Concept Car of the Week: Pininfarina Peugette (1976)

Unveiled in 1972, the Peugeot 104 was a compact car with a simple and honest design by Paolo Martin. The most powerful ZS model was more of a warm hatch than a hot one, but it did feature a 1124cc engine with 66bhp. Thanks to the car's weight of only 760kg, the car could reach speeds of up to 100mph - terrifying in a 104.

At the time, Peugeot enjoyed a great relationship with Pininfarina, the latter believing there was an opportunity there to create a back-to-basics little sports car offering cheap thrills to an optimistic young audience.

Using the 104 ZS as a base, Pininfarina designed the Peugette with production in mind and optimized every component accordingly, starting with the panels which were designed to be interchangeable.

The clamshell hood and the trunk lid were identical, and so were the doors and the sills, which could be swapped from left to right. Only the nose and the tail moulding differed, yet they included carryover lamps from the 104 and also acted as integrated bumpers. Finally Pininfarina added on a rollbar and a crossbeam behind the seats for extra safety and to make up for the loss of transverse rigidity.

Different versions were made. The original was first shown at the 1976 Turin Motor show as a two-seater roadster with a low windscreen and a soft top. The interior looked very distant from the 104 but it still used the same tachometer and gauges, only laid out differently along the top of the dashboard.

Other elements like windscreen wipers, heater controls and vents were also carried over. The slim bucket seats were new and offered appropriate lateral support at shoulder level but no headrests. It was painted red with gray trim and finished with playful stripes bearing the Italian colors.

The second version was shown the following year at the Geneva Show: a monoposto variant intended for one selfish driver. This version included a large panel which covered the passenger seat. As a proper barchetta, it also ditched the large windscreen for a frameless piece of perspex wrapping around the driver's seat. The square pods were also moved behind the steering wheel for better visibility. A coupé and even a pick-up variant were also planned but never built.

Thanks to its deep dish wheels and large tires, the Peugette not only looked cool, it also had the potential to handle like a kart. It was 60kg lighter than the 104 ZS and, by the time it was unveiled, Peugeot had launched a range of optional upgrades for the engine that could have pushed its power up to 80bhp.

It had all the ingredients to become a unique and exciting addition to the Peugeot range. The French firm was very interested and kept car for over two months to study it and play with it. Eventually someone decided the car would not sell and it was sent back to Pininfarina and completely forgotten; a real shame. No guts, no glory.

First seen 1976 Turin Motor Show
Length 3,340mm
Width 1,540mm
Height 1,150mm
Wheelbase 2,230mm
Weight 700kg
Engine 1124cc four-cylinder, 66bhp

Your author, Flavien Dachet, is a UK-based, French-born car designer. You may know him as the purveyor of KarzNshit, a photo blog that if it isn't already in your bookmarks, it certainly should be.

By Flavien Dachet