The A Century of Cars (Solido) Peugeot 403 Cabriolet . available in fawn finish. A Century of Cars (Solido) in detail...

The Dinky Atlas Familiale 403 Peugeot . available in red finish. Dinky Atlas in detail...

The Dinky Atlas Berline 403 Peugeot . available in green, black finish. Dinky Atlas in detail...

The Dinky Atlas Familiale 403 Peugeot . available in black, blue finish. Dinky Atlas in detail...

The Dinky Atlas Berline 403 Peugeot . available in cream, grey finish. Dinky Atlas in detail...

The French Dinky Peugeot 403 Estate The very small cast number 403 on the nose of the bonnet shows the level of detail on this model.

On the box the model is called ‘Familiale 403 Peugeot’, however, embossed in the base plate it says ‘403 Peugeot U5’.

The 1st. version always has the early convex wheels, two tiny rear overriders, black tyres and one of two shades of light blue.

The 2nd. version has smooth rear bumpers and the overriders were removed.

The 3d. version, renumbered no. 525 in 1959 only, has concave, hollow wheels, is painted greyish-blue only and the later ones may have white tyres. available in blue finish at 1:48 scale. French Dinky in detail...

The French Dinky Peugeot 403 Berline In the 1956 French Dinky catalogue, they announced the introduction of the black painted, Peugeot 403 Berline (saloon), 24B to replace the Citroën Traction. When the model appeared in June, to a large advertising campaign in the Meccano Magazine, the bodywork was painted the second colour available, mid-blue. The new model appeared on the magazine’s back page spread throughout the summer months in support of the article that featured in the June edition (p. 19). The advertising campaign was huge for the replacement of the iconic Citroën, French Dinky’s most popular model. The 1957 catalogue showed the new model painted grey and from 1958-1961, the mid-blue version illustrated catalogues. When the model was renumbered, as 521 and now with windows, the sand cream, yellow model featured.

The detailed, 104mm long mode, at a 1:43 scale, cost 205 old francs, about 4/- and although without windows until 1961, the model featured chrome concave wheel hubs and smooth white or black tyres.

The Peugeot 403 Berline made its debut on 20th April, 1955, at the Trocadero Palace, in Paris. Peugeot manufactured the 403 Berline at the Sochaux plant, near Mulhouse, between 1955 and 1966. In the months before the launch, un-badged versions of the vehicle were driven around the streets of Sochaux, virtually unnoticed by motoring journalists who rarely ventured to this quiet part of France. The vehicle proved extremely reliable. The car came in three engine sizes; 1290cc, 1468cc and as an 1816cc diesel. The car had a four-speed gearbox, with a column change. The car included a sunroof and newly introduced, safer, radial tyres as standard fittings. Although initially fitted with traficators on the pillars between the front and rear doors, these were soon replaced by flashing indicators. Over 1 million 403s rolled off the production line, making the car Peugeot’s first to break through the 1 million mark. In 1966, Peugeot replaced the 403 with the even more successful 404.

The highly successful 403 Berline had an equally successful French Dinky equivalent, model 24B. Introduced in 1955, the model was withdrawn, as model 521, in 1961.Cost 205Fr. available in grey, blue, yellow finish at 1:43 scale. French Dinky in detail...

The French Dinky Peugeot 403 Estate . available in blue finish. French Dinky in detail...

The Solido Peugeot 403 Cabriolet . available in blue finish at 1:43 scale. Solido in detail...