Peugeot 402 n4x, the first concept car from the French brand

Peugeot 402 n4x

In 1936, Peugeot unveiled what would become its first concept car. It was a commission from the French brand to engineer Jean Andreau. The aim was to improve both the top speed and the fuel consumption of the existing 402, which resulted in the Peugeot 402 “Year 1940” or “n4x”.

Jean Andreau introduced many important improvements in design and aerodynamics over the 402. He kept elements such as the front end, the windscreen, the side flanks and their windows, although he modified the rear body, which featured a fin-shaped stabiliser, giving the n4x concept car a distinctive look.

The first version of the Peugeot 402 n4x used the same engine as the production model. With the improvements introduced, the drag coefficient (Cx) fell from 0.68 to 0.28, certified in the wind tunnel, also achieving a substantial improvement in top speed, which rose from 115 km/h to 140 km/h, and a reduction of fuel consumption by a third. As an anecdote, it is said that Jean Andreau received his pay based on how many kilometres per hour he managed to add.

Peugeot 402 n4x

In this concept, certain technical innovations were introduced, so it also served as a test bench. The engine bay came to house an eight-cylinder V engine that was ultimately discarded as not industrially feasible.

The Peugeot 402 n4x was presented at the 1936 Paris Motor Show alongside a production 402. At the event the brand had such confidence in the concept that its slogan was “The car of the year 1940”. Unfortunately this could not be verified, since the outbreak of the Second World War cut short any possibility of producing this concept car. Of the six units that existed of the Peugeot n4x, most ended up being destroyed.

In this way, Peugeot joined, with Jean Andreau’s 402 n4x, the select group of manufacturers that had already built models of this kind years earlier.

Source | Peugeot