Here’s how Peugeot tried and failed to remain relevant in America

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In this episode I provide the history of Peugeot's import of cars to North America. Peugeot is one of France's big three automakers, and first tried to sell cars in the U.S. back in 1958, with their 403 model, which would later be famous in America for its role on the TV show 'Columbo'. Other models like the 404, 504, 304, and 604 would follow into the 1970s, but sold very few compared to other European brands in America. The 505 introduced in 1980 would be their best seller, but the introduction of the 405 in 1989 couldn't help the continued slide, leading to Peugeot leaving the American market in 1991. Peugeot parent PSA had considered bringing Peugeot back to America as late as 2020, but called it off in March 2021.

[@MyOldCar]

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[@alguieninfiltrao]

Could you talk about Citroën?

[@kobra6660]

Renault peugot citreon lancia would have a hard time coming back to america their cars are much better today

[@tan2ksl153]

Would you be interested in making a video about the Mercedes w201 platform?

[@sooptiem]

PSA bought Chrysler Europe in 1978 for, im not kidding, ONE DOLLAR 🤣

[@alguieninfiltrao]

@@sooptiem With a dollar I can buy a box of peeled pipes, so did PSA buy Chrysler Europe or did they buy peeled pipes?

[@jaspal666]

When the 405 was introduced, the only distributor in my hometown was a pleasure boat dealer. And had just one car to sell. 😂

[@mankind8088]

😭😂🤣😂😭😭😭🤣🤣😭😭🤣😭

[@mikeisaacs2314]

Damn 😂

[@christopherconard2831]

One more than anyone else. The beginnings of a potential automotive empire.

[@danielduplessis9101]

Connecticut?

[@jaspal666]

@@danielduplessis9101 Knoxville, Tn

[@williamegler8771]

My parents bought a heavily discounted 405 wagon from our local dealer who was closing down. It was a very nice car! They drove it 180k miles over the next fifteen years and it was actually very reliable. It was T-boned by a teenager in a Mustang who ran a red light while drag racing.

[@danweyant707]

Sounds like it had a good run.

[@kevincarlson4562]

The Mustang driver being guillotined for his crime would be fitting.

[@JackLondonen]

My father had 405 SRi sedan for 17 years and with minimal repairs. It didn't even had rust in it when car was trashed. And only reason it was trashed was rear suspension $50 part that was difficult to change by DIY-person.

[@billolsen4360]

Teenagers running red lights drag racing their Mustangs on the streets? Some things never change.

[@tobykunta2687]

Grew up in Zimbabwe . The 404 had the reputation of never breaking down could be be beaten down but never broken down. the 504 also was hardy but later models 403 and 505 went for sexier looks but not as reliable.

[@patriciomunoz2830]

Agreed, 505 non injected were good, injected ones had all sort of problems expensive to repair

[@ivokiller2000intel]

Here in Argentina the 504 was the work horse of many, either sedan or pickup, not for nothing it ended it's production here in 2000. Newer Peugeot's have quite some problems

[@billolsen4360]

Yes, Peugeot was famous for building tough cars & the suspension could really take a beating. If the Dukes of Hazard had been set in France, they would have be in a Peugeot.

[@chrispbacon3042]

Has does that work for the model 403. When the 403 was produced between 1955 & 1966. Think ya got information twisted.

[@tobykunta2687]

@@chrispbacon3042 I guess it was the 405 . I remember it being assembled in Zimbabwe in the 90s. en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot_405

[@intrepid5144]

When I was a kid, my parents traded-in their '54 Plymouth Savoy for a new 1960 Peugeot 403! It was a fun little car to drive around in, but the lack of dealers, or Service Parts, made keeping it a problem. Later on, we had a 504 sedan, which suffered from the same lack of good service. I'm sure that's what "killed" the car here in the U. S. A.

[@Neuroguy1]

As a poor college student in the early 80's I had a 504. Not fast by any means but it was amazingly comfortable. I felt you could ride across a plowed field and do so in comfort. It was green so at Christmas, I painted the hubcaps red. It died from a blown head gasket.

[@landon11]

The 505 was my first car when I turned 16 in 2000. It had been abandoned in front of my dad's shop. Thanks for reminding me how I was the only person in town to have one and the fact that nobody new anything about diesel fuel was hilarious to me. My friends would hop in after doing something nefarious and would be anxious when I tell them to wait 30 seconds for the glow plugs to heat up before I could turn it over

[@JDMHaze]

lmaooo yoo😂😂😂. this is hilarious 🤣

[@Keeferlgb]

I too bought a gold 505 Turbodiesel my last year of high school. It was a 1981 model and it was in excellent condition-only 4 years old at the time. No one knew what it was in my south Georgia town, everyone said, What's a "Pewgot"? The car was a repo sitting at a local credit union for months, no one was buying it, so I called and asked how much....$6000, they said. All I knew was that it was French, looked wayyyy cool, So I took a gamble and purchased it right away. It was fabulous! I absolutely loved it, loved how it rode and the seats were phenomenal! It ran like new and only needed a good cleaning after sitting outside for months. I was the only person in probably 5 counties around to have a Peugeot. I drove it several years and then it slowly became sluggish and had no acceleration, I knew nothing about diesel engines at the time, being 16 years of age, so I traded it for a Mercedes. Many years later, I could kick myself for trading the Peugeot, because I learned after many years of Mercedes diesel ownership, the only thing wrong with the Peugeot was it simply had a clogged fuel filter! That's right, I changed the oil regularly, but in my youth, it never occurred to me to change the fuel filter regularly! ...If only I knew then what I know now.

[@gretchenlittle6817]

A guy I knew had a 505 -- this was in Dallas, TX. Beautiful car!

[@Packard1947]

The 504 was a great car very reliable you could almost ignore a speed bump. I wish I could get one now it had a great suspension reliable and durable beyond belief.

[@MrPagefile]

@@Keeferlgb I had a 1975 504 Diesel and had to remember to periodically drain the water separator.

[@rollingtones1]

Peugeot was known as "the French Mercedes", due to the overall quality. They were in their element in France and the rest of Europe, with ready spare parts, a good dealer network, trained mechanics, etc. In other words, they thrived when surrounded by the support system of that part of the world. They were also extremely vertically integrated as a manufacturer - they were proud of making almost all of the parts themselves, such as brakes, shock absorbers, seats, et cetera. This is very similar to Raleigh bicycles - for many years they made ALL the parts in-house. Even Dunlop bicycle tires were owned directly by Raleigh. In contrast, modern cars rely heavily on Tier 1, 2 and 3 supplier companies.

[@groboz]

My first car was a 504 Diesel. I knew nothing about them when I bought it. Didn’t realize the head gasket was blown until after I bought it. I ended up rebuilding the entire engine in my dad’s garage. It was noisy and quirky but i remember it being more comfortable than any car I had been in. The seats were super cush and the suspension was dreamy floating on clouds. Nowadays most cars really favor stiff sporty suspension. And new seats also typically firm or even outright uncomfortable.

[@mg1342mg]

I had a 405 wagon in the later 80's. It had an incredibly efficient 4-cylinder diesel backed by a 4-speed manual (topped out at 78 mph). It handled very well and had ice cold air; the headlights were much better than any US car. I loved it, and would pay well to have it again.

[@cnorton1us]

In the mid 1980's I worked at a psych center/drug & alcohol rehab center in the summers, and its owner was... quirky. He bought his & hers Peugeot 505s, and liked them so much he bought a couple for the hospital to use for transporting doctors & patients for non-emergency appointments - these were the gas versions. I remember at first the drivers like them much better than the old Dodge K-cars they had been driving, but soon the reliability issues and difficulty getting parts cropped up. This place had their own repair shop, with a "mechanic" who was really just a farmer who was good at jerry-rigging things to work "temporarily". After less than 2 years, they'd resurrected the old K-car wagon (which had a stick!), since it still ran despite the amount of duct tape and rubber bands holding it together 😁

[@demolitionman5003]

Lancia would be interesting to have a video about. I had a friend who's dad had one. Looked cool at the time

[@matthall8902]

Lancia had an amazing lineup of cars in the 1960's. Then US pollution and bumper regulations helped ruin some of their best cars in the 70's such as the Monte Carlo, as did having to share FIAT's poor quality supply of steel that was prone to instantly rust. Then they were forced to pull out of the US kind of prematurely. In an alternate reality 80's, we could have gotten the Stratos and Delta.

[@billyclub9733]

My boss for my after school job in high school in the 80s had a 1979 Lancia and used to take me driving. That's where I learned how to drive standard

[@marionmorrissey5646]

I still have a 505sti. The mechanical fuel injection and quirky gearbox made it occasionally grumpy but for the most part was a reliable daily driver. I even found a 505 turbo diesel as a parts car. The gorgeous blue leather interior has held up very well. Thanks for the history.

[@jean-jacquesdelacroix2112]

According to me the leather they used was of very fine quality ! France is renowned for production of very good leathers 😁 Rgds from Belgium

[@davidbayley9588]

The US headlight and bumper regulations sure did ruin the looks of a lot of imported cars

[@kevincarlson668]

Yep,some Citroens as well.

[@williamelkins1613]

I was a Peugeot tech in the early ninties. Always liked the cars although not super easy to repair. The MI16 was a really fun car. The 405 just came too late.

[@johnjoseph9797]

It's nice to know that there are still a Peugeot tech out there. I went to a training class in New York and became a Cert Tech for the Peugeot cars. The way a Peugeot was made was good. The engine and the transmission would go under the car in case of a head on crash. William, do you remember the seat belt problems that women's complain about?

[@williamelkins1613]

@@johnjoseph9797 no, I don't. I just always loved the 505 turbo diesel except you always had to take the switches apart and clean them

[@williamelkins1613]

And I didn't like the wiring harnesses. Numbers not colors. It I didn't learn, I bacame a Saab tech

[@johnjoseph9797]

@@williamelkins1613 In this country, USA there was about 18,000 complaints from woman's about the belt rubbing the breast the wrong way. I like the Saab's vehicle. Every cars has their up and down.

[@williamelkins1613]

@@johnjoseph9797 most of my customers were like college professors. It was really hard to get parts at the end. I miss them though.

[@christopherldavid]

I worked for Peugeot at a small design strategy studio 2018/2019 in San Francisco. Our primary purpose was working on the project to bring Peugeot back to the US. It had solid potential, Peugeot is great at providing a different buying experience and is very creative. The “product” they were proposing on bringing was unique, but still niche for the American Masses. It’s disappointing, but I get why they bailed on the idea.

[@PKMNFan4664]

Was it going to be a haggle-free model, similar to what Saturn and Scion did?

[@avtomad722]

Another great episode thank you! Peugeot are thriving these days in Europe, the 208, 2008 and 3008 seem to be on every street corner, and after driving the electric 208 I can see why.

[@torstenscholz6243]

Yeah, they still are doing very well in Europe. The 205-208 series even was for some years the best-selling car in Europe altogether, meaning taht it even outsold the VW Golf. Really a pity that they never got a foothold in the US though, and since the latest change of strategy at Stellantis, it's very unlikely that they will try a US comeback anytime soon.

[@kevinbarry71]

I remember the 505 turbo in the late 80s. It seem like such a good car. Certainly superior to the American competition. But they never had anything like the support system they needed to have a chance in the United States

[@auntbarbara5576]

I remember these well, saw many in our area in the late 70's and 80's. You failed to mention these cars major attribute of having an unmatched supremely comfortable suspension. These cars were also safe. Viva la France! 🇫🇷

[@JDMHaze]

Well he did mention the independent suspension, however the merging with citroen. May have contributed considering they developed some very sophisticated futuristic suspension designs for their time air, and I think they were responsible for the first air suspension in that DS thing

[@groboz]

Yes!!! My 504 floated like a land yacht. It honestly made the car feel more substantial and comfortable. Certainly not typical for small cars of that era.

[@michamatusiak9992]

@@phantom0456 There is nothing uglier than an American car from late 70s onwards.

[@peggygeren4169]

The 404 and 505 are Pininfarina designs, and very handsome, as well as roomy and practical IMO. In fact, I think looks were probably the strongest selling point for the 505. Pinin also designed coupe versions of the 504 and 604 that are just incredibly handsome, quite different from the sedans'styling, never seen in the US and rare in Europe.

[@dfoitl]

When I was a medical resident I was the prior owner of two LeCars and one Fuego (The best car I’ve ever owned and since then I’ve had five Mercedes to Audis but the Fuego drove the best wish to God I still had it) and three Volkswagens But what was my dream car that I could not afford on a resident salary was the Peugeot 505 with a manual transmission I begged the dealer who is so kind to me to lower the price and my parents already had paid for school and was happy to by another Jetta but honestly that Peugeot 505 was so superior to my dads Mercedes E class W124 what a shame Americans were clueless about this amazing car so I’m so glad you’re reviewing it honestly

[@ianperkins8812]

My stepfather LOOOVED Peugeots. We had 2 504s through the 80s, a diesel with a stick (slowest vehicle I have ever driven, 0-60 times measured in minutes) and a gas one with an automatic, also not exactly what you could call fast. I think he got them so that my sister and I would never ask to borrow the car. Neither of us would be caught dead in the things...

[@JDMHaze]

lmaoo

[@MisterMikeTexas]

What about Columbo's Peugeot convertible?

[@towgod7985]

0 to 60 measured in minutes? ......or DAYS?!!!

[@ianperkins8812]

@@towgod7985 downhill, minutes. Uphill or into the wind, days.

[@sunbeam8866]

I always hated that droopy trunk on the 504 sedans. Otherwise, they looked OK, especially compared to the immense, bloated land-yachts Detroit was churning out. The 504 wagons looked just fine..

[@commontater652]

My 4 cylinder (gas) 5 speed 505 wagon went about 250,000 miles before the engine pooped out. Absolutely beautiful ride quality; reliability and fuel economy were good right until the end. Chassis developed torsional flex at about age 20 though.

[@flyingmerkel6]

Just saw a Peugeot driving around last week. My Dad had a 1958 403. He loved that car, probably one of a dozen running around Southern CA in the 60's. It was a decent car, though as a kid I had to crawl under the dash and work the wipers as they had failed long ago. Sold it in '68 for a whopping $25. He then bought a Cortina. Dad had horrible taste in cars.

[@Ozzienuck]

I had two 505's...an 86 505S and then an 85 505 Turbo. The ride comfort was exceptional and the handling was absolutely superb. Really, the chassis could have handled 250+ hp. The seats were amazingly comfortable and supportive too. I once drove my 85 model all day and actually felt rested at the end. My Turbo model was only good for about 145 hp being non-intercooled but later intercooled models were good for 165 hp. I got to drive the V6 505 once and it was magic. What killed them off was the very high purchase price (I think they were around $30,000+ in Canada for the turbo model), lack of national dealer network (they were amalgamated with Chrysler then who basically didn't want to know), stupid niggly things going wrong, and huge depreciation. Kind of the same things that did in Citroen in Canada. My Turbo came to a sad end when a guy decided to do a U turn right in front of me with his Oldsmobile. Still, even 20 years later I often think how nice it would be to pick up a mint 5 speed 505 Turbo or 505 V6.

[@julianmoreau3281]

My father had both the 504 and the 405 (and no, he didn't turn the car over, haha), with diesel engines. The were great built cars. My mom also had a 205, and I owned myself a 206 diesel. Great value for the money

[@steven.l.patterson]

I was young when the 504 went on sale in the US, but I loved the look compared to the fat domestic cars. Also loved the 505.

[@LearnAboutFlow]

I never understood why makers like Peugeot didn't drop their egos and nationalism to realize the Japanese were winning because of reliability. All they needed to do was make the cars reliable and word would have spread, as with Mercedes after WW2.

[@peggygeren4169]

But the 404 was one of the most reliable and toughest sedans ever made by anyone. It was also very handsome, roomy and practical, with its Pininfarina body - like the 505. Despite that, very few were sold in the US. I think Peugeot management just didn't want to gamble on establishing and sustaining a good dealership and servicing network when they sold well in Europe and parts of Africa and Asia. The Renault Dauphine gave French cars a bad reputation for reliability and safety in the US in the 1960s which didn't help. If Peugeot had really pushed the 404, it may have solidified their reputation in the US and set them up to be profitable through the next decades.

[@TassieLorenzo]

@@LearnAboutFlow To this day, Japanese cars still sell poorly in Europe though. Toyota are only the 5th place automaker by volume, as opposed to their number one position nearly everywhere else. I guess it's a combination of import tariffs and the regulatory push for diesels for reducing CO2 emissions in the 1990's which favoured domestic European auto makers (Japanese auto makers tend to be poor at passenger car diesels), as opposed to the hybrid petrol approach for reducing CO2 emissions preferred by Toyota, Honda and others.

[@JackLondonen]

@@TassieLorenzo Yep, cars like Subaru, Mitsubishi or Honda are at the lowest in Europe. They have never sold so poorly.

[@mcqueenfanman]

I remember reading an issue of MT about the 504, it's handling compared very well even to the Trans Am also featured.

[@GaemerJosh]

I always seen these emblems when I was young and never knew what they were (they were used and far and few in the early 90s) So glad to see a video about them ❤️❤️ you never fail to make an informative and enjoyable video!!

[@sooptiem]

Peugeot actually put a carburetor into their 205 Rallye in 1991. With only 99hp going to the front wheels. And this 205 never came to the U.S.

[@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge]

They did that before, the 1.3 Rallye engine was introduced in 1984, and all carburetted versions were replaced by the useless horrid single point fuel injection by 1993.

[@sooptiem]

@@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge Yep. It was useless. It was horrid. It just wasn’t good.

[@rigoloweb4762]

@@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge why don't you like the single point fuel injection? I think the single point injection is very nice. Reliable and a bit more economic than the carburetted engines (for the TU1 and TU3).

[@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge]

@@rigoloweb4762 I don't like it. It's impossible to tune, it takes me 5 seconds of cranking to start when cold, idles like crap, etc. While my 309 with a carb just starts instantly with just a little choke, and it gets pretty much the same gas mileage, although both get better economy than modern diesels.

[@e28forever30]

The Rallye was brilliant. It had a small 1.3 litre 4-cilinder engine, fed by two double Weber carbs. They were all tuned by Danielson, a French company that prepared racing engines. The car was ultra light, being devoid of any options, there wasn’t even a lid on the glove box compartment. Floor carpet and seat belts were bright red. Despite the small engine, it was huge fun to drive.

[@danielventura8073]

In the late 80s my friend Debbie had a late model 505 STi. She never had any trouble with it.

[@DarkpawTheWolf]

Thanks for doing this video. Back in the mid-80s (in Canada, which I assume was the same as what was in the US), when my parents were looking to replace their V8 Le Baron (or New Yorker, I can't remember), they looked at a bunch of different cars, including a Peugeot (which I also pronounce with emphasis on the middle). When taking it for a test drive, I saw a gauge I never saw before, and asked my father, "Is that some kind of weird tach?" He said, "No, it's a fuel meter, to show how much fuel you're using." It red-lined a lot, because my dad was a lead-foot back then. :P That gauge seemed weird to me back then, but it's pretty much standard (at least on Dodge/Chrysler) on everything today. He ultimately ended up just buying a 2.4l 1984 Le Baron (the one with the talking dash - "A door is ajar." - hilarious at the time, but worth a ton if you can find one today). Also worth noting is that the 2.4l engine that was in that 1984 Le Baron was a 4 cylinder "Hemi". Also want to note that I also have always pronounced the "s" in LeMans. I never would have even thought about this, but I guess it's a North American thing.

[@alexanderlee7951]

I remember where there was a Peugeot dealership that sold these when I was also a kid in the 80s. They turned into a VW dealership when Peugeot went out. I think the only people who bought these cars were French expats in the states and quirky college professors who had seen them during a european symposium and wanted one. The French teacher at my high school had a 505 of course and couldn't be persuaded to get something else when it would break down and spend a month waiting on parts. Her daughter was my age, I remember that car being comfortable, good handling, and sluggish. I think they would have done better with a more robust parts and service network but I think even the dealers back then were woefully unprepared to fix them. Not mentioned in the video- the 505 was available with the PRV V6 but the downside of that was it had the PRV V6.

[@thembanjoko2844]

The King of African of roads. Peugeot built the most solid, most reliable cars ever made like the 404 and 504, hence the long production in Africa. The last 404 was built in 1991 in Kenya, and the last 504 was built in Nigeria in 2006.

[@budaroddy]

Here in Argentina some of those where pretty common, my dad used to have a 504 in great condition, he dig a hole on the walkside of our house, put some kind of metal piece, fill the hole with cement, then used to lock the car wheel with a chain into that thing, one christmas eve at like 9pm we hear *bruuummmmmm rmmmr rmemmm rmmmm* they dried to steal the car but thanks to that chain hooked to the ground, they couldnt steal it, the same happened a few times more, sadly my dad had to sell it I dunno why I think it started to get corrosion or something

[@akeme25]

I used to see them everywhere whenever I was in Nigeria. My grandpa even owned a 504 (which was VERY very reliable)

[@mercedesclassicswithpierre1753]

We had a 504 diesel A 505 turbo wagon A 505 sedan They were all great

[@justsumguy2u]

I think the reason Peugeot failed in the US is lack of brand recognition. People were hesitant to spend large sums of money on a brand they had never heard of, or weren't familiar with. Cars like the Yugo were different---people didn't know anything about them either, but they were so cheap that people were willing to take a chance on them

[@ML-dl1cp]

I had a 504 Automatique (gasoline), and it was by far the most smooth and comfortable car I've ever been in. Sadly, it completely rusted away, otherwise I'd still be driving it.

[@fourdoorglory5945]

Another nicely done piece with great writing/content and editing. Very enjoyable to watch.

[@larrypatterson5363]

In the mid 70’s I went to high school with a girl who drove her father’s 304 to school every day. Fortunately, her dad had a “foreign car expert “ as a mechanic who kept the strange looking car running as a daily driver.

[@darrellgoosey]

I have heard said: “The French copy no one. No one wants to copy the French.” LOL. I had an ‘85 505 turbo diesel. Loved that car.

[@peggygeren4169]

Everyone copied the Peugeot grand Prix car of...what year...1912 or 1914? Dual overhead camshafts, hemispherical combustion chambers, cross flow valves set at around 90°... That remained the template for racing engines through the 1950s, and for some sports cars to this day.

[@ScioniA]

My family was definitely a Peugeot family! We owned two 405 MI16’s and one 405 DL and we always make a big deal about seeing another Peugeot on the road!

[@michaelsimko7694]

I had a gold diecast version of the 505 when I was a kid back in the 80s and can also still remember seeing 1 or 2 actual 505's on the road.

[@chrisb2844]

I forgot all about this car but it was a nice vehicle, that 505 was really nice with the Turbodiesel.

[@jakespeed63]

Our East Cleveland suburban repair shop specialized in Diesels and serviced quite a few. Yes they were slow as molasses but built like tanks. One woman had a pristine charcoal grey turbo sedan that she loved. That was a better performer and fun to drive. Kay and her husband were the local dealers for Hella lights and had a small collection of quirky cars

[@stuartaaron613]

I was very surprised to find this video in my suggested feed. My parents bought a 1977 504 diesel sedan back in April 1977 from Wantagh Mazda-Peugeot. My mom was commuting 70 miles (35 miles one way) per day, five days per week. They wanted a car with great fuel economy, which left only four options: Peugeot 504 diesel, Mercedes Benz 240D and 300D, and Volkswagen Rabbit diesel. The VW was eliminated first as it only had a manual transmission. As for MB, the Peugeot was less expensive than the 300D, and had more horsepower than the 240D. So Peugeot it was. IT was never a fast car. 0-60 was about 21 seconds (I've said that it had a calendar instead of a speedometer). But it also regularly returned fuel economy of 35 MPG (in an era where most cars barely made of 15 MPG). To make getting diesel fuel easier my dad put a 250 gallon tank on legs in the garage. He had a spigot at the bottom of the tank through which he filled a five gallon Jerry can to fill the car in multiple trips. The car was solidly built. The bumpers probably exceeded the 5 MPH crash standard, and the doors were equally tough. Mom once hit a pothole that bent the steel rim of on wheel. Dad could reach into the dent and feel the inner tube (which is why mom didn't have a blowout). Yet there was no damage to the suspension. Where it suffered was reliability. The cooling system was barely adequate, and so the car overheated quickly. It had several cylinder head gasket failures. And the air conditioning was also poor. At least the three speed automatic transmission was reliable. One funny problem was when the fuel shut off solenoid went bad. To shut the motor we'd open the hood, reach in and flip the fuel shut off manually. Also, if we needed to get into the car without the key, just go the the front passenger door, and with the heel of the hand band on the side of the door just below the lock and it would unlock. The biggest payoff of having the diesel option was during the 1979 gas crisis. Because it burned diesel fuel we had no problems getting it delivered, so mom was able to go to work. Dad ended up selling it off in the spring of 1982 when it had 98,000 miles.

[@MadMedeiros]

My father had 2 505s, both were fantastic cars. But both had huge repair costs, we are located in Canada

[@billolsen4360]

In 1974 a friend at college had a Peugeot bicycle. There were probably more 2-wheeler Peugeots in the US than cars.

[@RobJaskula]

My dad still has his that he bought in high school around 1980. Top of the line model then, it's heavy but he still loves and rides it

[@stickydankfinger5028]

Touché. Well presented sir.

[@alexandrecorelli7179]

Hi ! Peugeot won twice at Indianapolis and twice at Spike's Peak ! Great, featuring Ari Vatanen and Sebastien Loeb, the greatest rally man so far.

[@catsspat]

I had a Peugeot bicycle back in late 1980's. It was a great bike, but it got stolen. :( Cars? No idea.

[@ferdinanddestouches3085]

09:00 the good old sound of diesel 🥰🥰🥰.... It made dad's car sound like the plumber's van...

[@UnclePhilCosby]

Thanks for the video 💯

[@ENDTIMEsVideoLibrary]

Your humor and hard work are always so refreshigly apparent and much appreciated!! In California, in the 80s, the 504 was very apparent and probably much easier to find in the areas where I grew up. LA and the San Fernando Valley seemed to love all things stamped Luxury or Upper Crust and owning a Peugeot back then was up there, Class Wise at least, with owning a BMW or Audi and touching into the Mercedes arena. I always liked the 504's look but after hearing horror story after horror story about reliablility and maintenance costs I completely forgot about the idea of owning one! I had at one point owned a Fiat and a Renault LeCar in my inexperienced 80s youth so I was determined not to drive up the Ramp of Stupidity once again by embracing yet another unreliable foreign car.. at least not until I got into used BMWs and Mercedes in the 2000s!! Lol!

[@jendel42750]

Superb post, as always! One little detail I'd just want to add is that a V^ engine was offered in what was called the 505 STX during the 1987 model year. in order to address the long-standing gripe over the model lacking decent power in non-turbo form.

[@Catrinus1]

V6!!

[@Rouxenator]

Excellent video. In South Africa we pronounced it "Pee Joe" - which actually means it does a number 1 on you. Nonetheless my previous car was a 407 coupe and I loved it. Would have still had it if I did not fit a Chinese knock-off A/C compressor.

[@OLDS98]

Thank you for the video and sharing. It was indeed informative. I remember this brand. I did not know about the Citroen aspect. That was a wealth of information.

[@smithraymond09029]

As a kid I would read the badge as "pew-get", like Puget Sound in Washington :-)

[@rossjudd6049]

I had a 505! It ran great!

[@blakebennett1733]

I'm from the USA , he is right. I had never heard of them. My great uncle passed a few years ago and I inherited a 1976 504. I just got it home recently. I'm trying to learn all I can about them.

[@RicVee1]

YES!! I had recommended this car for a video a few weeks ago.. glad to see its here!

[@zacariaspiedrasdelrio8984]

Besides the Peugeot video, your manscape add is the best i saw already!

[@normbittner3762]

My mom and I test drove a used 505 at a Datsun dealer in the early to mid 80's but didn't buy it- ended up buying an AMC Concord Wagon. Colombo is my favorite older show!

[@JDMHaze]

i NEED This channel in my life, thank you Mr.myoldcar... i dote On these episodes like a 2003 sunday TV lineup

[@SevenFortyOne]

Back in 1990 I helped my high school buddy pull a late 70's Peugeot diesel wagon out of a cornfield and get it running. It was cool car for a 17 year old high school kid to bang around in for a summer. One time we lost the water pump in it on our way back from a car show and had to stop every few miles to put water in it to get it home. Another time we were in a downpour and the wiper arm flew right off the car in traffic. He drove that car for a year or so then traded it for an old Chrysler of some sort I think. Good memories....

[@MrBakedDaily]

Im 35 and I think I might have seen 1 of these on the road ,might have been a Volvo though.

[@TassieLorenzo]

I'm from Australia, so Peugeots (and Citroens) are fairly common, even though their dealer network is limited. Both brands went through a doldrum in the late 00's/early 10's where their vehicles were a bit bland, but they have better products now. Unfortunately Peugeot has removed most of the innovative engineering, like hydroactive suspension, from Citroens as a matter of cost-saving. I don't see the point of buying a Citroen if it is just an utterly conventional Peugeot with a different body. On the other hand, I've never seen a Lincoln or Cadillac apart from a classic one or while in the US or in China, so each to their own! :) [Apparently right-hand-drive is all too difficult for Lincoln and Cadillac!]

[@mcqueenfanman]

Some of the 505 had the PRV engine, aka Delorean engine.

[@TheAllMightyGodofCod]

I think there is some confusion... The title mentions the French car maker Peugeot but everyone speaks of the Poohjow... Are they one of those GM brands that were discontinued?

[@carfanactic2]

A manscaped ad! You’re getting big Mr Old Car

[@maddmaxx636]

Do a video on the citroen.

[@sleepyhollow783]

Definitely. That car was also featured on a US TV show, The Mentalist.

[@PinheiroJony]

As a native French speaker, I must say the brits way to say Peugeot sounds much more similar to how I say it.

[@floydcooley1]

The Fiat X1/9. As someone who was also a teenager in the 80s, I remember dating a girl that had one. I was always so jealous.

[@des9655]

I had a 1980.. I let s friend borrow it.. it caught on fire 🔥.... like to the ground.. I miss it. I only paid $400 for it.. it ran and drove good until the flames came.

[@boowiebear]

I am with you, I don’t think I ever saw one of these in the wild growing up. I had no idea they existed. Thanks for the video!

[@alwaysfixingsomething2855]

That was a good history of the brand. It made me smile to see one of my videos used to show / hear a 505 diesel engine. Honestly I was waiting for it! I've had several of these over the years. It all started with a RHD 203C, then a 403, and numerous 404,504,505. From the 203, 403, 404-stateside. One could see how the company earned there well deserved reputation. The Gas 403 engine has no separate intake, the carb sits on the valve cover (the fuel goes through a passage into the cylinder head). Even back in the late 40's they used a hemi design. They all ride very nice. Don't forget, rack and pinion steering were standard from the 203 on. 404's got struts in the early 60's too. A push rod version of there 4 cylinder motor was used until the mid 80's The left side key , and door poppers that work backwards are still a nice touch. I can understand how it all went wrong. For what ever reason, finding parts, and quality service were a constant battle (though not just a Pug issue) same for Citroen, Simca, Renault. Where Mercedes, Toyota, Datsun, Honda -etc put the effort, to provide everything needed. The French makes weren't so lucky. This is probably more of a USA issue, then the brands them self. Always felt like North America was seen as a Second rate market to focus on. C'est la vie Then we get to needing to comply with safety and emissions. They all struggled badly with these. Just look at the hideous bumpers, and lights on the later 504-505 models. So many little one year only parts were made(to appease the USA regulators). The parts books are full of special USA, or other niche model only items, that weren't seen normally -never made again. Were talking about a company that made a US specific carburetor, master cylinder, found no where else... Instead of a full redesign across all markets- to be fair, this got better with later models. It's hard to imagine how many mid year parts splits there are. Most need to be measured on the cars, and then with the references in the books. Without the parts books- this is a lost cause! Many times a wait of a few weeks to 1 month were average for parts. Then all of the special tools... Here is a brief story from Peugeot ownership years past: I had found a 403 sitting in a shed near me for sale. In the mid 70's this guy bought the car, drove it everywhere. He even followed the Grateful dead to a many of shows. All 203,403,404 have seats that fold flat like a bed, so perfect for long trips Anyway, he always relied on local mechanics, and dealerships near him for parts and service. For years he went to one specific place to special order parts from France(one of the last to do this for him). They had the big parts books he could look through, and pick what was needed. On a day like any other, he went to order some more stuff. When the parts counter guy said" were not doing this anymore"! Apparently the decision came down overnight from the manager" These Peugeots aren't worth messing with". Of course he asked about the parts books. To which he heard" Yeah we threw away all of them about a week ago, were done keeping you car on the road.. He parked the car soon after in 1981 with 250K miles-, it sat in that same spot until 2013.... As much as I like them, even I'll admit it's challenging keeping one on the road Stateside, as a daily driver-504-505's. When anything goes wrong, its either ebay, a handful of Puggy parts people left, or France.... No matter what, rest assured it's going to to take a while to get back going again. Thats why for daily use, I run a Mercedes w123 Diesel. "It can be driven, without crap falling off!"

[@325xitgrocgetter]

Living in a rectangular state in the upper midwest, I don't think I ever saw a Peugeot in person...unless we were watching a Columbo rerun. I do recall reading reviews and seeing ads for the 505 sedan and wagon and thought they were nice looking but there was absolutely no dealer network in our area...though the closest dealer was probably in the Twin Cities, MN or Chicago. When I had the opportunity to do an internship in the Raleigh, NC/Research Triangle Park area, I did see some Peugeots...as well as Alfas and SAABs which broadened my automotive horizons a bit.

[@JeffKing310]

Ok, that was an entertaining sponsor placement and read- well done!

[@kevinpatrickmacnutt]

The full sized Peugeot 604 with the Turbodiesel was an excellent car. The gasoline version uses the same engine as the Volvo 760 and the Delorean and was not quite as good.

[@igostupidfast3]

My dad had a 505 diesel Peugeot while living in NY and the reliability and cost of parts made him VERY weary of European cars from then on (even with a dealer nearby). One of my instructors at tech school use to own a shop and he (and the 505) waited a year for parts from Peugeot only for him to get sent the wrong parts

[@blackhawk7r221]

In the early 90’s before internet, our shop waited months for rear end parts. I feel the pain

[@verdadduele7925]

Had no clue they had been around that long. That's a heck of a legacy.

[@TheJetJONES]

Well Peugeot was the last French automaker which abandoned the US and Canada Renault left in 1987 Citroën already in 1974 (but few XM's were imported in the US in 1993...)

[@JDMHaze]

Yes I thought they came in the 70s or 80s

[@kevincarlson4562]

My first car was my mom's handed down 505.Bulletproof car I nicknamed Pepe Le Pew(cartoon skunk) as it was a French built,smelly, old school turbodiesel.It was such a great car I wanted to buy a new one next but Peugeot vanished.It was a travesty.Old Cars,ever consider covering the 70's Audi(not VW) Fox? My uncle had one-the manufacturer's compact.It was adorable.

[@shredern]

Love the vid MOC. Im a little younger being a 97 baby but i had an old triumph spitfire and learned a lot about the tr4 and tr6 and everything that went along with those. Mg midget would be a cool one too, my dad always talked about his. Oooo and chevelles (especially 69 and 70) those were some badass cars.

[@Beaula2]

Excellent video per usual!

[@mathewmclean9128]

Thanks for another great video. I've been to many car shows over the years but I don't think I have seen a Peugeot or a Renault. I've seen a couple of old Citroen cars though.

[@dylanmooney327]

I was waiting for this episode along with the Plymouth Sundance episode! I was really excited for both and when I saw that they just happened to have been made side to side, I was so excited!

[@jasonz7788]

Great work Sir thank you

[@peterjacobs6290]

1981 505 turbo diesel was my first car. What a weapon. 87 hp, and a turbo whistle before it was cool. Best riding car on the planet. Got 40 mpg when diesel was $1 a gallon. Cold starts were glow plug cycles and smoke shows since it had to be floored to get it fired on a cold day.

[@Vno27]

Love your content, keep it up.

[@lawnside82]

Patently waiting for buick riviera...the car with the 📺.....fwd and supercharger.. all digital dash.. 1990 buick riviera best car of all time.

[@negativeindustrial]

😂

[@mr.blablabla6839]

French cars in general are excellent and have great heritage in racing and innovation, which is why they're still succesful throughout the world. Their mechanics are certainly "different" though which is why I believe the main problem was that american mechanics didn't really know how to work on them. Kinda ironic, but outside of the US, american cars are seen as the ones with poor reliability. It's always a thing of perspective I suppose

[@Henry_Jones]

Throughout the world....as in former french colonies.

[@mr.blablabla6839]

@@Henry_Jones if by former french colonies you mean Europe and Latin America as well...

[@rafapenson]

@@mr.blablabla6839 sure, Peugeot is so popular only in Europe and south america.

[@timmythompson2186]

It was both. Poor quality and poor quality mechanics. My boss owned and repaired Fiat, lancia, Renault, and Peugeot. Fiat was fix it again Tony. Depending on who you ask, that was because of poor quality or because tony didn't fix it right to begin with.

[@GlamStacheessnostalgialounge]

@@rafapenson And west Asia, as Iran had been building the old 405 until 2018 AND now the tooling was sold to Azerbaijan and now they're still making the 405. And not to mention Peugeots being some of the toughest and best cars in Africa, many of the old 404s and other models still getting people where they need to be over there.

[@frankdenardo8684]

I remember the Peugeot 403 convertible from the classic cop show Columbo with Peter Falk. They have that car on display at Universal Studios in Los Angeles, California.

[@des9655]

I had a 1986 505 Gl with the automatic and sunroof. It was fairly comfortable and handled good. My friends were shocked that it would chirp the transmission when shifting from 1st to 2nd. The Second gear scratch as my buddy called it. The only issue I had was trying to find a place to change the oil. The local jiffy lube didn't have the tool to the drain plug. The power steering developed a small leak.. I remember waiting forever for the part from Peugeot's headquarters in New Jersey.. I'm from St Louis. Ended up giving it to my friend after I bought a 1988 Saab 900s. The reason being the Air-conditioning didn't work in it. The Saab was quicker being a 5 speed and it had ice cold AC. I do miss it.. as with a lot of cars I've had in the past.. but I always wanted that last 505 turbo S in 1989.. afterwards they only imported the wagon to the states. I haven't seen one in person for many years.. I still miss that PUG!

[@szilardtoth8814]

Back in the day 405 had been very popular throughout on the continental europe. Among tonns of 405s marketed for europe, I saw only one imported used from america. Bigger bumpers, side marker lights and on the rear bumper squared american spec reg.plate compartment.

[@brokenursa9986]

There used to be a disused Peugeot dealer a couple miles from my house. For a good 10 or 15 years, the lot sat empty before it finally got bought and turned into a furniture store.

[@dejoreljackson1787]

Yessssss!!!!! Finally got a Peugeot video. AND a shoutout! Super excited today. Now I have to think of another car I’d like to see.

[@shawnz241]

That was an excellent video! I have a major soft spot for French cars, so this was awesome. Thank you

[@esvareinmal1041]

Your channel deserve a lot more subscribers 👍🏻

[@goclunker]

I had two 405S in Canada. Great cars.

[@Cheezwizzz]

That tidbit about Porsche and the 901 was fascinating

[@johnasbury7511]

I give you a little food for thought here Peugeot used vehicles were taken back to Europe denying US drivers their experience. I found out about this when I work with a young man from what is now Croatia and his entire family came over to work in the 1980s 1990s and they would buy every single Peugeot that could get their hands on whether it was in a salvage yard or not and they would ship them back to what was then Yugoslavia now Croatia they made so much money doing this but they ended up moving back to Croatia and as far as I know they became more of a middle-class instead of working classes we were over here they truly love those cars

[@alexanderlee7951]

Also Africa, where they were popular. The parts stock of Peugeot dealers in the US was supposedly bought up by brokers from Nigeria and Senegal, which made keeping these cars on the road even harder.

[@GeeEm1313]

I'd see an occasional 505 and 405 around the DC area. I felt like they were underrated cars. I also vaguely remember seeing some 504s/604s as well.