The prolonged development phase had its upside: the 203 was one of the most advanced cars at the time of its launch. Its 1.3 litre 4-cylinder engine came with alloy cylinder heads, and its camshaft featured overhead valves arranged in a V-shape. What's more, the engine's hemisphere-shaped combustion chamber preceded Chrysler's similar invention by 3 years. In line with the fashion of the time, the 4-speed gear box was mounted on the steering column, and all but the first gear were synchronised. The introduction of the rack and pinion steering system into cars is also accounted to the 203.
Its unibody (rather than body-on-frame) architecture is supported by leaf springs that are fitted again, unconventionally perpendicularly at the front axle. The rear axle is complete with a Panhard-rod, ensuring exceptional riding manners and comfort even on the roughest French country roads. The cw-coefficient of the chassis is as low as 0.36, beating legends such as the Jaguar E-Type. At the time of product launch, only two versions were presented to the public: a four-door sedan (Berline), and its variant with a steel sliding roof (Berline Affaires). The soft-top sedan (Découvrable) followed in 1949, uniting the comfort offered by sedans with the open-air feeling of a convertible.
1950 marked further expansion of the series: the wagon was launched, and soon a number of its variations appeared on the market. The 203 L, featuring a third row of seats, became known as the Familiale. The 203 U6, which came with a reinforced body, enhanced brakes, and semi-elliptical leaf springs in the back, was denoted as Commerciale. The U4-series panel van, labelled as Fourgonette, and its tall version, the Fourgonette Tolée, featured the same modifications as the U6. The U8 family included a pick-up called Camionette Bachée, a “cab and chassis” called Plateau-Cabine, and an ambulance version called hold your breath Ambulance. The pick-up and tall van models could transport up to 800 kg (approx. 1764 lbs). Both versions became known as reliable companions of the French merchant and artisan for many years to come.
The 1951 Paris Auto Show saw the premiere of one of the most exciting members of the 203 family: the Cabriolet, a two-seated roadster based on the Berline. It came with leather seats as standard, and its wide choice of colours made it a real star. A few months later the Coupé followed, which was nothing else than the Cabriolet with a steel roof welded on. A production volume of only 953 cars makes the Coupé the rarest of the 203 variants.
September 1954 was a significant date in the history of the 203: the face-lifted 203 C was launched. Showing little difference on the outside, the changes in the inside were all the more significant. The engine power increased from 42 to 45 PS (approx. 44.5 bhp) and the modified transmission allowed the top speed to grow from 115 km/h to 123 km/h (approx. 76.4 mph). A year later the 403 was introduced, representing the first joint product of Peugeot and Pininfarina (the cooperation of the two firms still lasts to date). The 403 was not intended as a replacement for the 203, as the older model was still very much in demand. Peugeot continued to produce the 203, although less and less versions were available. The Berline Affaires featuring a sliding roof was discontinued in 1956, and the Cabriolet had to give space for the 403 Cabriolet in the same year. 1957 marked the end of three further variants, the Plateau-Cabine, the Camionette, and the Ambulance.
As time went by, demand for the 203 started to drop significantly. While 1955 saw the sales of 76,000 units, in 1959 only 18,000 203s were sold. However, this was still not enough for Peugeot to drop the series from its line-up. The later launch of the famous 404 would mark the death sentence of the 203. With both the 403 and the 404 now in dealerships, there was no space for the ancient looking 203. On February 26, 1960, the assembly lines were stopped after the completion of the 685,828th 203. See below the production volume for each of the variants: |
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