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Peugeot 406 Coupé - Italian saloon lion

Name: Peugeot 406 Coupé 3.0 V6 2002
Brand: Peugeot

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Created on May 4, 2022

Text:

Paul Krüger

Photos:

Bruno von Rotz

Peugeot / Stellantis

Archiv

Bruno von Rotz

Peugeot / Stellantis

Archiv

A Peugeot 406 Coupé in "Rouge Lucifer" between yellow and white dandelions

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Peugeot 406 Coupé 3.0 V6 (2002) - In the color "Rouge Lucifer"

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This 406 is one of 3158 coupés newly delivered to Switzerland.

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However, the six-cylinder quota in this country was probably a little higher than overall.

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The wheelbase corresponds to that of the four-door 406 and the large body overhang at the front is striking.

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Contrary to the name "coupé", the two-door model is six centimeters longer than the four-door model.

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Despite the formal similarity, the headlights and radiator grille are significantly lower than on the saloon.

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Coupés of "Phase 1" look grimmer. From April 2003, the lower air intake "smiles" to match the new Peugeot 407.

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There is no indication of the top-of-the-range engine at the rear. The exhaust tailpipe at least shows that it is not a DIesel.

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Rounded up: Officially, the V6 was a three-liter with 210 hp. In Germany, it was specified as 2.9 liters and 207 hp.

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Despite its similar sound, the V6 is not related to the PRV engine, but belongs to the subsequent ESL family.

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Apart from a gray cover, not much can be seen of the engine. The strut brace was standard on the V6 model.

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Peugeot 406 Coupé 3.0 (2002) - Nameplate

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The cockpit cannot quite keep up with the exterior extravagance. It is largely identical to that of the saloon and estate.

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Instead of black ("Hurricane"), the leather seats were also available in orange ("Apricot") and red ("Amarante"). These were later followed by light brown ("Alezan") and white ("Settant'anni").

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Close to the limit: the V6 Coupé reaches up to 240 km/h with manual transmission

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The chrome rings around the beautifully designed instruments set the Coupé apart from the "normal" 406

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An LED in the rev counter indicates the selected gear. The oil thermometer is a rarely seen instrument in French mid-range cars. However, there is no oil pressure gauge.

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Radio and heating controls with large buttons. From April 1999, automatic air conditioning was standard equipment

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Mercedes-like rattling backdrop for the selector lever of the four-speed automatic transmission. To the left is the button for Sport mode.

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There is only one hint of the designer in the interior: under the right-hand air vent

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The 16-inch "Hoggar" alloy wheel was available from July 2001. The prominent Brembo lettering on the brake calliper is indeed original.

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From the factory, the mirrors were always painted "gris crépuscule" to make them invisible when viewed from the side. The small knob on the underside is the sensor for the outside temperature display.

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Recessed door handles are a French specialty that is coming back into fashion today.

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The retracted rear window with the extended C-pillar provides a touch of Lancia Flaminia.

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In the Coupé, the lion sits on a black plate instead of in an opening

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Even the best care is useless: the plastic lenses of the headlights become cloudy and yellowish over the years. Replacements from the sedan do not fit.

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The same applies to the rear lights as to the whole car: they look similar to the saloon, but are completely different

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Finally an identical part: the rear lion and trunk lock are exactly the same on the saloon.

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Davide Arcangeli and Lorenzo Ramaciotti designed the body shape for the famous studio.

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The coupé has a more sweeping side line than the saloon; the rear is shorter.

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Even if it doesn't look like it: this is not a dirt track, but a paved road.

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If you can't see the small wheels, with a little imagination the Italo-406 could also be a Ferrari 550 Maranello. Or is it?

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Surprise: the tightly tuned 406 Coupé belongs more on the country road than on the highway. If only it weren't for the steering and automatic transmission...

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If - as here - you're only going straight ahead, the unfeeling steering doesn't bother you as much.

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The unpainted black rubbing strip on the flank looks like it was added later, but is original.

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The shortened 203 was Peugeot's first own post-war coupé and was only built for just over a year.

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Peugeot's successful collaboration with Pininfarina began in 1962 with the 404-based coupé

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The 504 coupés and convertibles were also designed by Pininfarina and outlived the saloon by four years.

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This is how the coupé presented itself in the early years: with orange side indicators and six-spoke wheels.

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The "Phase 2" coupés can be recognized by their larger radiator grille. The "Tacoma" alloy wheels were also new

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The broadly smiling radiator grille anticipated the Peugeot 407 by a good year.

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Whether the coupé has become more beautiful as a result of the facelift is for everyone to decide.

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Upholstered in two colors (here "Alezan") and with silver-colored panels, the cockpit looks much more elegant.

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Individually shaped rear seats that offer adults even halfway decent space.

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Even as a sedan, the Peugeot 406 is a handsome fellow - but not a Pininfarina

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Summary

After the 404 and 504, Peugeot once again worked with Pininfarina in the mid-nineties to create an elegant coupé to accompany its conservative mid-range model. When the 406 Coupé was presented at the end of 1996, it was considered one of the most beautiful cars of its time and sold better than any Peugeot Coupé before or since. This article tells the story of the Peugeot 406 Coupé and shows it in many photos. There is also a sound sample of the V6.

This article contains the following chapters

French coupés from Italy
A beauty in sheet metal
Luxor or Lugano?
A farmer's engine in evening dress
Sportier than expected
The last Pininfarina-Peugeot

Estimated reading time: 8min

Preview (beginning of the article)

There was once a time when not every tiny gap in the market was so violently torn open until another SUV fitted in. Instead, some manufacturers even treated themselves to an elegant coupé to round off the top end of the model range alongside their best-selling rational models in estate and saloon form. Of course, no one expected record-breaking sales figures from these extravaganzas, but they were nevertheless included in the range - for the good reputation and for customers with exquisite taste, a little more money and a little less space. In the second half of the 20th century, Peugeot was one of the most eagerly producing saloon halves, albeit usually with a generation break between model changes. An official coupé version of the Peugeot 203, introduced in 1948, first appeared in 1952, which had a very American look and disappeared from the range just one year later. For the successor 403, it was left to Peugeot dealer Émile Darl'mat to turn the Pininfarina design of the saloon into a sleek two-door model with a panoramic rear window.

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