Peugeot 404: The Classic French Sedan That Defined an Era in America

Peugeot ceased selling cars in the United States after the 1991 model year, following decades as a mainstream import brand. Three models drove its American sales success from the early 1960s through the mid-1980s: the Peugeot 404, 504, and 505.

We previously featured a retired 504 diesel sedan in this series. Now, I’ve discovered an example of its predecessor—a 1968 Peugeot 404—at a San Francisco Bay Area wrecking yard. While Peugeot exited the U.S. car market in 1991, it did not fully abandon North America. New Peugeot vehicles remain available in Mexico, and Peugeot kitchenware is sold in the U.S. and Canada. The company’s origins in kitchen appliances date back to 1840, when Jean Pierre and Jean Frédéric Peugeot sold their first coffee grinders.

Murilee Martin

A few months after writing about the 504 sedan, I encountered a 505 wagon in the same Denver junkyard. My goal was to find a 404 to complete the Best-Selling U.S.-Market Peugeots set, but locating one proved difficult.

Murilee Martin

After nearly 20 years of documenting vehicles in junkyards, I had found only one Peugeot 404 before today’s discovery: a 1968 sedan with an automatic transmission at the Oakland Pick-n-Pull in early 2008.

Murilee Martin

During a junkyard-focused road trip to California a few weeks ago, I spotted a 1971 Volkswagen Type 3 Fastback—wait, what’s that tailfinned European sedan in the background?

Murilee Martin

After 18 years of searching for a Peugeot 404 with no success, I finally located solid examples of each of the three best-selling U.S.-market Peugeot models—404, 504, and 505—in just five months.

Peugeot 404: Design, Production, and Legacy

The Peugeot 404 was designed to replace the outdated Peugeot 403, with production beginning at the Sochaux plant in 1960. The 403 remained in production until 1966, and later, 504 production overlapped with the 404.

The 404, styled by Pininfarina, was praised for its reliability, comfort, and value. It was assembled in factories across Europe, Africa, North America, South America, and Australia. While European sales ended in 1975, Kenya-built 404s—particularly pickups—continued production into the early 1990s.

A key factor in the 404’s popularity in Kenya was its success in the Safari Rally, which it won in 1963, 1966, 1967, and 1968.

Peugeot 404 in the United States: Models and Availability

The Peugeot 404 debuted in the U.S. as a 1961 model and remained available through the 1970 model year. The lineup included coupes, convertibles, sedans, and wagons. For the American market, only the convertible, sedan, and wagon were sold through regular dealerships—the convertible was a rare special order.

The wagon was introduced in 1964 and was the sole 404 model available in U.S. dealerships for 1970.