Research Dossier — 1937 Peugeot 402 Eclipse

Origins & Significance

Peugeot’s 402 range arrived in 1935 as a streamlined large family car with a raked grille and headlamps hidden behind it. The 402 Eclipse variant, created with coachbuilder Marcel Pourtout and designer Georges Paulin, was among the first production cars to feature a fully retractable steel hardtop that folded into the rear deck — the direct ancestor of modern coupé-cabriolets. Built on the long 402 chassis, the Eclipse offered elegant coupé lines when the roof was raised and full open-air motoring when stowed.

Chassis & Running Gear

Underneath the flowing bodywork sits Peugeot’s conventional but robust front-engine, rear-wheel-drive chassis with independent front suspension, a live rear axle and hydraulic brakes. Most 402s used a partially synchronized 3-speed gearbox, while some luxury examples were equipped with a four-speed Cotal electromagnetic preselector transmission.

Engine & Performance

Power came from a 1,991 cc overhead-valve inline-four producing about 55 hp, enough to push the streamlined Eclipse to roughly 120 km/h (75 mph). Later 402B models grew to 2,142 cc and around 60–63 hp, but the 1937 Eclipse sits squarely in the original 2.0-litre era. For your LEGO clone, this means a compact engine bay with a long, low bonnet and modest radiator opening.

Body, Roof & Luggage

The Eclipse’s steel body continues the “fuseau de Sochaux” teardrop theme: faired-in headlamps behind the grille, flowing front wings, integrated rear spats and a long tail to accommodate the folding top. Paulin’s patented mechanism pivots the metal roof backwards and down into the boot; from outside the transformation is clean, with only a discreet joint line along the rear deck. Many cars were finished in sober colours such as deep brown or green with tan interiors and occasionally carried fitted luggage in the trunk, making them ideal grand tourisme machines.

Production & Rarity

The Eclipse was never a high-volume car. Period sources suggest fewer than 500 examples of the 402 Eclipse were built across all years and wheelbases, making any surviving car highly collectible today. That rarity is part of what your LEGO model can celebrate: a quiet French engineering revolution that prefigured post-war hardtop convertibles.

Modeling Priorities for a LEGO Clone

• Preserve the long-tail fastback profile and low beltline so the car reads instantly as a 402, even at 8-wide.
• Use smooth tiles and curved slopes to suggest pressed-steel bodywork and the delicate Art-Deco chrome strips along the flanks.
• Build the roof and rear deck as a single rigid module that can hinge into a hollow boot on larger scales, echoing Paulin’s linkage while staying LEGO-legal.
• Emphasise the hidden-headlamp front end with a tall raked grille and small light hints behind it, rather than obvious standalone headlights.
• Highlight French grand-touring details: cream-tan seats, slim steering wheel, period gauges and, where scale allows, a pair of tan suitcases and a spare wheel under the rear lid.