When Peugeot launched the 404 in 1960, it never envisaged an extended production run. It also produced a car that was so robust and comfortable that it became a firm favorite in African nations with harsh climates and rugged roads. Our featured 404 rolled off the line in 1969 and still looks great as a survivor with 58,000 miles on its odometer. Meticulously maintained, it is a turnkey proposition, allowing the buyer to fly in and drive it home. I must say a big thank you to Barn Finder Zappenduster for spotting the 404 listed here on Craigslist in El Dorado Hills, California, for $11,400 OBO.
Peugeot launched the 404 in 1960 to compete in the country’s large family car market segment. Styled by Pininfarina, it remained fundamentally unchanged until production ended in 1975. Our featured Peugeot emerged in 1969, ordered by its first owner in Araranth Red. The overall presentation is quite tidy for an unrestored survivor. The paint might benefit from polishing to eliminate the swirls, but it still has a pleasant shine. It has chips and marks, but nothing severe enough to justify a cosmetic refresh. The rockers have a couple of small dings, which appear to be the only panel imperfections. Rust is rarely a problem with the 404, and if this one has spent its life in its current location, it should be rock-solid. The trim is in great condition for its age, and the glass is clear.
The seller provides no engine bay images but supplies plenty of relevant information. The 404 features a 1,618cc four-cylinder motor, bolted to a four-speed manual transmission. The four isn’t the most powerful beast on the planet, producing 80hp and 97 ft/lbs of torque. However, its trump card is its flexibility: it can chug along at little more than walking speed in remarkably high gears. That is one reason the 404 became a favorite in African nations: it could cope with loose surfaces without breaking a sweat. The drivetrain is also under-stressed, ensuring bulletproof reliability and amazing longevity. Add soft, long-travel suspension, and the 404 becomes the ideal weapon for tough conditions. The seller recently replaced the clutch, the radiator, fuel pump, and boiled, cleaned, and coated the tank. They fitted a new coil, plugs, plug wires, distributor cap, rotor, points, and condenser. That amount of work, plus the odometer reading of 58,000 genuine miles, suggests this turnkey Peugeot has plenty left to give its new owner.
It wasn’t just the compliant suspension that won the Peugeot 404 a strong following. Owners and contemporary road tests rated the seats as amongst the most comfortable low-back buckets in automotive history. They provide excellent lateral and under-thigh support, minimizing fatigue on long journeys. The good news for potential buyers is that this Peugeot’s interior needs nothing. The seller recently replaced the seatcovers, while the remaining vinyl upholstery looks excellent. The dash is in good condition, and the wheel shows no appreciable wear. No one will mistake it for a Cadillac, but the beautiful seats and AM/FM radio will help the miles fly by.
This 1969 Peugeot 404 won’t suit enthusiasts seeking a high-performance classic. However, it is an affordable entry point for anyone looking for a European survivor that combines comfort, practicality, and bulletproof mechanicals. Its low odometer reading and recent maintenance should keep it on the road for decades, long after modern cars have made their final trip to the scrapyard. So, if you want to stand out from the crowd, slipping behind the wheel of this Peugeot should do the trick.
A “Poo-Joe”, the old man called them. No dad, it’s pronounced “Puh-JEAU”, he said, “yeah, that’s what I said, POO-Joe”,,,While most of my “sweethearts” are confined to US cars, one could easily call this a sweetheart as well. What’s great about French cars, is pure function. They weren’t out to impress anyone, like those swoopy Italians. We didn’t see many of these in Beertown, but I read, Peugeot sold an astonishing 2,885,374, 404s worldwide. I’d say parts should not be a problem, if any needed. The 404 was renowned as one of the most reliable cars, and I believe it. For a manual shift, I think they are very easy cars to drive. Great find.
The poo part might have been a little more accurate than you realize.
The Peugeot 404 is a 100% Italian PininFarina design.
Do a side-by-side of a 404 Coupe and a 1960 Ferrari 250GT and you will hardly see the difference.
Canadian Major who I shared an office with at our NATO head quarters in Noway had one and it handled the mountains and snow like it was flat and dry. Got to drive it once and it matched Adams write up to a T.
Well, you couldn’t find one that needs restoration and come out less than this asking price. Not even close.
Just one more thing…would be interesting to know the backstory.
Great cars, but I disagree about easy parts availability. I had a Peugeot 605 from the late 1970s in the mid-1980s, so it wasn’t even an old model then. Something as simple as an oil filter or a windshield wiper blade were nearly impossible to find unless I made a 200-mile round trip to the dealership in the nearest large city.
If the Internet had been around all those years ago it could have helped locate parts and have them shipped to your door.
Times have definitely changed!
This is like US cars in Europe, haha and still is.
I rode in many as taxis in France. Comfortable, quiet, smooth, and reliable.
Our family had one when I was a kid. I was fascinated by the 4 on the tree as we usually had Volvos with the 4 on the floor. Twas an odd car with a factory sunroof and plenty of room for the 5 of us. Very luxurious compared to the 544s normally found in our driveway.. Neat find and a great write up Adam.
This is quite an impressive automobile. The care and maintenance have really paid off. The new owner should be very pleased with their purchase.
I worked in a Peugeot dealer in NH for a while. The 404’s were stout, stodgy and above all, DEPENDABLE cars. In NH, where the state highway department was a strong believer in road salt and other cars dissolved, I don’t recall ever seeing a rusty 404. Engineering oddities ie: a torque tube drive train sometimes complicated matters, but for reason such as mentioned above, they were a favorite among Yankee farmers. When the 505’s superseded the 404’s, I found a new favorite, particularly the Turbo gas and Turbo diesel sedans.
My second car at 17 was a 1964 404. I loved that car – comfortable, quiet, and quite sporty with the slant 4 hemi & 4 on the tree. I remember having to replace the clutch at one point and the parts were redily available and the repairs relatively easy in my parents garage. It started in the coldest Canadian winters and was tremendous in the snow. Got hit hard by a greenhouse truck in front of the house and was written off….took me about 2 months to replace it with a 68 Cortina GT.
I liked that car too.
Columbo does need a new car!
Well maintained. Would get conversations going at C&C. Good find.
It’s a beauty, imo. Love to have one.
I bought a 1967 404 in 1974 and kept it for a couple of years. I found it to be very comfortable in terms of both the seats and the ride quality. It was rather fun to drive, too, despite the modest powerplant. What I will disagree about is the propensity to rust. Mine spent its life in Connecticut and by the time I sold it the rust perforation in the rocker panels and the crown of both front fenders was quite bad. Mine was the same dark red color as the subject car, which helped disguise the emerging rust, for awhile anyway.
I grew up on a 1966 404 wagon easily the best car I have ever owned. Impossible to kill, handled the back / dirt roads of Maine really well, supper comfortable seat and 4 on the tree what more could you ask for. My parents had a 403 wagon as well. Its a pity the car talk guys made fun of something they knew nothing about. I would seriously consider this car if it was not on the wrong side of the country.
You are very right. I still own a 404 stationwagon. Fabulous car.
Regarding the ‘swoopey italians’ mentioned by Howard as opposed to the functionality of french cars:
The 404 is the first in a very succesful series of 100% PininFarina designs from Milano for Peugeot. Position an early sixties Ferrari next to it and you will see
The least French looking of French cars. I’m intrigued.
Why do you think this car has been in California for a long time? Its a European model, odometer in kms and it even has a recent Spanish VH round badge in the grille. VH = Vehículo Histórico or Historical Vehicle. In any case, except from a few coastal áreas like Mallorca, Spanish cars are indeed rock solid anyway.
Great cars. A friend who had his heart set on an FJ40 Landcruiser. Bought one of these as a stop gap until the FJ40 he wanted became available. The car was nothing special to look at as the paint was faded (baby blue?) and was very tired looking. It was bullet proof and even handled the off road exercises he put it through. It’s one of those nondescript cars that don’t get noticed (particularly with the worn out paint his had) and just goes about it’s business reliabley and without failure. COMPLIANT suspension and sofa comfort. A very complete, boring car to drive. But strong as a rally car as far as off pavement antics go. Double the horsepower and it will be a car you would never want to leave your stable.
Could still start with a crank.
If today’s youth can’t drive a stick-shift, good luck with them trying a column-shift 4-speed!
Although it’s been a while, I know how to operate clutch pedal. With practice anyone can learn how to drive a car with a manual shifting gearbox.
I worked for Peugeot in the 1980s and the 504 was released around then.
The only issue with the 404 and the 504 were the electrical systems.
Duciler distributors and coils failed constantly so a car with Bosch ignition was robust and reliable.
The 404 offered a diesel engine and the engine would need a new head gasket and cylinder liners at 60 thousand miles.
Funny thing about the 504 was most customers wanted the seats changed from leather to cloth.
This was in Englewood NJ and the winters were not that severe and there was no seat heaters back then.
Most of the 504 would get custom pinstripes by Ed Kessel, his logo can still be seen today on some cars,two tiny feet in a circle with his initials in it 😊
Hello, Tony K, my neighbour! I was a Tenaflician from 1959 to 1962, living close to Paul Anka at the time (for those of you outside of Bergen County, a Tenaflician is someone who lives in Tenafly). There was a small garage in Tenafly then with about a dozen 1946-1950 Volkswagens, and the taxis in Tenafly were grey 1953 Buicks. 1960 feels like just yesterday. As for this Peugeot, I would LOVE to own and drive it, if only it weren’t way out there on the Left Coast!
Ahhhh…what can one say about this little gem, other than that it is so quintessentially français. Not so quirky as its Citröen contemporaries but every bit
as comfortable as your grandmother’s lap and just as dependable.
There is no better way to understand the cultural differences between the French and the Germans, than to take a drive in their respective automobiles.
Beautiful looking car. If only more pictures were posted. It just shows the importance of continuous maintenance, whatever you drive. I hope it goes to a good owner, someone who will carefully drive the car and carefully maintain the car. 🙂