The same year the Pininfarina bodied 406 Coupe was first shown; Peugeot also displayed this, the Toscana concept. The Sochaux-based motor company’s intentions remained unclear, but whatever the intent, it cannot have been all that serious. With a bespoke body marrying key styling elements of the 406 saloon – nose treatment, rear lamps, body swage line – to a distinct sci-fi canopy section, the Toscana was as frivolous a concept could be while still loosely based on a production model.
While some attribute the design to Pininfarina, It was likely an in-house job, it suggests Gérard Welter’s sense of humor as somewhat leftfield. Curiously, Peugeot’s launch ad execution for the 406 (in the UK at least) featured M People’s turgid ‘Search For the Hero’ hit single. In the case of the Toscana, no searching would have been required – every driver instantly being conferred superhero status.
Images: Peugeot
