This somewhat tired-looking 1951 Peugeot 203 Fourgonnette, probably a French Army supply vehicle, shows how you might find a nearly 70-year old workhorse after years of intensive use – if it can be found at all. Furthermore, it shows what challenges a restorer
faces when trying to get a car like this back on the road. Vehicles such as these were never meant to be preserved, but to fulfil their primary purpose of carrying goods from one place to another. Especially during the first post-war years, when society was slowly recovering from the war and resources were scarce.
It is for that very reason that nowadays older commercial vehicles are hard to find. Most of them were scrapped, being totally used-up af- ter years of hard labour. Only a few escaped the scrapyard, thanks to being laid up in a barn or having been preserved by a history- conscious owner. These vehicles survive as a reminder of the hard work they did and the important role they played in the rebuilding of Europe after WWII.
This vehicle will remain unrestored.
Engine
1.3 litre four-cylinder
Power output
42hp
Load capacity
400kg
Special details
Unrestored