Peugeot's Quadrilette was so narrow that its two seats couldn't sit side by side — passengers rode in tandem, one behind the other, like a motorcycle.
Lead trim: Quadrilette Type 161 0.7 four (9.5 hp)
Peugeot Quadrilette Type 161TYPE-161 · 1921–1922
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Nobody in Burbles has spotted a Peugeot Quadrilette Type 161 yet. See one on the street, point the app at it, and the first card is yours — with your @handle permanently credited on this page.
FactPeugeot's Quadrilette was so narrow that its two seats couldn't sit side by side — passengers rode in tandem, one behind the other, like a motorcycle.
The Peugeot Quadrilette is the popular name for the Type 161 and Type 172 and related models built from 1921 to 1924 (12,305 in all, 31% of Peugeot's production then, following the Bébé). The Type 161 was created to reverse Peugeot's post-war financial woes, a cheap, practical, very small economy car nicknamed the Quadrilette at the 1920 Brussels Motor Show and on sale in 1921. To fit the cyclecar tax bracket (100 francs a year) the 4-cylinder water-cooled engine displaced only 667 cc and made 9.5 horsepower under a body weighing under 350 kg (770 lb), so narrow the two seats were in tandem; the Type 161E added side-by-side seats later in 1921. It retailed for 9,900 francs with top, acetylene lights and a spare tire, used 5.0 L/100 km and reached 60 km/h (37 mph). 3,500 Type 161s were built in 1921–1922, and the 5CV succeeded it.
Collectors Spotted in the Peugeot Quadrilette Lineage
No member has published a public street spot of the Peugeot Quadrilette yet — the First · Worldwide stamp is wide open.
Trims & Figures
One published trim in the catalogue. A blank is a figure not recorded, not zero.
| Trim | Years | Engine | Power | Torque | 0–60 | Drive | Gearbox | MSRP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Quadrilette Type 161 0.7 four (9.5 hp) | 1921–1922 | 0.7 L Inline-4 | 9.5 hp | — | — | RWD | — | — |
Owning one
We don’t estimate running costs for a car like this. What it costs depends on its condition, its specialist and how it is driven, and an average would mislead.
Owners’ builds
Nobody has claimed one yet.
Photographs
The sportiest Quadrilette of all nearly vanished from history: Peugeot built just 100 of the upgraded 720cc 'Grand Sport' BS model in 1924 before the whole Quadrilette line was retired.
The Type 172 fixed the original Quadrilette's oddest flaw - tandem seating so narrow the passenger sat behind the driver - and ended up with more luggage room despite a shorter wheelbase.
Peugeot's Quadrilette was so narrow that its two seats couldn't sit side by side — passengers rode in tandem, one behind the other, like a motorcycle.
Rivals
Same body, same money, other badges — tap any card to flip.
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