Even in these wintery conditions, there are classics that simply venture outside. Fortunately, this Peugeot 403 will not go into the brine, but is probably patiently waiting for a facelift.
A walk during lunch to be busy with something other than cars, of course, does not prevent the undersigned from stopping for something special on four wheels. This Peugeot 403 certainly falls into that category, because even on beautiful summer days you hardly ever see them again. This copy has probably never even been spotted in the Netherlands under summer conditions, because according to the registration data it has only been in our country for a few months. That’s the first hint that a restoration is likely in store.
The second hint is that the car still appears to be in its original condition. It seems, especially considering the normally fairly high susceptibility to rust, that this copy comes from a place where it would hardly ever hit such a pack of snow. A wild guess: the South of France. After all, in a drier climate, a 60-year-old Peugeot often wants to age better than here. Yet you can still see the age somewhat in the condition of the car. Here and there are some spots of surface rust to be spotted and the chrome bumper and driver’s door are also somewhat damaged. It is probably nevertheless a nice relatively hard basis for a restoration project. The fact that the car has not been inspected is the third hint that it will probably be handled first.
In its younger years, about 403 Familiale was a popular family car. The pace of life was then a bit slower than now and a 1.5 four-cylinder with 58 hp was enough to bring the whole root ball from A to B. With his brother or. successor that came next to it in the Peugeot showroom in 1960, the 404, it was all just a bit more luxurious. However, they are also a bit less rare than the 403 and that makes it all the more fun that this 403 has been added in our country. Hopefully it will drive past completely fresh and fruity next summer.