Club Peugeot UK - The Official UK Peugeot Owner's Club

Peugeot 404

John Waller is the CPUK 404 registrar. Here he provides some useful information about one of the classic Peugeot model series.

The earliest Berline known to exist in the UK is a grey rhd 1961 model with chassis 4124079, followed by a similar car with 4133220, while another has 4188772. Among CPUK members, Rob Hasson has 4213058 and Nick Jones has 4224330, both of which are rhd 1962. Ruth Humphrey certainly has the earliest known Familiale, a rhd 1962 model, with chassis 4825323, most likely to be the earliest surviving example anywhere. Chassis numbers on these began from 4825001, while the Commerciale began from 4700001. Peter Primrose has the latest known Berline, a pristine 1975 example, with chassis 5754421.

Of significance are the Berline Injections, which are now practically extinct in the UK. Peugeot was the first french manufacturer to use petrol injection, first showing it on a 404 Superluxe Berline in March 1961, at the Geneva Motor Show. The german firm Kügelfischer was chosen to adapt their system specifically for the Peugeot 404 engine and it proved to be the paragon of reliability. These rather rare Berline Superluxe 404's were imported to the UK from September 1964 until July 1968, in Super Luxe form with leather interiors. Only 4 are thought to remain in the UK, one belonging to Guy Bromley, while the other 3 are outside of CPUK. They were never that prolific here, but nonetheless their special engine paved the way for the popular 504 Injection version debuting in September 1968, by which time over one hundred thousand 404 injection engines had been produced. Three successive Safari Rally victories went to the 404 Injection in 1966, 1967 and 1968, which boosted sales tremendously, while an earlier Safari victory went to the 404 in 1963.

It was possible to have a Super Luxe Berline, without the injection engine, from December 1960 until November 1969. Automatic was another option, available initially using the Coupleur Jaeger system (semi-automatic with normal gearchange but no clutch pedal, using an electromagnetic coupler, built by Jaeger under licence from Smiths Industries), from June 1960 until April 1966, then the more conventional ZF gearbox, made by the german company Zahnradfabrik AG, available from November 1965 until February 1975. Naresh D'Attani has one such 404 - a rhd Super Luxe ZF Automatique in black with black leather interior - a rare car indeed. There are two other automatics, but outside of CPUK, while there are no known Coupleur Jaeger automatics remaining. Naresh also has a 1966 Super Luxe Familiale, which could well be the last one of its type left in the UK. The 404 Automatique does not seem to have been offered for sale combined with the fuel injection engine, however there has been talk of such a combination. No Automatic option was available on the 404 Cabriolet and Coupé.

Both Ken Couzens and Simon Gregory have Berlines originating from South Africa, from where they were assembled, while there exist a couple more outside of CPUK. These cars have some noticeable differences and usually incorporate a flash along their side of differing paint colour. South African Berlines assembled from March 1974 to March 1978, use a 504 engine, type XM7. 404 Berlines have also been assembled in various countries outside France, such as Eire, Nigeria, Australia and Argentina - those from the latter incorporating flashy wheels, additional lamps, altered bumpers and completely different interior trims.

I have included an engine column in this register, because the 404 has quite a variety. The initial 1618cc carburettor engine from May 1960, is designated XC. This is followed in March 1964 by the extensively reworked XC5 (I) then its more powerful variant XC5 (II), then in July 1966 by the XC6 and finally in August 1970 by the XC7.

Additionally, there is the XB engine series, XB2 (to 1964) and XB5 (to 1970). This simpler 1468cc engine is derived from the regular XC 1618cc and not from that of the 403, which just so happens to share exactly the same capacity. They are only fitted to simplified Berlines known as the 404 A8 (8 cv Administration model), from October 1964 to September 1967, as well as the 404/8 from July 1967 to September 1969, also to Commerciales from June 1962 to July 1970 and finally to Camionnettes from March 1967 to July 1970. Both the 404 A8 and 404/8 were unavailable in the UK, although rhd was offered for certain other markets.

Fuel injection (Kügelfischer) 1618cc engines are designated XC-KF, XC-KF1 and XC-KF2, the latter being the most powerful 404 engine available.

There are two diesel engines - the 1816cc XDP-85 and the 1948cc XDP-88. The XDP-85 is fitted to Familiales and Commerciales just up to October 1964 and to taxi version Berlines from February 1963 to October 1963. The XDP-88 had a long production run commencing in July 1963 and has several differing power outputs depending upon which 404 it is fitted to.

Of the carburettor engines, it is actually the XC6 version which is the most powerful, but this is detuned slightly when fitted into Familiales. An oddity concerning Commerciales - those destined to the USA from January 1970, had a 1796cc 504 XM engine mated to the ZF Automatic box, while those for use exclusively by French police, were fitted with the ZF Automatic box from April 1967 to May 1970.

Switching to the Pininfarina built Cabriolets and Coupés, despite availability from 1961 (Cabriolet) and 1962 (Coupé), it took until June 1965 for Peugeot UK to decide to import these two models, which only left the factory to lhd form. A dedicated team of engineers converted 79 such cars to rhd at the Lion workshop of the sole UK concessionnaire, Distributors Peugeot at Purley near Croydon, although there have of course been some subsequent rhd conversions since - one such being John Maguire's 1966 Cabriolet, imported from the USA a few years back. A somewhat rare factory Hardtop option was also available for the Cabriolet. All original UK imports came with KF2 fuel injection engine, although the optional carburettor engine was available in other coutries at reduced cost. The earliest Cabriolet known to exist in the UK, is a 1962 example, bearing chassis 4590219, while Wesley Shah has the latest, a superb rhd low mileage 1968 version, bearing chassis 6803095. Jeeves Mahesan has the latest known Coupé, a rare rhd beauty with chassis 6801986, while outside of CPUK, there is another rhd Coupé in London, bearing chassis 6802060.

The Camionnette was a phenomenal sales success particularly throughout Africa and indeed production continued at Peugeot's Nigerian plant until 1988, although UK imports ceased during 1979, when the new 504 version took over. They remain popular 404 variants within CPUK.

The 404 was by far the most prolific model in the UK until the arrival of the 504, of which UK sales began from April 1969. The 404 was also popular with armed forces personnel who subsequently imported them to the UK, mainly from Germany. Total production reached 2 885 377 units and the first millionth 404 rolled off the production line in June 1967. From 1963 to 1968 sales averaged 200 000 units per year while 1967 was the record with 220 007.

John Waller

Useful Links

Dutch 404 page

Peugeot 404.org

Nice 404 page in english