Peugeot 401

Peugeot 401
Overview
Manufacturer	Peugeot
Production	1934-1935 13,545 produced
Body and chassis
Class	Family car
Layout	FR layout
Powertrain
Engine	1.7 L I4
Chronology
Predecessor	Peugeot Type 176
Successor	Peugeot 402

The Peugeot 401 was a mid-size model from Peugeot produced in 1934 and 1935. It was introduced at the 1934 Paris Motor Show and was again on display at the 29th Paris Show in October 1935.

It featured in a full page newspaper advertisement placed by Peugeot in "L'Argus" on 10 October 1935, and disappeared from the manufacturer's price list only three months later, at the start of 1936, reflecting the need to dispose of an inventory backlog. Production of the 401 had already come to an end in August 1935, less than a year after the model's introduction.

Details

The 401 was powered by an enlarged version of the engine from the smaller Peugeot 301 and slotted between that model and the range-topping 601. The 401's four cylinder side-valve engine displaced 1,720 cc and produced 44 horsepower (33 kW) at 3,500 rpm.

Models of the 401 include the 401 D, 401 DL, and 401 DLT. Though the majority were made as sedans, the 401 was offered with no fewer than eleven different body styles.

Eclipse

Peugeot conceived of an electric folding metal roof more than twenty years before Ford reimagined the concept in their Skyliner. This system was called "Eclipse" and was first introduced on the 401. A total of 79 Peugeot 401 Eclipses were made. It later became available on the 301 and 601, also utilized on vehicles by Georges Paulin, Darl'mat, and the coachbuilder Pourtout.

Replacement

The all-steel bodied Peugeot 402, featuring a style regarded at the time as strikingly futuristic, was announced in October 1935, which coincided with significant price reductions for several of the previous generation of Peugeots, including the 401.