PEUGEOT 406 COUPÉ MARKS ITALIAN DESIGNER'S 70TH BIRTHDAY
Famous Italian design house Pininfarina has created a limited edition Peugeot's 406 Coupé to celebrate its 70th birthday in the year 2000.
Displayed at this year's Geneva and Paris motor shows, the Settant'Anni (Seventy Years) is a Europe-only, special edition, retaining the purity and design balance of what many consider to be the world's most beautiful car. Yet it features numerous individual touches.
The bodywork is finished in a choice of exclusive colours - Hyperion Blue or Hades Grey, and this unique car is further distinguished by 16"alloy wheels with body-coloured inserts, the design "borrowed" from Pininfarina's 1997 Nautilus research prototype.
As well, the radiator grille is formed from chrome-plated, horizontal strips.
UNIQUE INTERIOR
On the inside, the front and rear seats are trimmed in a pleated, new grain leather, with the Pininfarina logo hot-stamped on all four head restraints. White trim in the blue car and Chestnut Brown with the grey finish.
As well, the door panels and rear structure are trimmed in the same leather with diagonally pleated stitching. And the wood trim dashboard is inlaid with a series plate indicating the restricted number of the Settant'Anni manufactured.
FIFTY YEAR COLLABORATION
Launched in Australia in early 1998, the 406 Coupé is the result of a near 50 year collaboration between Automobiles Peugeot and Pininfarina. The two companies working together since 1951, and the creation of the 403 sedan.
Initially confined to design only, the relationship expanded to partial manufacturing in the Sixties, with the current 306 Cabriolet for example, produced jointly by Automobiles Peugeot and Pininfarina.
But the partnership acquired a new dimension with the 406 Coupé. For the first time Peugeot entrusted Pininfarina with responsibility, not only for exterior and interior design, but for industrialisation and production.
The 406 Coupé shares its sedan stablemate's floorpan, drivetrain and some "modified and personalised" interior components. But the Coupé's body panels and sub-structure are unique.
In creating the car Pininfarina says it resisted "retro tendencies", aiming for "a timeless beauty that will not decay rapidly".
Assembly, body-in-white finishing and painting processes are carried out at Pininfarina's Grugliasco production plant. Trimming, assembly of the Coupé's mechanical parts, as well as road and track testing are then completed at Pininfarina's St Giorgio Canavese plant.
PERFORMANCE & LUXURY
Priced at $72,400 for the five-speed manual, and $74,900 for the four-speed automatic, the 406 Coupé is a stylish, powerful and luxurious flagship for Peugeot's Australian range. It offers full four-seat comfort, a luxurious specification and impressive performance.
Powered by a 3.0-litre, quad-cam, 24-valve V6 engine, the 406 Coupé sprints from 0-100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.
And its lengthy standard equipment list includes climate-control air-conditioning, driver, passenger and side airbags, ABS anti-lock brakes, a six-function on-board computer, electro-hydraulic speed-sensitive power steering, automatic rain-sensing windscreen wiper system, electric windows, cruise control and full leather trim.
The heated front seats are electrically adjustable, with two memory positions on the driver's side, and the eight-speaker CD stereo system includes a multi-disc boot-mounted stacker unit.
As well, the Coupé features 16-inch alloy wheels shod with high-performance (W-rated) tyres, front and rear fog lights, an engine immobiliser, central locking and auto headlight washers.
The only available option is an electric (glass) slide and tilt sunroof.