Peugeot 402
| Peugeot 402 | |
|---|---|
Peugeot 402 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Peugeot SA |
| Also called | Peugeot 402B (name modification after October 1938) |
| Production | 1935–1942 Approx 75,000 produced |
| Assembly | France: Sochaux (Sochaux Plant) |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Large family car |
| Body style | 4-door sedan Long-wheelbase ‘familiale’ sedan various cabriolets and coupés van and utility versions |
| Layout | FR layout |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | 1991 cc straight-4 1935–Oct 1938 2142 cc straight-4 Oct 1938–1942 |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 2,880 mm (113 in) légère (light) 3,150 mm (124 in) 3,330 mm (131 in) longue / familiale |
| Length | 4,850 mm (190.9 in) standard steel bodied saloon 4,500 mm (177.2 in) - 5,000 mm (196.9 in) (approx) |
| Width | 1,640 mm (64.6 in) |
| Height | 1,580 mm (62.2 in) |
| Curb weight | 1,110–1,315 kg (2,447–2,899 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Peugeot 401 |
| Successor | Peugeot 403 |
The Peugeot 402 is a large family car produced by Peugeot in Sochaux, France, from 1935 to 1942. It was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1935, replacing the Peugeot 401.
The Peugeot 402 stands out in automotive design by its very streamlined, but also still somewhat Art Deco styling, strongly influenced by that of the 1934 Chrysler Airflow; especially the low-volume 402 Darl'mat coupé is viewed as distinctly Art Deco. Peugeot's 402 took it two steps further, however: the grille has an even more pronounced rake, but most importantly, Peugeot brought the headlights to the center, behind the grille, and in front of the radiator, sixteen years before the 1951 General Motors Le Sabre concept car. Contrary to Chrysler's Airflow, the Peugeot 402 wasn't a sales flop.
Furthermore, the 402 Éclipse décapotable, made in collaboration with Pourtout coachbuilders, was one of the world's first convertible hard-top production cars.
Despite being introduced some thirteen years after the demise of the 402 during World War II, the Peugeot 403 was clearly intended as the 402's successor, given that after the war, the market first needed cheaper and smaller, more frugal cars. Peugeot saw this and thus focused on their 202 and 203 models during the late 1940s and early 1950s.