7 Peugeots You'll Hate Yourself For Not Knowing

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If you read our article last week on cool Peugeots, you’ll probably be thinking 'Yeah, I can see why Peugeot used to be a pretty cool car maker.'

Well, unless you’re a committed French car fan, you probably haven’t seen the half of it yet. See, Peugeot’s coolness extends to far more than just the hot hatches we’ve grown up knowing and loving them for. Root around a little more in the company’s history, and not only can you find the distinctive and delightful 402 Eclipse we talked about before, but a host of other sub-zero Pugs that really were deeply desirable, and which today make wonderfully left-field classic buys.

So relax, sit back, and let us guide you through a few more reasons why Peugeot’s up there as one of our favourite manufacturers here at Car Throttle – and why we hope cars like our 208 GTI long-termer mean they might one day go back to producing cars as cool as these.

1. 205 Turbo 16

OK, we’ll start off with an easy one. Hands up who’s heard of the 205 T16? Good, that’s most of you. Mid-engined and four-wheel-drive, it was of course Peugeot’s contribution to the mad, mad world of Group B rallying, and in road-going form boasted around 197bhp from its 1.8-litre turbocharged four-pot. Of course, in competition form it produced rather more. What’s not to like about a car the size of a shoe with utterly bonkers levels of power?

2. 405 Mi16

Yep, we’ll reckon a fair proportion of you will still be with us here. The T16 might be the one everyone has wet dreams about, but the 405 Mi16 is very nearly as cool – and far more easily accessible. And it’s the sort of car we simply don’t see any more – who, these days, would put a hard-revving naturally-aspirated engine into a svelte, neatly-proportioned family saloon? Nobody, that’s who. That engine was a 16-valve version of the 205 GTi’s 1.9-litre XU9, and it produced 160bhp when new – more than enough to make the Mi an absolute blast to drive. Later, it was replaced with the 155bhp 2.0-litre from the 306 S16 – but aficionados will tell you the earlier, more raucous engine’s the one to have.

3. 309 GTi 16

We’ll wager you’ve heard of the 309 GTi, but the 16v version? Yep, it really did exist, but because it was impossible to engineer a right-hand drive version, Peugeot didn’t bring it to the UK. Which is a pity, frankly, as it was a proper rocketship in its time. Think of it this way: imagine the same 160bhp 1.9-litre as powered the 405 Mi16, giving a hefty chunk more power than either the Golf GTi 16v, Escort RS Turbo or Astra GTE 16v could muster, in a body that was around the same weight, if not lighter, than all three. In other words, it was one of the best mid-size hot hatches of its time, if not the best, and if it had made it over here it’d probably cost peanuts to buy right now too. Boo.

4. 505

Here’s a thing you probably don’t associate Peugeot with much: rear-wheel drive. But of course, a long time ago, all Pugs were driven from the rear, and in fact this 505 was the last of them. Today, it also happens to look pretty damn cool – which, we think, makes it one of the best potential candidates for a truly left-field drift car there is. Anyone fancy taking up the challenge?

There were two half-decent models in the range to choose from: one, the Turbo, had a decent turn of speed from a 155bhp turbocharged 2.2-litre, but it was the 167bhp V6 that was top of the tree in performance terms. OK, OK, so neither is all that quick – but we reckon that the 505 is one of the most underrated retro cars out there, and if leaving it standard and original isn't your thing, it's a prime candidate for stancing, slamming, and whatever the hell else you fancy doing with it. Including – no, especially – going sideways.

5. Dangel 505

OK, so we’re probably getting into the realms of the truly weird and wonderful now. What do you get if you take a Peugeot 505 estate, throw a full 22cm of ground clearance underneath it and add four-wheel drive? Why, the Dangel 505, of course!

Dangel was a company that first specialised in motorsport preparation, before it branched out into building aftermarket conversions of Peugeot estates starting with the 504. The 505 was its best-known model, though, and while it wasn’t fast, it was tough – think of it as a more hardcore version of an Audi Allroad, before even that was a twinkle in the eye of the engineers from Ingolstadt. Here’s one in action, monstering a gully in Morocco and looking indescribably awesome while doing so.

6. 504 Coupé

So, you’ve probably heard of the 406 Coupé. But did you know Peugeot has a history of building big, deeply cool two-doors? This 504 Coupé is just one of its previous offerings, and with its hooded eyes, curving waistline, razor-sharp glasshouse and vestigial buttresses it’s just loaded with ’70s European chic. It could be specced with a 2.7-litre V6, too, so in its day it was no slouch; sadly, though, few were made, so today they’re a comparative rarity. Nevertheless, that won’t stop us from taking a few minutes to feast our eyes on its lovely combination of curves and corners.

A few years ago, rumours surfaced that Peugeot might just build a modern interpretation of the 504 Coupe based on the 508, and this rendering was produced as an example of what that could look like. We reckon it's even more awesome than the current RCZ. Peugeot - make it happen.

7. 404 Cabriolet

Happen upon a picture of this pretty, Pininfarina-designed drop-top and you could be forgiven for thinking it was something Italian, perhaps a Fiat or a Lancia of some description. But no – believe it or not, this was, in fact, the convertible version of Peugeot’s mid-range (and slightly dull) 404 saloon. With four seats and a rather upright driving position it was no sports car, but just picture this for a second: you’re wafting along the Côte d'Azur, somewhere between Nice and Cannes; it’s mid-July, the sky’s clear and the sun’s blazing down, and you’re in plenty of time for drinks on your best friend’s yacht later this evening. You’ve a beautiful girl or a hunky beau – depending on your preference – by your side, and you’re in a 404 Cab, with the top down. Simply put, Gallic cool doesn't come much cooler. Or, er, much more gallic.

Which of these fine French fancies floats your boat the most?