You gotta love an automobile listing that goes like this, “I purchased the car in 2020 on a whim, and– believe it or not– it was actually quite reliable! But the car, being French, decided reliability was overrated, so it decided to shred its steering belt after six months and devour numerous other parts faster than its home country goes through baguettes on a weekly basis.” The car in question is a 1989 Peugeot 405 Mi 16 and since I wrote up this 1990 Peugeot 205 a few days ago, so I figured, “Why not, try covering another.” This French four-door sedan is located in East Hanover, New Jersey and is available, here on craigslist for $2,800. Henry R. gets a tip of the hat for this discovery!
Peugeot offered the 405, in Europe, and for a while in North America, for eleven years (’87 to ’97). Since then, it has been available in other parts of the world in two different body styles, a four-door sedan and a five-door estate, aka a station wagon. The seller tells us, “Aesthetically, it’s nearly immaculate. No exterior rust, no paint fade.” Yeah, it looks pretty good all-in-all. As with the 205, this one too, is a Pininfarina design but the back half doesn’t look so overly French. I’d suggest that it’s a non-descript, compact, four-door sedan look that was ubiquitous in the late ’80s through ’90s time frame. Unfortunately, there are no listing images of the driver’s side.
Interestingly, this example is an MI 16 edition which is a 150 HP, sixteen-valve hot rod version of Peugeot’s 1.9 liter, four-cylinder engine. The seller suggests, “Trailer or tow method is advised” due to:
• Radiator mount is corroded
• Starter solenoid/motor need replacing (a bypass was recently installed; it also does not work)
• Power steering bracket is rust-welded & missing belt
• Fuel hose needs replacing
• Oil temp sensor is faulty
• Fuel pump relay was repositioned by a previous owner for suspected modification plans
Check the listing as there are other less pressing needs that this 137K mile sedan will require. This is a front-wheel-driver, utilizing a five-speed manual transaxle. The seller does add, “When in driving order, the ride, handling, and performance are all excellent.”
Considered surprisingly great for its age, the black vinyl upholstery, and interior environment in general, look great. The dash features the angular, hard-edged design that was so prevalent in this era. Some may consider it to be a dated design but I believe that it has survived the test of time quite well. This is an A/C-equipped car but, unfortunately, the compressor is inoperative. The seller quips, “Even the battery and most of the electrical systems work, which is unheard of for a French car of this age.”
There you have it, not exactly a ringing endorsement of automotive promotion. Likely buyers? Search me fish, a true died-in-the-wool Francofile would be my guess. Might one of you want to take on this cultured automotive challenge?
As always the French give up, until one of us comes to the rescue. Does the car include the optional switch for the white flag?
This is one of those “if I had garage space and the energy/funds to chase parts…” cars. I’ve driven 405 MI 16s and absolutely loved them. The engines are screamers (I tended to drive around in one gear lower than normal just to listen) and the chassis is every bit as well-developed as, say a VW Jetta GLi from the same period.
None of the problems listed are insoluble, and I think a week or two of diligent work would cure at least 95% of the car’s ills. I’ve heard parts can be found in France and South America, even if you local Peugeot dealer has gone walkabout.
Vastly under-rated cars. As long as corrosion hasn’t spread to more critical areas — it’s in New Jersey, after all — this is one for a handy-person to pick up, fix, and enjoy the living daylights out of.
At the end of September, I was at a Cars & Coffee-type car show, and out of all the cars there, the only one I took a photo of was a Peugeot 405 Mi16. The owner had moved to Minnesota from South Africa (talk about a change) and loved this car, as did everyone at the show.