Peugeot’s Secret 208 Cabriolet Prototype Revealed | Car Scoops

The unique convertible Peugeot 208 prototype features a canvas roof and a four-seat cabin

Abandoned automotive projects have a certain charm, especially when they involve life-size prototypes that remained hidden behind closed doors for years. This is the case with the Peugeot 208 Cabriolet pictured here, recently exhibited in France. It offers a glimpse of what could have been if the company’s executives had given the green light to production.

The only existing Peugeot 208 Cabriolet was first shown at the Musée De L’Aventure Peugeot in Sochaux, France. Development of the “A97” project began in 2007, five years before the debut of the original Peugeot 208 hatchback, which was launched in 2012.

More: The Renault 5 would be a très-chic convertible, but that won’t happen

Unlike its predecessors, the 206 CC and 207 CC, which featured retractable hardtops, the convertible version of the Peugeot 208 was intended to bring back the soft top configuration. The French brand recognized the packaging, cost and weight saving benefits of this solution.

As the prototype shows, a more traditional canvas roof would allow for more balanced proportions and forego the coupe characteristics of previous iterations. There would also be more room for the head and knees of the rear passengers, so the interior would appear less cramped.

The roof mechanism was reportedly developed by the Austrian company Magna Steyr, which was responsible for producing the Peugeot RCZ. The prototype’s red canvas roof matched the leather-trimmed interior with a glass rear window and an integrated third brake light.

Peugeot Adventure Museum

The rest of the bodywork appears to be mostly identical to the three-door hatchback, further reducing development costs. In addition to the missing roof and frameless windows, the Peugeot 208 Cabriolet prototype features a tailored rear with a strongly sculpted tailgate and a new rear bumper.

Canceled for good reason

According to French media L’Argus, the A97 project was initiated by three people without the consent of the now-defunct PSA board, which has since been replaced by Stellantis. These included Jean-Pierre Ploué, the head of design at the PSA group (now head of design at Lancia), Gilles Vidal, who served as Peugeot’s head of design (now head of design at Renault), and Xavier Peugeot, the head of marketing (now vice president of commercial vehicles at Stellantis).

The museum told us that the project did not materialize due to the “restructuring and rationalization carried out by the PSA Group at the time.” The project was discontinued in 2011 in favor of the similarly sized DS3 Cabrio sibling. The latter was introduced in 2012 and features fixed pillars and a much smaller canvas roof. This solution resulted in significantly lower research and development costs compared to a full convertible.

According to insider sources, the production of the DS3 Cabrio required an investment of 50 million euros, which was four times lower compared to the Peugeot 208 Cabriolet. This makes a huge difference in savings, especially when you consider the low revenue potential of an open-roof city dweller. Currently the only representatives of the segment are the Mini Cabrio and the Fiat 500e Cabrio.

Where can you see it?

If you happen to be in France, you can see the Peugeot 208 Cabriolet and other interesting concepts in person at the Musée De L’Aventure Peugeot in the city of Sochaux. The Peugeot Style & Design exhibition will remain open to visitors until September 22nd.

Another fascinating and previously unreleased prototype is the white Peugeot RCZ Cabriolet, which also didn’t make it into production. This model features a fabric top, a departure from the standard coupe’s signature bubble glass roof.

We almost had a 208cc! It’s a shame, a little work on the back, but otherwise it would have been very nice 👌 pic.twitter.com/G9yWiwJiJD

— BenjiBurn (@BenjiBurn) March 22, 2024