Description

1937 Peugeot 402

No Reserve

From the The Automobile Magazine 'Oily Rag' Reserve Collection; much recent expenditure including rebuilt Cotal gearbox

The futuristic Peugeot 402 made its debut at the Paris show in 1935. Intended as a direct competitor to the equally avant garde Traction Avant, it was more style over substance in terms of technology, Peugeot opting for entirely conventional running gear, clothed in the fashionable ‘streamline’ style.
Taking design cues from the Chrysler Airflow and from Bugatti models of the period, it was certainly a striking machine to behold with headlamps behind the grille and available in no fewer than 16 model variants on three wheelbase lengths. The short chassis cars were particularly elegant, although the Normale chassis, as offered here, still looked in perfect proportion. The long wheelbase cars could accommodate three rows of seats and were rather less harmonious stylistically.
The engines were rugged four-cylinder units and the standard manual transmission had three forward speeds driving the rear wheels which translated to a top speed of 75mph. An exotic Cotal pre-selector automatic was also offered as an option, but at an extra 2,500 Francs it proved too expensive for most 402 buyers – although not for the owner of this car.
Dating from 1937, this Peugeot 402 was imported from France and acquired for the Oily Rag Collection in January 2016. A good file of invoices show that several thousand pounds was spent on the car over the next two years to get it in running order, the most expensive job being a complete rebuild of the Cotal electro-mechanical gearbox by Ronin Engineering of Mickleover which alone cost over £3,500.
Other work has included an overhaul of the dynamo; remanufactured clutch; brakes relined; steering and suspension checked; fuel tank cleaned and de-rusted; wheels refurbished and a new set of Michelin X tyres. Supplied with a V5C and UK registered as XBV 379, it comes with a copy of a 1976 French registration document, technical literature about the model and an original Cotal gearbox manual. It will require further minor fettling but is almost ready for use.
For more information contact James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com