c.1961 Joustra Peugeot 404 Cabriolet in Original Box
Incredible battery operated tin litho Peugeot 404, 2-Door Cabriolet (Convertible) manufactured in France by Joustra. Complex multiple actions and everything works great! Rare auto comes complete with even rarer original box. It's the first time I've seen either the car, or the box. Gorgeous automobile and authentically designed from the 1961-62 model it includes a driver holding a telephone receiver in his right hand. The phone is connected to the dashboard by a metal spring mechanism. Here's how it works. The tin litho car body is an unusual lavender color with "folded" black tonneau cover. Although the "Big Book of Tin Toy Cars" indicates it as a 4-door vehicle, it's actually a 2-door. With its yellow and red plaid double bench seat interior it's one of the very scarce 1960's convertibles designed to hold four persons. It has a fully detailed dashboard and white plastic steering wheel. The driver's torso, head, and left arm are hard blue plastic with painted facial features (again the Big Book of Tin Toy Cars indicates that it had a composition driver). The drivers right arm is tin litho. The telephone is hard plastic. It has an authentic metal, chrome plated 404 logo on the front hood and Peugeot logo on the rear trunk. Other chrome plated components include wrap around windshield frame with smokers windows, front hood vent and divider, cross-hatched oblong grille, wrap around front and rear bumpers, head light rims, fog lights, side body trim, rear fender edge trim, spear shaped divided tail light frames, and wire wheel covers. It also has front and rear tin litho European license plates, original celluloid windshield, amber plastic head lights, red and yellow tin litho tail lights, solid rubber tires with plastic whitewall inserts, and a single black litho chassis plate embossed "Made in France". The battery compartment is underneath the car and the original locking latch is in place. It's fairly hefty weighing 1.5 pounds and was probably expensive when new. The box features a full panel illustration (front and back) of the vehicle with capped driver answering the car phone. The full name of the toy is "Cabriolet Peugeot 404 électrique with driver and telephon". The opposite panels have the Joustra logo printed in red on a yellow and blue background. The endflaps repeat this information and add its No. 2084 catalog number. The actual car was designed by Pininfarina and introduced in 1961. It was discontinued in 1969. Size: 12". Sold: Oct. 2012
Price Sold: $ 676
