The Peugeot Quadrilette was humble, small car.

The Quadrillette evolved out of the Bebe Peugeot designed by Ettore Bugatti before the First World War and served as inspiration for the later, hugely successful, Austin 7.

Chassis number: 801

The Peugeot wasn’t meant to be so serious as maybe the GN was. It is super simple and big enough for two kids. It has been far and away the most mechanically successful car. Simple is good!

Engine: Honda GX 200 with, more or less, “stage 1” modifications. In this car’s case, these modifications happened gradually.

Drive: Comet TAV-2. #40 chain. 60 tooth driven sprocket on live rear axle.

Brakes: 6” Ø drum brake, controlled by pull rod to hand lever and 6” disc brake, controlled by push rod to foot pedal. Both brakes on the same axle. Either stop the car equally well.

Wheels: 17” x 120 front and 140 rear. Tires: 2.25 Michelin Gazelle front, 2.50 rear.

Front suspension: Initially 1/4 elliptic. Now, a more “correct” transverse spring on beam axle with Panhard rod. Softly sprung with massive suspension travel. Slight positive camber. Early front suspension now on GN.

Steering: go-kart type.

Rear suspension: trailing 1/4 elliptic with lower trailing links. Live axle. Rear suspension has carefully restricted travel which combined with the wide #40 chain allows the rear axle/ driven sprocket to twist a little without derailing the chain.

Body: 3mm Sintra over 1/4” oak plywood on mahogany framing. Aluminum bonnet. The Peugeot first had an “English boot” (common on Quadrilettes bodied in England). This was changed to a boat tail more in the spirit of the French bodied cars. The builder is hoping to revise the English boot to allow either to be fitted without fuss. Toward that end, the exhaust has recently been changed (using the “S” pipe formerly on GN.)

Frame: 0.125” wall, 2” x 3” aluminum with 1.88” Ø cross members, DiBond pan and seat back.

 

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 68.5”, ground clearance: 6.75” (brake linkages)

Front track: 36”, rear track: 32.5”

Overall length: 89.5”

Body width (at widest): 26.75”, radiator width 10.75”

Height: 35” (steering wheel), height at scuttle: 30.25”, height at side wall: 26.88”

Weight: 244 lbs