Yohai Rodin has posted a picture of a vehicle by one of my favorite companies, but not one that I’m very familiarwith. It obviously is FWD, thanks to the give-away protruding front end, affectionately called “pig nose” by the French. And given that Peugeot was all RWD until well into the 1960s, that raised some questions. The answer turns out to be quite simple: these vans didn’t start out as Peugeots.
It started out as the Chenard-Walcker CPV, a wartime design that went into production in 1946. It had a two-cylinder two-stroke engine making all of 26 hp, modest for even the times.
Given the limitations of that engine, C-W began buying and installing Peugeot’s 1133cc inline four from its 202 sedan, which require extending the front end. After C-W couldn’t pay its bills, Peugeot, being the biggest creditor, ended up with the company in 1950, although the van continued to be called Chenard-Walcker for a while. Peugeot’s entry into FWD turned out to be unintentional.
Eventually, the vans became to be called Peugeots, the D3, and later the D4. Its engine size grew as Peugeot’s engines did in their passenger cars, to 1290cc (from the 203) and finally 1468 cc, form the 403. In 1959, Peugeot’s new Idenor diesel was also available, a first in the class. Production finally ended in 1965.
Apparently Peter Sellers gets hauled off to jail at the end of “The Pink Panther” in a Peugeot D4 paddy wagon, but I couldn’t find an image of it.
Related: CC Citroen H-Van – The French Tin Goose
While not beautiful, it’s very attractive for its simplicity of design. Just a few uninterrupted sweeps of the pen and, voila!
I like it. I think this definitely qualifies as an “honest van.”
What are the little slots in the pillars behind the front windows? Could those be turn signals?
Yes. (Photo courtesy Laurent du Doubs)
I’m smiling at the exposed radiator cap, definitely harkens back to an earlier age in automotive design. I’m hoping that front bumper was sufficiently robust.
No appeal today. But back in the time I was trying to drive a 56 transporter I think it would have fit right in. In fact, if it kept running (which the VW could not) it would have replaced what I had. The VW really had a part in making me turn to motorcycles and bicycles for a spell.
@ Chuck: yes, those are trafficators for sure. These were reasonably popular in Israel in the 50s – early 60s and spawned the more modern J-Series vans, indirectly culminating in the current Boxer (which I think you get in the US as the Ram Promaster) – see below. Typically for Israel, they have been used and abused and then junked and melted to make Uzi SMGs and similar, so that hardly any were left to restore; the owner of the van pictured had to import his from France and restore it in Israel…
That’s the Ram ProMaster alright.
Cute van ! .
Being a Pug I assume it was well built even though another Companies initial design .
I especially like the DeLuxe version with body strips and white wall tires , two tone bumpers etc. .
I am always amused by Folks who neglected old Air Cooled VW’s then complained they didn’t run right or broke down constantly ~ the VW Typ II was a 3/4 ton rig until 1961 when it was rated as a 1 tonner . they took the worst abuse anywhere and every where reliably too , by the People who maintained them .
-Nate
Actually, “pig snout” or, nez de cochon was reserved (in France) for the very similarly styled Chausson bus, many of which were seen on Israeli roads too… Its reputation in Israel was not particularly good but it introduced operators to a more modern type of bus when compared with the “school bus” types prevailing at the time. We had some Flxibles too but those were not met with success, I think they were TOO advanced for the extremely conservative market back then.
Snout, a good word. Seems to be making a reappearance on new Toyotas (unfortunately).
Some resemblance to the 1st generation VW transporter with the split windshield , wiper design , and low power engines. Never saw one before.
Cool van and one ive never seen before, Thanx.
While reading about contemporary French vans this afternoon I learned about the Citroën TUB. Introduced in 1939, a FWD van (based on the Traction Avant) with a sliding side door.
When I read these vans didn’t start out as Peugeots, I tried to figure out whose vans they might have been before I scrolled down. I never would have guessed Chenard-Walcker. I (mistakenly) thought they died out in the early thirties. Quite a cute looking little thing, without the snout.
The car Sellers gets hauled off in at the end of the movie is a little different.
Another…
Hmmm…just can’t trust wikipedia.
Nice van. I like the full-length side windows – it would be a great classic vehicle for sightseeing tours.
Great find, and all new history to me.
You can get the front overhang (or nearly as much) on RWD van, like the Commer Spacevan.
Roger, I’m certain that these Commers were also sold here. I remember seeing them. I thought they looked odd, even as a kid, with those half hidden wheels and narrow track width. That must have been at least 40 years ago. The almighty Ford Transit was much more popular of course.
About the front overhang. While I was reading about classic French vans, as mentioned above, I also read about the 1947 Renault 1000 kg. It was a RWD van, and as you can see the front overhang is pretty huge too. The biggest advantage: a smaller turning circle. Euro trucks and buses always have a set-back front axle.
An example.
A classic Swedish Scania (from Norway) with the front axle in the standard “Euro-position”.
Same Scania model in Australia, with a set-forward front axle, the “American position”.
Very interesting Paul I can only echo the comments above.