Peugeot 203: which version to buy and why
There is only one catalogue version of the Peugeot 203: 1.3 MT. Production of this Cabrio ran from 1948-01-01 to 1960-12-31 as a single generation with one modification.
There is only one catalogue version of the Peugeot 203: 1.3 MT. Production of this Cabrio ran from 1948-01-01 to 1960-12-31 as a single generation with one modification. The buying question is not “which engine” or “which generation.” It is whether 1.3 MT’s measured ratios — 45 hp from 1290 cm³, 80 Nm, 930 kg kerb weight, Manual 4, RWD — match what you need, and which numbers on this car are not measured at all.
Specs that decide the only version
1.3 MT is the whole line. Power is 45 hp (33 kW) at 4500 rpm. Torque is 80 Nm at 2500 rpm. Displacement is 1290 cm³. Fuel is Gasoline. Cylinders are 4, layout is Inline, valves per cylinder are 2, boost is No. Induction is Carburetor. Compression ratio is 6.8. Bore and stroke are 75 × 73. Gearbox is Manual, gears are 4, drive is RWD. Kerb weight is 930 kg.
Arithmetic on those figures:
- Power per litre: 45 ÷ 1.290 ≈ 34.9 hp per litre.
- Torque per litre: 80 ÷ 1.290 ≈ 62.0 Nm per litre.
- Kerb weight per horsepower: 930 ÷ 45 = 20.7 kg per hp.
- Peak power rpm is 2000 rpm above peak torque rpm (4500 vs 2500).
- Bore is 2 mm larger than stroke (75 vs 73).
There is no second Peugeot 203 name in the data to split by horsepower. A second 1.3 MT with a different hp figure does not exist here.
Generations compared: what changed, what did not
The Peugeot 203 has 1 generation. Years: 1948-01-01 to 1960-12-31. Body: Cabrio. Versions in that generation: 1. Restyling is not listed as a separate generation.
Because there is no second generation, there is no generation-to-generation change in hp, Nm, displacement, gearbox, drive, or kerb weight. 1.3 MT in generation 1 is the start row and the stop row: 1948-01-01 to 1960-12-31. Extra money cannot buy a later Peugeot 203 engine, a different body, or a restyle SKU in this catalogue — those SKUs are not in the data.
Engine, gearbox, drive: the 1.3 MT table
| Version | hp | Nm | Displacement (cm³) | Fuel | Cylinders | Layout | Boost | Gearbox | Drive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1.3 MT | 45 | 80 | 1290 | Gasoline | 4 | Inline | No | Manual | RWD |
1.3 MT is Gasoline, not a second fuel type. Cylinders are 4 Inline; there is no other cylinder count to choose. Boost is No; a boosted Peugeot 203 is not in the data. Gearbox is Manual with 4 gears; an automatic Peugeot 203 is not in the data. Drive is RWD; AWD and FWD are not in the data.
The Carburetor feed, 6.8 compression, and 75 × 73 bore × stroke belong only to 1.3 MT. Engine location is not measured. Fuel grade is not measured.
What the numbers buy on this one engine:
- 45 hp at 4500 rpm is the only power peak.
- 80 Nm at 2500 rpm is the only torque peak.
- 33 kW is the only kilowatt figure.
- 1290 cm³ is the only displacement.
- 4 gears on Manual is the only ratio count.
You cannot trade 5 hp, 10 Nm, or one extra gear against another Peugeot 203 row. Those deltas would require a second version.
Performance, mpg, and economy: measured vs not measured
For 1.3 MT:
- 0–100 is not measured.
- Top speed is not measured.
- City consumption is not measured.
- Highway consumption is not measured.
- Combined consumption is not measured.
- CO2 is not measured.
- Eco class is not measured.
A “which version is faster” or “which version has better mpg” ranking cannot be built from acceleration or consumption, because those fields are empty on the only row. Economy and sprint are not a reason to pick 1.3 MT over a sibling — there is no sibling, and the sprint and mpg cells are not measured.
What you can still use for a buy decision is the measured mass-to-power and specific output above: 20.7 kg/hp and 34.9 hp/l. Those are ratios of given numbers, not extra catalogue fields.
Dimensions, weight, tank, wheels, chassis
Kerb weight for 1.3 MT is 930 kg. Gross weight is not measured. Ground clearance is not measured. Tank volume is not measured. Wheel sizes are not measured.
Chassis that is measured, and therefore part of the only-version choice:
- Front suspension: Independent, leaf spring
- Rear suspension: Independent, spring
- Front brakes: Drum
- Rear brakes: Drum
There is no second Peugeot 203 with different brakes or a different suspension label. Choosing 1.3 MT is choosing Independent, leaf spring in front, Independent, spring in the rear, and Drum + Drum. A disc-brake or coil-front alternative is not in the data.
Weight per hp (20.7 kg/hp) uses the 930 kg kerb figure. Gross-weight loading, tank range, and tyre diameter cannot be compared because tank, wheels, and gross mass are not measured.
Problems, reliability, and what the numbers do not cover
This catalogue row does not list failure rates, service intervals, or known faults. Reliability and “common problems” are not measured in the data. Do not treat silence as “no problems.”
What is measured and relevant to how the car is used:
- Carburetor (not a second injection type).
- Compression 6.8 (not a second compression figure).
- Gasoline, 4 Inline, 2 valves per cylinder, boost No.
- Manual 4, RWD.
- Drum front and Drum rear.
- Years 1948-01-01–1960-12-31 on both the generation and 1.3 MT.
Those are configuration facts, not a reliability score.
Which version to choose
Choose 1.3 MT if you want the Peugeot 203 as listed: Cabrio, one generation, 45 hp / 80 Nm / 1290 cm³ Gasoline 4 Inline, boost No, Carburetor, Manual 4, RWD, 930 kg.
Do not wait for a second trim. The data has 1 generation and 1 modification. There is no higher-hp 1.3 MT, no later generation with more Nm, and no economy or 0–100 figure that would rank one row above another.
If you need a measured 0–100, top speed, mpg, tank, wheels, ground clearance, or gross weight before buying, those values are not measured on 1.3 MT. If you need Automatic, a different cylinder count, boost other than No, or a drive other than RWD, that configuration is not a Peugeot 203 in this catalogue.
Power per litre (~34.9 hp/l) and kerb weight per hp (20.7 kg/hp) are the only cross-checks you can run without inventing a second car. They describe this 1.3 MT, not a comparison winner.
1.3 MT — numbers in one block
Peugeot 203 1.3 MT, generation 1, Cabrio, 1948-01-01 to 1960-12-31: 45 hp (33 kW) at 4500 rpm, 80 Nm at 2500 rpm, 1290 cm³, Gasoline, 4 Inline, 2 valves per cylinder, boost No, Carburetor, compression 6.8, 75 × 73, Manual 4, RWD, kerb 930 kg. 0–100 not measured. Top speed not measured. City / highway / combined consumption not measured. Tank not measured. CO2 not measured. Eco class not measured. Gross weight not measured. Ground clearance not measured. Wheels not measured. Engine location not measured. Fuel grade not measured.