Peugeot 405

Lore & Background

The Peugeot 405 was unveiled in July 1987 with ten versions simultaneously for the 1988 model year. Sales began in continental Europe in October 1987 and in the United Kingdom in January 1988. It succeeded the Peugeot 305 and also the Chrysler Alpine hatchback and Solara saloon after the Talbot brand was discontinued. The 405 shared its floorpan with the Citroën BX but did not use that car's hydropneumatic suspension, except on the rear axle of the 4x4 versions. Its appearance was similar to the Alfa Romeo 164, both styled by Pininfarina. Production reached 500,000 units in 1989 and one million in 1990. A facelift in 1992 brought a redesigned boot, rear lights, and dashboard, along with increased torsional rigidity. The 405 was produced at Sochaux, France, and Ryton, UK, as well as under license in several countries including Iran, Argentina, Chile, and Thailand. The 405 saloon was discontinued in autumn 1995 with the introduction of the 406, while the estate continued until 1997.

Reader's Guide

The Peugeot 405 was one of Europe's best-selling larger family cars, particularly in France and Britain, where it was the eighth best-selling car in 1992 and 1993. Its 33-year production run (including licensed manufacturing) was counted as the twentieth most long-lived single generation car in history. The 405 range included a variety of petrol and diesel engines, with the performance Mi16 and T16 models offering higher power outputs. The T16, introduced in 1993, featured a turbocharged 2.0-liter 16-valve engine with constant four-wheel drive and a self-regulating hydraulic rear axle; only 1,061 examples were built, ten of which were delivered to the National Gendarmerie. In Iran, Iran Khodro produced the 405 from 1991 to 2020, and derived models such as the Peugeot Pars (a facelifted version) and the Samand (based on the 405 platform) were also manufactured. The 405 was also assembled in Argentina, where total sales exceeded 500,000 units, and in Chile, Poland, Taiwan, Thailand, and Azerbaijan. Its legacy includes a long production life and widespread use across multiple continents.

Did You Know?

• The Peugeot 405 was voted European Car of the Year for 1988 by the largest number of votes in the contest's history.
• Only two examples of the purpose-built, two-door 405 Turbo 16 were made.
• The 405 was the last Peugeot vehicle sold in the United States, on sale from 1988 to 1991.

From Saws to Steel Wheels: A Family Forged in Iron

The Peugeot name traces back to 1810, when a family in the Franche-Comté region of France established a steel foundry. What began as a workshop producing saws expanded steadily through the decades—coffee grinders appeared around 1840, steel-bladed waist corsets followed in the 1850s, pepper mills in 1874, and by the early 1880s the firm was building bicycles. Armand Peugeot's 1882 "Le Grand Bi" penny-farthing marked a notable step in two-wheeled transport. The steel expertise that made their saw blades legendary also found its way into structured petticoats, umbrella frames, wire wheels, and eventually the skeletal frames of early vehicles. In 1858, Émile Peugeot registered the now-iconic lion emblem, originally chosen to evoke the speed, strength, and flexibility of the company's cutting tools. The family's roots in Sochaux remain central to the brand's identity, where a major manufacturing plant and a dedicated museum still operate today.

Pioneering the Automobile: From Steam to Petrol

Armand Peugeot's fascination with the automobile was sparked after encounters with Gottlieb Daimler and other visionaries of the era. In 1889, the company produced a three-wheeled, steam-powered vehicle designed by Léon Serpollet, though only four examples ever rolled off the line. The bulk and lengthy warm-up demands of steam quickly proved impractical. By 1890, Peugeot had pivoted to a four-wheeled petrol car powered by a Panhard-built Daimler-licence engine, featuring a three-point suspension and sliding-gear transmission that outclassed many rivals. One such car found its way to young Alberto Santos-Dumont, who shipped it to Brazil. Production numbers climbed rapidly: 29 units in 1892, 72 in 1895, 156 in 1898, and 300 by 1899. Peugeot also became the first maker to fit solid rubber tyres to a petrol-driven car. In 1896, Armand broke from the family firm to establish Société Anonyme des Automobiles Peugeot, constructing a dedicated factory at Audincourt to concentrate fully on automobiles.

A Century of Racing Dominance Across Every Discipline

Peugeot's motorsport record spans well over a hundred years and reads like a catalogue of endurance. The brand claimed victory at the Indianapolis 500 three separate times—in 1913, 1916, and 1919—establishing an early presence on American soil. In rallying, Peugeot Sport secured the World Rally Championship crown five times across the mid-1980s and the early 2000s, while the Dakar Rally yielded seven triumphs, including a remarkable four-peat from 1987 to 1990 and another three-peat from 2016 to 2018. Endurance racing saw the lion take the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1992, 1993, and 2009, plus the World Endurance Championship in the early 1990s. The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb was conquered three times (1988, 1889, 2013), and the Intercontinental Rally Challenge and Intercontinental Le Mans Cup each brought additional titles. These results collectively underscore a brand that has competed at the highest level across every major discipline for generations.

The Lion's Mark and a Living Heritage

The Peugeot lion, first registered by Émile Peugeot in 1858, was never merely decorative. Its walking-on-an-arrow design was meant to channel the speed, strength, and flexibility of the company's original saw blades—a direct link between industrial craftsmanship and the automotive ambitions that followed. Today the emblem adorns vehicles sold worldwide under the Stellantis umbrella, yet the brand's heart remains in Sochaux, where the family first set up shop and where a large manufacturing facility and the Peugeot Museum continue to operate. Peugeot has collected six European Car of the Year awards, a testament to sustained design and engineering excellence. The brand also holds the distinction of being the world's oldest continuously operating car company, with Automobiles Peugeot formally established in 1896. Meanwhile, Peugeot Motocycles, which debuted its first motorcycle at the 1898 Paris Motorshow, retains the title of the oldest motorcycle manufacturer still in operation, a parallel legacy that reinforces the family's broad mechanical heritage.