Peugeot sold cars in America for more than 30 years, from the 403 sedan of 1958 to the Peugeot 505 and the 405 Mi16. Then, on August 6, 1991, the company told its U.S. dealers it was leaving. In between, its sedans, wagons and diesels came and went with very different results.

These seven models trace that run in date order. Each entry carries the figures its sources support, and the U.S. dates come from more than one source wherever we could find one.

1. 1958 Peugeot 403

First, the 403 opened the American chapter. Peugeot had launched it in France in 1955, with a 1.5-litre engine and styling by Pininfarina.

The Truth About Cars dates Peugeot’s North American business to 1958. Likewise, a French heritage history of Peugeot in America says the adventure really began in April 1958. Meanwhile, Curbside Classic counts more than 1.2 million 403s built. It also notes how widely the car’s reputation for quality and durability spread.

2. 1961 Peugeot 404

Next, the 404 followed quickly. The French history says it reached the American market in February 1961, less than a year after its launch in France. Like the 403, it wore Pininfarina styling.

German classic site Autohub adds that the stylish coupé went on sale in North America from March 1961. It also says the convertible started at $3,899 in the U.S., a price that put it alongside the Jaguar E-Type. Under the hood, Curbside Classic describes a 1,618 cc slanted four with a hemispherical head.

3. 1971–1972 Peugeot 304

The 304 was Peugeot’s small front-wheel-drive car, sold here as a sedan and a wagon. However, it lasted only two model years in the U.S. market.

Curbside Classic says the 304 was sold stateside for 1971 and 1972. Its engine displaced 1,288 cc, while the 1971 car cost $2,625. At that price, the writer notes, bigger cars were to be had. The French history counts just 4,269 buyers for the 304 over that period.

4. 1970 Peugeot 504 and 504 Diesel

The 504 replaced the 404 sedan for the 1970 model year, according to the French history. Later in the decade, Peugeot also offered American buyers a diesel version.

Curbside Classic’s look back at a 1977 Road & Track test shows what that meant. The 504 Diesel automatic made 71 hp and needed 21.7 seconds to reach 60 mph. In addition, R&T found it louder than the Mercedes and VW diesels.

5. 1977–1984 Peugeot 604

The 604 was Peugeot’s big luxury sedan. It debuted in Europe in 1975, with a 2.7-litre V6 developed with Renault and Volvo and a body by Pininfarina, according to Motor1.

Both Old Motors and the French history say the 604 reached America in the summer of 1977. Old Motors adds that early U.S. cars used a 133-hp version of the V6 with carburetors. Then, after 1981, only the turbodiesel remained. Finally, 1984 was the 604’s last year in North America, when it sold only a few hundred units.

6. 1980–1991 Peugeot 505 and 505 Turbo

The Peugeot 505 carried the brand in America through the mid-1980s. Back in November 1984, The Christian Science Monitor tested the new 505 Turbo. It used a turbocharged 2.2-litre gasoline engine, and its base price was around $19,000.

At the time, Peugeot told the paper it expected to sell more than 20,000 cars in the U.S. that year. The French history says it did: 20,007 cars in 1984, including 18,394 Peugeot 505s, the brand’s U.S. record. Between 1980 and 1991, according to the same source, 121,871 American buyers chose a 505.

7. 1991 Peugeot 405 Mi16

The 405 reached North America in late 1988, according to The Truth About Cars. The sporting Mi16 used a twin-cam, 16-valve version of the 1.9-litre four. Sources disagree on its exact output, putting it at about 150 hp.

Specifically, Hagerty lists 150 hp at 6,400 rpm, and it calls the 405 the last vestige of Peugeot’s 30-plus years in America. By then, however, sales had fallen fast. History.com records 4,261 Peugeots sold in the U.S. in 1990, compared with 14,336 in 1986. On August 6, 1991, Peugeot told around 150 U.S. franchisees in a letter that it was leaving the market.

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This article was created with the help of AI and was reviewed and edited by Fast Lane Only editors before publication.