Unique Peugeot 203 Competition Car Confirmed for Concours of Elegance 2026

Concours of Elegance is delighted to announce the appearance of the unique Barbier Peugeot 203 at Hampton Court Palace this September, a remarkable competition car that tells the story of one family’s passion for motorsport.

The Barbier family’s connection to competition began in the mid-1920s when Etienne Barbier won the Aix-les-Bains Rally at the wheel of his Peugeot 172. After the Second World War, his son Paul Barbier continued the family’s racing success with modified Peugeot 203s before commissioning Roger Tunesi to design a Bugatti tank-style barchetta based on the Peugeot 203.

Using the chassis of a 1950 Peugeot 203 A, the car was completed in 1953 with an aluminium body weighing just 45kg, excluding the engine. It continued to evolve throughout its racing career, later featuring a tuned Peugeot 403 engine and, on occasion, a compressor to increase power, along with a four-speed gearbox.

The Barbier Peugeot enjoyed considerable success in competition during the 1950s, including second place at the 1954 Monte Carlo Rally, first in class at the Course de Côte Val Suzon, and victory in the 1500cc category at the Grand Prix des 24 Heures de Paris, Bol d’Or Internationales at Montlhéry.

Its final known competition appearance came at the 1957 Mille Miglia with Robert Rastit, before the car disappeared from view. It was rediscovered in the 1990s by François Barbier, Paul’s brother, who restored the car before it once again entered a private collection.

An exceptional example of a French “special”, the Barbier Peugeot demonstrates how private entrants developed innovative, low-cost solutions to challenge factory-backed teams.

Visitors to Concours of Elegance 2026 will have the opportunity to see this significant historic competition car on display at Hampton Court Palace.