The second round of the festival’s tour brings us more French sedans, wagons and hatchbacks that combine a high level of comfort with great handling. Let the good times roll once again, featuring all the usual suspects and multiple surprise guest stars.
1983 Peugeot 604 TI Automatic, powered by a fuel injected (Bosch K-Jetronic) PRV V6.
1966 Peugeot 404 convertible.
1979 Simca-Chrysler 1308 S Jubilee. Under its hood a 86 hp, 1.4 liter Poissy engine. This series of FWD family hatchbacks was introduced in 1975. The pioneer of that specific segment was of course the 1965 Renault 16.
1937 Peugeot 402, the regular 315 cm wheelbase model (short wheelbase 288 cm, long wheelbase 330 cm). The 402 was launched in 1935.
“Nothing to see here folks, move along”. Quite true, actually, as these legendary Citroëns are very common -and beloved- classic cars in the Netherlands.
1998 Peugeot 605.
1981 Citroën CX Prestige 2400 Injection. Prestige, thus a 25 cm longer wheelbase.
1992 Citroën XM Ambiance 3.0 V6 with a 4-speed automatic transmission.
1978 Peugeot 504 TI with a fuel injected 2.0 liter engine.
1985 Talbot Horizon 1.3 LS. Nothing less than a miracle to come across this compact hatchback model in such a decent condition.
1992 Peugeot 605 SRi 2.0. Peugeot’s 1989-1999 executive sedan resembles the Peugeot 405 and the Alfa Romeo 164. All of them are Pininfarina designs.
Familiale, that’s PSA-language for a 3-row break. Here’s an example of a Citroën Familiale, a 1982 CX with a 2.5 liter diesel engine. The CX break, with or without the 3th row, has a 25 cm longer wheelbase than the standard CX berline. A Prestige Break, so to speak.
1998 Citroën XM 3.0 V6.
1977 Peugeot 104 GL. The 104 city car was introduced in 1972. This well preserved little hatchback has a 954 cc engine.
The most special car at the event just has to be this 1938 Matford V8 F82A. If you want to read more about these Gallic V8 Fords, I can highly recommend this excellent article by Tatra87.
1983 Peugeot 505 GL break.
1984 Citroën GSA X1. The GS/GSA was introduced in 1970, initially only as a berline (a fastback sedan, given its shape), the break followed a year later. It was not until 1979 that the hatchback was launched and the GS was renamed GSA. From 1970 to 1986, almost 2.5 million GS/GSAs were built. The GS Birotor is the flock’s rare bird .
2006 Peugeot 607 2.7 V6 HDi (204 DIN-hp turbodiesel).
1972 Citroën DSpécial with a folding roof.
1979 Peugeot 504 Coupé V6.
1972 Citroën GS Break.
1985 Renault 25 GTX. In the seventies and eighties, mainstream automakers -like Renault- could still sell a good number of executive/E-segment cars in Europe. In the nineties, that started to change rapidly and drastically. From 1984 to 1992, Renault built almost 781,000 units of the 25. Only 310,000 Renault Safranes, the successor to the 25, were sold from 1992 to 2002.
1978 Peugeot 604, its 2.7 liter PRV V6 is running on LPG. This Peugeot is 40 years old now, which means it’s an “official” classic car and consequently road tax free, regardless the type of fuel or the car’s weight.
The Citroën C6 on the left is from 2006, the one on the right is a year younger. Both of them are powered by the 2.7 V6 HDi engine. The C6 is unmistakably a highly comfortable Citroën limousine. There’s no way it can be confused with anything else on the road.
1984 Citroën CX 20 Familiale.
1975 Peugeot 504 Break. Ideal for car boot sales.
1974 Citroën ID20 F Ambulance. For a magic carpet hospital ride.
Count me in for next year’s edition of this well organized party!
Great stuff! I guess I am becoming more and more of a Peugeot guy. Those are my faves. And that Matford – a delightful mishmash of unmistakable American Ford styling touches blended with French additions.
Wish French models were still offered in the US, but their previous attempts in the US market ended unhappily.
Read something a few days ago I had not known before: AMC was in negotiations with Peugeot in the late 70s, when Renault made a better offer. The AMC honchos were sufficiently impressed with the speed with which Renault put together it’s proposal that they ended negotiations with Peugeot.
I was talking with two former AMC styling department honchos at a show Sunday. They agreed that Renault’s aggressive move into the US with the 5 and 18 was doomed because, for openers, the car’s HVAC and cooling systems were designed for more moderate French conditions, not the wider range of temperatures encountered in the US, and Renault never improved the systems, even in the case of the Alliance and Encore, which were rebadged Renault 9 and 11, when they were built here.
One of the styling guys, being an art major in college, had been required to take a foreign language. He flipped a coin and took French. He joined AMC in 78, just as Renault was buying in to the company. The other AMC people started getting paranoid as the Renault people would, from time to time, cluster together and start talking in French. Wondering if the Renault people were speaking in French to conceal what they were saying from the AMC people, He was assigned as the in house spy. Every time the Renault people would cluster, he would find something to do nearby and listen. He would then report to his boss what was being said. Turns out the paranoia was well founded. He didn’t report everything he heard as some of it was so critical of some of the AMC people. Apparently small car group head Bob Nixon was a condescending a$$, especially when talking to the Renault people, and a lot of the criticism directed toward him was well justified.
I haven’t seen a 70-80s Renault at a car show in a long time, but a few Citroens, Peugeots and Panhards show up at one local show in particular.
This Pug was a particular favorite of mine. Quite a handsome car, for being French. The pic is from last year. It didn’t show this year.
Amazing collection of beautiful cars Johannes, thank you.
I’m not sure if the ’85 Talbot Horizon is missing a left liftgate support strut, or it is an example of cost cutting at the time. I’ve never seen a lone strut employed for a liftgate on any cars when new.
Whenever I see a Citroen Familiale CX Break, they remind me of what the 1971-1976 GM B-body Clamshell wagons could have developed into. With the rear wheel skirt, and overall proportions, it reminds me of a ‘what might have been’ downsized Olds Custom Cruiser may have looked like for 1977. With GM styling elements applied of course.
Unfortunately, I don’t have time now to do a Photoshop, but I can see a very elegant and cleaner evolution of the early 70s GM full sized wagon design being maintained in a downsized and more efficient package. Observing many aspects of this Citroen.
It may have been more stylish perhaps than the eventual very boxy 1977 B-Body wagons.
If the visible rear driver’s seat back is any indication, the seats in this Talbot Horizon appear far more luxurious than any seats available in the North American Omni/Horizons.
Why are the seats a completely different color than the door panels?
I’m not sure if the ’85 Talbot Horizon is missing a left liftgate support strut, or it is an example of cost cutting at the time. I’ve never seen a lone strut employed for a liftgate on any cars when new.
I enlarged the pic and I don’t see a place on the driver’s side of the hatch where a strut would have been attached originally. It could be cost cutting. If I recall correctly, in it’s later years, the AMC Gremlin only had a strut on one side of the hatch, but the Gremlin’s hatch was much smaller.
Another possibility is the strut is only there as a damper and to limit how far the hatch is opened, with the real lifting being done by torsion bars in the car’s roof. The original Renault 5 had torsion bars to lift the hatch, and a hinged rod on one side to limit how far the hatch opened.
I know in cold weather environments, the gas cartridges lose their efficiency, and their ability keep a liftgate held up. I know from experience, I’ve had several relatively new cars with two struts, start to collapse on my head quite heavily in very cold weather. It would be dangerous for a child.
If manufacturers did this level of cost cutting on cars coming to North America, I would suggest they would be significantly to blame for some of their own sales misfortunes.
Only seeing one support strut looks very cheap to me.
I owned a 1978 (first year) and 1988 Horizons. They had two gas struts. Eventually the ones in the 1988 crapped out, first in cold weather and eventually all the time. Cheap generic aftermarket ones were available though. Use of a stick instead not recommended.
I learned to drive in an ‘80 R5. I don’t recall the liftgate getting any help from torsion bars. It was lift-and-lock. Maybe they ditched the torsion at some point?
Now imagine how roomy that Olds Custom Cruiser could have been if it had the Toronado’s FWD drive train. Olds seriously toyed with the idea of a big FWD wagon, but it did not come to pass.
Absolutely. If they were more progressive thinking, the domestic manufacturers should have adopted more efficient engineering from other markets already facing high gas prices, and the needs for better packaged cars. Even if the domestic makers enveloped them in traditional Detroit styling details inside and out.
A more stylish ’77 B-Body wagon with front wheel drive, and stunning interior space, would have been a truly remarkable breakthrough.
If they were more progressive thinking, the domestic manufacturers should have adopted more efficient engineering from other markets already facing high gas prices, and the needs for better packaged cars.
There is an alternate reality where AMC kept the well matured ex-Buick V6 they inherited when they bought Jeep, and did what Buick did to refine it. Then contact Borg-Warner for a trans, because B-W was very willing to reconfigure the well matured Type 35 trans for front drive applications. Then, with a front drive powertrain in hand at low development cost, built from well matured components, they could take the money spent on the Pacer and Matador coupe and wrap that powertrain in a car looking very much like an 1982 GM A body, and call it the 1975 Ambassador.
But nope. Dick Teague wanted to build his bubble car.
This is a Type 35 configured for longitudinal, front drive application for the Citroen SM
Type 35 configured for transverse front drive, under engine application, for the Austin Landcrab.
A Dutch Talbot Horizon brochure. One (right) damper.
Thank you for taking the time to check Johannes.
Frigid weather, and old, tired struts are the only times I’ve seen liftgates ‘collapse’ on their own. So, I imagine for those markets without very cold weather, one strut was deemed sufficient.
Those seats look more comfortable than the Omni/Horizon seats in NA.
Frigid weather, and old, tired struts are the only times I’ve seen liftgates ‘collapse’ on their own.
iirc it was Consumer Reports that had a Gremlin when AMC tried to get away with only one strut. They had the glass open when a gust of wind caught it. The wind tore the window off the end of the strut and smashed the glass. The Gremlin appears to have gone back to two struts in a year or two.
US spec Horizon. Two struts, but the struts appear shorter and mounted higher, so they have less leverage than on the Talbot.
Even the French compact and sub-compact cars of yore could really make you feel rich, if you know what I mean. Something that a contemporary and more expensive VW Golf or Polo could never, ever do…and then I’m not even speaking of the ride comfort and handling.
Apart from that, the French always won the Fuel-Sipping-Championships. Something we could highly appreciate!
At one time French cars were very desirable, and popular in Canada. To spot a DS or Renault 8, 10, R16, R5, or a Peugeot 504 in one of the large cities here was very common. Even if they seemed out of their element in the winter. Ottawa in the early 1970s…
R16 in winter, downtown Ottawa.
I got 51 mpg imperial fill to fill from my C5 2.0 HDI manual, just driving it not hyper miling. A lot of that tank was around town too not highway.
I’d love to add nearly all of these to my little collection. It’s wonderful to see so many gathered together!
Most of the cars are executives cars, I expect to see the then-futuristic Renualt Vel Satis. But they are not limo. The real limo should be Benz W100 600, Zil, Hongqi, Rolls-Royce Phantom and the current Toyota Century. French car makers mentioned here never produced such large vehicle. More, I learn recently that for a while Charle de Gaulle used a 1936 Horch 816 as his official car.
The word “limousine” means in many european countries not the same as in the US. It is used like “sedan” in the america.
Any sedan-body, regardless the car’s size, is called a “limousine” in Germany, isn’t it?
exactly
Big French limos did exist. Maybe not as sublime as the Hong Qi, but they did. Keep your eyes peeled over the weekend and you might see some featured on this website.
“Limousine” is a French word that means exactly what it means in English (as opposed to German, for instance).
Nice, that 402 is wonderfully preserved and wears red Michelin wheels.
+1
+1. Superb looking car
More loveliness. Oddness to most of the world, ofcourse, but they can be ignored while swishing down the pave in supreme comfort.
I’m struck by how much the immaculate Simca 1308 copies the gen 1 Passat by Guigiaro. Seems it was designed by an English designer Roy Axe, and seeing the dullness and/or awkwardness of some of his BL efforts after, Simca (or Chrysler) should’ve been glad he copied.
I think my favourite selection for delectation from this menu has to be the blue 504 wagon. Remarkable condition for a motor that usually lived a hardworking life. And, like the CX’s, the less trim 504 Breaks have, the better they look.
But, it being sunny day, I think I’ll putter off at 1930’s speeds on local roads in that Peugeot 402. Since it fell through history complete, I’ll drive it back there.
Merci, Johannes.
Very nice cars. I like classic french cars., especially these bigger ones. Sadly they are not so common where I live. You could see a DS or a 504 coupe or convertible, but the other ones a very scarce. Last time I saw a CX or 25 was in my childhood I guess.
French cars have always been very common/popular in the Netherlands and also Belgium. Basically everything they (Renault, Peugeot, Citroën and Simca) offered.
Excellent pictures, all of them.
I wonder what’s the device behind the Peugeot 402’s steering wheel on the left side.
It looks like a sat nav + holder.
If there were no American and no German cars left and all I could buy were French cars:
I think I’d really like the Citroen CX break.
Have always liked those Peugeot’s from the ’70s and ’80s esp. the 604s.
What a feast, Johannes.
The Matford and the 402 are just so great. Direct competitors too, once Peugeot added some oomph to their big saloon (402 B) in 1938. Incredible condition, that Pug. But on looks alone, the Matford wins.
The modern stuff is just a smorgasbord of the greatest “grosses grenouilles” ever made. The 504 Coupe or the Break? Some hard decisions would be required…
Also great to see a 104 in such condition. With that Peugeot blue, too.
And congrats for that interior shot of the CX Prestige, which captures the ambiance and vastness of the car very well.
Merci à vous, Monsieur Dutch.
…”With that Peugeot blue, too”…
Now that you mention it, an uncle of mine had a Peugeot 504 berline in the seventies in what seems to be that exact shade of blue. What a wonderful car it was, with its tan seats.
The man is in his late seventies now and still drives a Peugeot. He owned only one other brand -a Volkswagen- in his entire life.
Goodness what an amazing selection if cars.
Particularly striking is the 505 break’s rear overhang – quite the contrast to the Citroen 25 familiale’s super long wheelbase
Long front overhang – short rear overhang: that’s a big Citroën alright!
Too bad French cars can’t compete in the U.S market. The perception is that they’re weird, and absolute crap! Exhibit A:
BW
I scanned through all those pictures just to see one more of that C6.
It was worth it.
I would have loved to be at that car show. All the cars I’ve dreamed of driving that I could only enjoy as miniature Norev, Solido, and Majorette cars. That Peugeot 104 with the manual choke looks like it’s fun to drive. I wonder if the orange repeater lights on the front fenders of the Citroen GSA (LL-28-GD) and Citroen CX familiale (LH-70-RR) were original or were added later.
Thanks all for the kind words, much appreciated!
Absolute food for the soul looking at these cars. That 504 V6 Coupe is particularly handsome but there’s plenty of other lookers in there as well.
I’ve now looked at these three times, and that might not be enough. It’s a cheap way to travel both in time and space.
My love for both Peugeots and Citroens is well satisfied here. Obviously my personal experience with several Pugs makes that marque feel more familiar, but that’s not to suggest I ever lost any bit of my attraction to Citroens; they were like the would-be mistress that I never stopped looking at but decided not to actually pursue.
The 404 Cabrio has a special place in my heart as I really wanted one very badly, and came close to talking a guy who had one in his vast collection of moldering Peugeots in a storage lot to sell me one. Probably just as well…
The red 604, the 404 Cabrio, the pale blue DS, the GSA, the 504 Coupe….my fantasy garage is now full on just on this one section of the report……..
I’ll pass on the Talbot Horizon – we had one in the family in the early 80s. A 1.1 litre LS, in bright red (the best part of the car) but slow, very heavy and low geared steering, noisy and actually quite comfortable in a roly soft French way. Complete hen’s teeth now, courtesy of tin worm.
We also had a Peugeot 104 – an S version with IIC 1124cc, a rev counter and alloy wheels. When it worked, it was great fun, When it didn’t, again, big time, Dad traded it in for the Horizon.
Wow that close-up of the 402 badge – did I just learn the real reason Peugeot uses a zero in the middle of their model designations?