1939 | Peugeot 402 B

The 402 B is a two-door Coach version. The name Coach was given to the coupe by Peugeot. The car has styleless door windows, a steel sliding roof, a Cotal gearbox and Michelin Pilote wheels. Before the Second World War, many gearboxes were not synchronized, so you had to disengage twice (double-de-clutching) and if you did not master this properly, a violently creaking gearbox followed. The Cotal gearbox has a planetary gear system, like an automatic transmission. However, it lacks a torque converter and has a regular dry-plate clutch. That clutch is actually only necessary to drive away smoothly. Shifting takes place with the small lever under the steering wheel, which controls solenoids (electromagnetic coils) in the gearbox, which ensure that the correct gear is selected. The system resembles an English Wilson pre-selector gearbox, but it only shifts when the clutch pedal is pressed, the Cotal shifts immediately. The Michelin Pilote wheels are designed for greater suspension comfort, the different parts of the rim can move relative to each other and thus absorb shocks.

This Peugeot 402 BE Coach from 1939 is a very rare version. 58.741 units of the Peugeot 402 were built in the period 1935-1941. Only 2.280 of this coach. It is said that there are still five left: this one, one in the Peugeot museum and about 3 more on the planet. This version is special because of the very large sliding roof and the four-speed semi-automatic transmission from Boite Cotal. On the other hand, many more of the Eclips, the first convertible with a pneumatic steel roof, were built: approximately 3.025 units. Many 402s did not survive the war. The fact that this copy has been preserved is unique. This Coach was completely restored at a restoration company in France in the period 2009-2010.

More information on: www.kucarfa.nl