first to go to the crusher, so maybe thats why. Here's one I saw that I don't recognize and had no nameplate left on it. Hood's aluminum, motor an inline 4. Rotted about to uselessness, though, shell might be useable on a race car or something but thats about it.
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