This year, we’re looking back thirty years to the top year 1995. A year in which curiosities like the daihatsu move saw the light of day alongside legendary cars like the ferrari f50 and alfa romeo gtv. This time, a more modest car that could still stand out: The Peugeot 406.
How did the lead-up go?
The 405, introduced in 1987, was a hit for Peugeot, not least because of its sleek and fairly timeless design. Big Shoes to Fill for the Successor, which Really had to appear Sometime in the Mid-90S. The fact that Peugeot itself was still very charmed by the 405 Became Crystal Clear With the Appearance of the 406. Peugeot’s design team Clearly TOK Some Basic Lines from the 405 and had them Return in a More Modern and Especial. That recognizability was a goal in itself, although the intention was also that the 406 would make a sportier impression than its predecessor. The 405 Successor was not only worked on in the first half of the 90s, but also in Italy people were at the design table. Not for the 406 Berline (Sedan), but for a real coupe. Peugeot assigned that assignment to design house pininfarina, where they were in close contact with Peugeot’s own design department to keep the lines of the 406 coupe sufficiently close to the 406 saloon.
How was it received by the press and the public?
Anyone who had expected an enormous revolution after the peugeot 405 was undoubtedly somewhat disappointed while they saw the 406. Yet it quickly Became clear that many appreciate peugeot’s new mid-range cars. Although you might call the design somewhat conservative, it was also Fresh at the Time. The Design Radiated, Just Like its Predecessor, A Certain Timeless Class. In 1998 we stated: “It has not resulted in a striking trendy shape, but in an elegant timeless line. That is why the 406 is still worth seeing three years after its introduction.”
The Real Hit was the 406 Coupé. That only came out from under the cloth in 1996 and was showered with praise. Pininfarina had succeeded in drawing a fairly sporty-looking two-through on the fairly fashion base. MoreOover, Although It Did Not Share a Single Piece of Bodywork with the 406 Berline, It was Easily Recognizable As Its Flashier Brother.
How Revolutionary was the 406 Actual?
Here too, we cannot avoid Considering the 406 Berline and the 406 Coupé Somewhat Separately. The Four-by 406 was not revolutionary. On the contrary, As Said, its appearance Largely Continued on the 405 and on a Technical Level, Despite A Neer Base, there were no world-shake novelties. Then the 406 Coupé. That cool Peugeot’s image a positive impulse and just thought it was certainly not the only mid-range coupe from a volume fire, it was one of the most talked about. That was mainly in the appearance. The Dashboard Came Straight from the 406 Berline and That was a bit ordinary. If there is one thing in which the coupé, The Berline and the Break (Wagon station) Excelled, It was the Combination of Comfortable and Tight Handling. In That Regard, Peugeot had affairs in order. At the same time, the coupé was perhaps a bit too comfortable and was not the driver’s car that you might expect based on its appearance.
What were the Choices at Market Introduction?
The Peugeot 406 Has Been Marketed with a Whole Range of Petrol and Diesel Engines. Initially, There Were Xu and Xud Engines that also served in the 405. Proven Power Sources, But Now Aged. After the facelift in 1999, The 406 Received Brand New Engines from the Ew and DW Family. At Market Introduction, The Base was an 88 HP Atmospheric 1.6 Eight-Valve, the More Popular Choice was the 1.8 Sixteen-Valve with 118 HP. On the Diesel Front, A 90 HP 1.9 Turbo Diesel was The Common Choice, Altheghiegh there was also a 75 HP Version and a nice torque-rich blown 2.1. For the 406 coupé it started immediately in 1997 With the 135 HP 2.0 Sixteen-Valve (Xu), which was replaced in 1999 by the 140 HP 2-liter power source of the newer generation. Then a new 2.2 was added to the order list of the 406 and the popular hdis made their entry. At the top of the petrol ladder was always the 3.0 v6, which initial produced 194 hp and later 210 HP. The Coupé in particular Seemed Made for That Engine.
What were its competitors?
In The Mid-90S, The Traditional Mid Range, Still Pretty Much The Place Where You As A Car Manufacturer Could Earn Money in Europe. So there was no shortage of competition for the peugeot 406. For Example, there the ford mondeo, Opel Vectra and Volkswagen Passat that made Things Difficult for the 406. They succeeded QUITE WELL HERE in the Netherlands, Becare the German. However, it remained ahead of its competitor from its own country, The Renault Laguna, for years. In its most successful years, the 406 (including the coupé) just remained below 9,500 units per year. This in itself was a successful model, althegh the high sales figures of the 405 remained just out of reach. Possible the Counter Came Out at Just Under 60,000 406S Sold in Our Country.
Any Special Features Door Its Life Cycle?
The Stylish Coupé was without a Doubt the * Eyecatcher * in the 406 Ranks, but the 406 Berline Ultimately Enjoyed Greater Fame. At Least, in the Cultural Field. In The French Cult Films *Taxi *, Tear Nose Daniel Morales Made The Streets of Marseille Unsafe With A White 406 Berline. Not just a 406 with a taxi sign on the roof, but ultimately a heavyy expanded and rather unreistically fast one. In this way, an inconspicuous Car Suddenly Became a True Superhero. There are or course also varous imitations of the taxi-406 made by fans, which looked wonderful absurd and somewhat uncomfortable sporty. It never cool the 406 a real hero status, but for many there is always that association.
Which Version Appeals Most to the Imagination?
For Those who Saw The Adventures of Daniel Morales On The White Screen In 2000 With Young Eyes Full Of Admiration, A White Peugeot 406 Berline May Be the 406. But Not for Most. The 406 Coupé Stole the Show and eSpeciate When There Was A 3.0 V6 in the Nose. Even today, a 406 coupé with that power source in combination with a manual gearbox is the most sought after. Prices for Neat Copies have rising for a while, which mean that the 406 coupé seems to be living up to the predicate ‘dead-painted classic’. We are mainly talking about the model from before the facelift. With the facelift, The Coupé Got a Rather Enthusiastic Grille and That Nose Generally Does Not Seem To Be So Popular.
What has Has Been the Impact of the Peugeot 406?
In retrospect, we can saely say that peugeot with the 406 cool a strong example of how to make a sleek, fine-driving and reliable mid-range car. With the 406 coupé, peugeot gained a certain allure that it had not had for a while. Of course there were the sporty hatchbacks with which Peugeot had previously made furore, but the 406 coupé was an image maker * pur sang * in its own way. Successor 407 (and the 407 Coupé) Made Painully Clear How Successful the 406 Actual was. The Current Peugeot 508 is in fact The First Peugeot Mid-Range Car That Somewhat Harks Back to the Sleek Lines of the 406. With Success, At Least, the Lines of the 508 Can also Count on Broad Appreciation. But when it comes to sales number, that peugeot has never leg as successful as the 406.
How many are there in the Netherlands?
As Said, Just Under 60,000 Peugeots 406 Were Sold in Our Country. Only a fraction of that is still on the road. Figures from Vinacles Show That There Are Still 2,319 Copies Left. Where the coupé was clearly in the minority, that is now different. After all, these are the copies that Enthusiasts in our country Cherish the most. Berlin’s are the best represented, with 820 copies Left, but the coupés follow Closely Behind, with 771 copies. With 728 copies, the breaks are the rarest in the Netherlands. In Addition, 2000, the best represented year of construction for the 406 is in our country. If you come across a break, there is a good chance that 2003 is the year of construction.