When you're looking for things remarkable at an event like the 2008 Meadow Brook Concours D'Elegance, it doesn't take much to stick out from the myriad four-ton Packards and stately Rolls Royces. This 1938 Peugeot 402 Darl'mat Roadster practically beckoned to us from across the greens with its stylish French siren song. This 402 is actually underpinned by a 302 chassis equipped with the larger 2-liter engine from the 402. And, would you believe it, that handsome design was actually penned by a fellow trained as a dental technician?
Despite its good looks, the Peugeot 402 Darl'mat was intended as a race car which would herald the return of Peugeot to serious Grand Prix racing. While great success was not had at the race track, a hundred of these road cars were sold in roadster, cabriolet and coupe bodystyles. The roadster is by far the best of the bunch. There are about 30 examples of these handsome and sporty cars thought to still survive, and we'd love to see some crazy person run one in the La Carrera Panamericana.