It’s the Sunday Edition of the Hooniverse Weekend, and I feel like having something a little French… As in French Cars that are no longer available here in the States. Peugeot was the last French make to vacate this side of the pond in 1991, and though there has been discussions about re-entering the market, PSA is not really in a position financially to do so at this time. In the meantime, why don’t we look at these two French Beauties and see if we are really missing all that much… Let’s start out with this rather rare (to me at least) 1968 Peugeot 204c Convertible. According to all things Wikipedia:

The 204, known in development as Project D12, was available in many body styles including a sedan/saloon/berline, convertible/cabriolet, hatchback/coupe, estate/wagon, and a van. It was launched in Paris, France on 23 April 1965 and became the best-selling car in France from 1969 to 1971.

This particular 204c resides in Winnipeg Manitoba, and has been treated to a full restoration. It has covered 50,000 Km, has both a hardtop and a soft top, and is rather rare, even in its home country, with only around 18,000 built between October 1966 to March of 1970. While the seller says they need to seek a buyer because they are running out of room, the price to do so is anyone’s guess. What do you think an acceptable starting point should be, and is this thing even remotely desirable? See the listing here, and let me know. Here is a 1991 Peugeot 405 Mi16 Sedan which was the last year a new Peugeot was ever offered here in the US. This was the hot model within the lineup, and according to the detailed listing:

Never seen one in the metal before! Doesn’t sound like there are very many likely to be left (fewer than 5,000 sold in the US from 1989-91), but the oldest ones will be available to import in oh, a little over two years Might be worth a closer look. From Automobile: August 6, 1991, the day that Peugeot joined French compatriots Citroen, Renault, and Simca and officially gave up on the U.S. car market. The 405 was the last new French car introduced here, and the Mi16 was the athlete of the lineup, with a boy-racer body kit that looks great even today. Contemporary road tests smothered the Pug with praise for its exceptional chassis balance, comparing its handling to that of a rear-wheel-drive sport sedan — or even a race car. Its steering was called every positive name in the book, and the driving position, pedal placement, and shifter were all lauded. Those are attributes largely shared with lesser 405 models — the biggest differentiator for the Mi16 was its sixteen-valve engine. In the 1980s, a 7000-rpm sixteen-valve four-cylinder was an exotic piece of machinery reserved for the performance elite. It’s not much of a stretch to consider the Mi16 in the same league as the original BMW M3 or the Mercedes-Benz 190E 2.3-16. Sure, the 405 is front-wheel drive, but the Mi16′s handling belied its layout, and the underhood screamer produced enough power — more than Peugeot’s own 2.8-liter V-6 — to run with many of its six-cylinder competitors.

Asking Price for this rather rare 405 is $4,500, which still seems like a lot of money for an orphan make here in the US, but what do you think? See the Craigslist listing here, and tell me if it’s your cup of tea (or not!)