1974 Peugeot 404

Highlights

・One family owned from new
・South-African built rare model
・Excellent interior and huge boot
・Recent mechanical overhaul


The Background

Of the almost three million Peugeot 404s built worldwide, over a third were made outside of the manufacturer’s home nation in France, such was its global appeal.
The car had a superb combination of impressive build quality and sharp styling (courtesy of Pininfarina, no less), coupled to simple, rugged running gear that made it ideal for export. It was, for a time, also the world’s most popular taxi cab until surpassed by the Mercedes W123.
It made its debut at the 1960 Paris Motor Show and went on to enjoy a 15-year production run, with manufacturing facilities as far afield as Argentina, Canada, Chile and several sub-Saharan African countries, including South Africa, where it was a very popular car for wealthy families. 
It was offered in various body styles, a saloon, a convertible, an estate car and even a pick-up truck, which remained in production in some markets until 1988. 
This example is one of the last passenger cars built and also a hugely useful Station Wagon, which is seen by many as the best and most desirable iteration of the classic 404. It dates from 1974 and was constructed at Peugeot’s CKD factory in Transvaal, South Africa.

The History

The Peugeot was bought new in 1974 by the very same family that owned it until mid-2020, when it was acquired by the current owner and imported from South Africa.
Before it was sold, the car was extensively recommissioned with a full mechanical overhaul, including the engine and all the running gear. It also received some paint repairs where the original sun-bleached cream finish had worn thin, though the vendor has been careful to retain the car’s originality and overall patina, keeping the paintwork as localised as possible.

The Paperwork

The car comes with all of the relevant import paperwork in order for it to be registered in the UK and will be supplied with a new MoT. 
It also comes with a bill documenting over £1,000 worth of work (in SA rand) in 2020, with the engine being fully serviced, gearbox oil renewed, new brakes, tyres, wheel bearings, gaskets and wheel cylinders.

IMG_0850.jpeg 1.58 MB

The Interior

When the 404 was conceived, Peugeot was considered a very high quality and premium brand. So it's no surprise to find the cabin of this car is really quite opulent with red leather-style vinyl bench seats front and rear and matching red carpets.
The dashboard is simple but sturdy, trimmed in black vinyl and featuring a three-dial instrument display with a narrow rim steering wheel and chrome horn ring.
The luggage bay is immense and also very clean and well presented, making this a truly practical and versatile vehicle to own as well as an intriguing classic. 
In addition, the headlining and door cards are smart and well-presented.

_MG_8076.jpeg 3.28 MB


The Exterior

Overall, the Peugeot presents really well and is in remarkable order for an unrestored car. It has spent its life in a dry climate and that means that there is barely any corrosion, though there are some very small bits of surface rust near the front bumper and alongside one mirror.
The cream paintwork is largely the original 45-year old factory finish and apart from a few very small areas where the paint is cracked it still cleans up really well. It has had some recent paint to the roof and both sides, though, where the original finish was sun-tarnished.
There are some very shallow dents on the rear tailgate and a couple of small dings in the bonnet, but more than anything they add to its patina and originality.
You could, of course, treat this car to a full respray which is all that would be required to bring it up to full show standard but in doing so you'd risk losing a large part of its overall charm.
The underside appears solid too, with no signs of rot in the car’s chassis or floor pans. 

The Mechanics

Under the bonnet, the 404 features a 1.8-litre petrol engine that was specifically offered in South African-built cars. It is coupled to a four-speed column change manual gearbox, which is a delight to use. 
It's not a quick car by any stretch of the imagination, with 78bhp, but it is smooth, eager and ready for anything. It starts on the button and runs well, with no excess smoke.
The brakes have recently been rebuilt, while the suspension components have been cleaned and overhauled.

_MG_8101.jpeg 2.66 MB

The Appeal

This is a wonderfully preserved and largely unrestored example of what is now a very rare classic that - in its day - was one of the most well-respected cars in the world.
There are one or two cosmetic areas that could be improved if the next owner desired . However, much of the appeal of this car lies in its completely original and undisturbed patina, which gives it an unquestionable charm that will hopefully persuade you to preserve and enjoy it ‘as is’. 
The real beauty of this car is that it is unrestored and even wears much of its original cream paintwork that it left the factory with in South Africa.
The core to this car’s appeal, then, is its startling originality. You will not find another one like it.
Notice to bidders

Although every care is taken to ensure this listing is as factual and transparent as possible, all details within the listing are subject to the information provided to us by the seller. Car & Classic does not take responsibility for any information missing from the listing. Please ensure you are satisfied with the vehicle description and all information provided before placing a bid.

All bids are legally binding once placed. Any winning bidder who withdraws from a sale, is subject to our bidders fee charge. Please see our FAQs and T&C's for further information. Viewings of vehicles are encouraged, but entirely at the sellers discretion.

Please see our FAQ's here and our Terms & Conditions here

Please see our FAQs here and our Terms & Conditions here

Vehicle specification
  • Year 1974
  • Make Peugeot
  • Model 404
  • Colour Cream
  • Odometer 37,114 Miles
  • Engine size
Auction Details
  • Seller Type Trade
  • Location Norfolk
  • Country United Kingdom
Bidding history
27 bids
  • mi•••• £5,700 04/08/21
  • Ni•••• £5,600 04/08/21
  • mi•••• £5,400 04/08/21
  • Ni•••• £5,300 03/08/21
  • mi•••• £5,050 03/08/21
  • Re•••• £4,950 02/08/21
  • po•••• £4,750 02/08/21
  • Ni•••• £4,650 01/08/21
  • mi•••• £4,550 01/08/21
  • Ni•••• £4,450 01/08/21
Message C&C Auction Team

The gallery

The safest way to buy a classic car online

Car & Classic's secure payment system protects buyers and sellers. At the end of the auction, the winning bidder transfers payment into a third-party escrow account. Once the transfer of the vehicle is complete, both parties confirm they are happy with the sale and the money is released to the seller. More about buying with us
Safe, secure payment process

About Max Bids

The max bid process allows you to bid without any hassle.

Enter your maximum bid and we will then bid on your behalf to ensure you're the highest bidder - just enough to keep you in the lead and only up until your maximum.

Anti-sniping

Car & Classic prevent auction snipers from bidding in the last seconds to win an auction.

Auctions are extended by 3 minutes if anyone bids within the last 2 minutes to allow other bidders to react and counter-bid.

Auto-bidding increments

  • If your maximum bid is equal to or below the reserve price, your maximum bid will be applied in full if you are the highest bidder.
  • If you are the highest bidder and place a maximum bid above the reserve, we will automatically put in the reserve as your first bid.
    • Once the reserve has been met, Car & Classic will make sure you are the highest bidder using only the bidding increments stated below.
    • We will keep you in the lead up until your maximum bid OR the increment closest to your maximum bid, providing your maximum bid is enough to cover the increment value.

Bid Amount Increment
£0 to £9,999 £100.00
£10,000 to £49,999 £250.00
£50,000 to £99,999 £500.00
£100,000 + £1,000.00

Automatically outbid immediately

When you place a max bid and are outbid immediately that means that another bidder has placed a max bid limit which is higher than yours.

You can bid again and we will use our automatic bid system to try and get you as the highest bidder.

Matching max bids

When there are two max bids of the same value, the one placed first remains the lead bidder.

Pre-authorisation

We may hold a pre-authorisation charge on your card until the end of the auction when the hold will be cancelled. If you win, we'll take a security deposit which counts towards the payment for the vehicle and isn't any extra cost to you.

What are pre-bids?

A pre-bid means you're able to place a bid before the official start of the auction.
You will be notified whether or not you are the highest bidder when the auction starts.

Problem with your bid

Bids are contractually binding. To help protect you, we have some rules in place if we think it's been mistyped. Please check and amend what you have entered.