1959 Peugeot 403 Pickup
Peugeot’s utilitarian pickup variant outlasted every other 403 body style, remaining in production until March 1967, while sedan production ended in October 1966.
Introduced in October 1956, these two-door commercial derivatives proved particularly popular with French farmers and tradesmen who valued the combination of passenger-car road manners with open cargo capacity. The extended production run reflected sustained demand from agricultural and trade sectors rather than a marketing-driven decision.
Power came from the same 90-cubic-inch (1.5-liter) overhead-valve four-cylinder used across the 403 range, featuring hemispherical combustion chambers and initially rated at 58 horsepower, with an increase to 65 horsepower beginning in 1958. A column-mounted shifter operated the four-speed fully synchronized manual transmission.
Pininfarina’s clean three-box styling translated effectively to the commercial format, preserving the sedan’s recognizable proportions forward of the cargo bed.
The 403 family exceeded 1.2 million units across all configurations between 1955 and 1967, establishing Peugeot’s first million-selling model. While pickups accounted for a relatively small share of total production, they earned a reputation for durability in demanding commercial service throughout France and former French territories.
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