Our favourite classic Peugeots

We've said it before and we'll say it again: French cars are big on style. For much of its history, though, Peugeot was perhaps the exception that proved the rule: many a 1950s, 1960s or 1970s Peugeot was more about practicality than panache.

But then along came a certain Italian design studio… and yes, under the influence of Pininfarina, Peugeot produced some of the most elegant cars of the 1980s and 1990s. We've gone for a mix of style and substance in this list of our favourite classic Peugeots. Whether it's a rugged workhorse or a sleek coupé, though, our choices all have one thing in common: they have acquired classic status.

If you own, or plan to own, any of the Peugeots in this list, some specialist classic car insurance should be a top priority.

Peugeot 405

From 1960 to around 1995, a series of elegant Peugeots were created by Italian design house Pininfarina. And, among the Italians' various impressive efforts, the 405 stands out.

Sleek and handsome, Peugeot's family four-seater was perhaps the best-looking large saloon of the 1980s. It certainly knocked the slightly ungainly Sierra into a cocked hat, and it had more about it than the decent but conventional Cavalier.

Alongside those streamlined looks, the 405 was also a decent performer. That was especially true of the cooking Mi16 variant, whose 16-valve engine could propel the car up to speeds of 220km/h (140mph).

It was also great to drive, as thousands of UK owners discovered. Small wonder that, when it appeared in 1986, families and fleet managers alike left their Sierras and Cavaliers in droves for this handsome new French beast.

Of course, we should have known from the minute the car's adverts hit UK TV screens – featuring a 405 in cool metallic grey, speeding past a blazing maize field, to the strains of Berlin's Take my Breath Away – that something special was on the way.

Peugeot 205

Make no mistake, Peugeot (and Pininfarina) were in good form in the 1980s. Before the 405 there was the iconic 205, the best-looking and most ingeniously designed little hatchback of its time – perhaps of all time. For example, the car's 'wheel in each corner' design meant that space was maximised, with not a square inch going to waste anywhere.

To a marketplace saturated with Ford Fiestas and Renault 5s, the 205 brought some key new attributes – a smart, grown-up style, for example, alongside a brilliant driver experience. The latter was most in evidence in the much-worshipped GTi, a serious contender for the title of best hot hatch ever. But really, a 205 in any guise was a thing to be proud of back in 1984. And it is still, perhaps even more so, today.

There are still a fair few 205s around – they were recognised as future classics relatively early in their working lives. Anyone fortunate enough to still own and drive one of these marvels will want to safeguard it with some specialist classic car cover.

Peugeot 504

If, during the 1980s, Peugeot were all about sleek, stylish and sporty additions to the hatch and saloon sectors, during previous eras the brand had stood for something rather different. Yes, for decades Peugeot was synonymous with sensible looks, sturdiness and practicality.

Their cars might not have been the last word in eye-catching design – although, in their way, many were ruggedly attractive – but Peugeots would give you tens of thousands of miles of fuss-free motoring, and were often excellent load luggers as well.

This solid dependability is best seen in the marque's 1960s/70s big saloon / estate pairing, the 504. The saloons were solidly good-looking; the estates had enormous boots and/or a seven-seat option. For many children of the ‘70s and ‘80s, the sheer novelty of sitting way back in the third row of a 504 estate will be an abiding memory.

These cars were also tough as old nails, as witness the recent story of a 504 reaching the million-kilometre mark. Apparently, many 504s had long and successful later lives in Africa, where their rough-terrain capabilities and typically French soft suspension were much appreciated on some of the continent's rougher roads.

Peugeot 504 coupé / cabriolet

Hang on, we've just covered the 504, haven't we? Yes, but that was the regulation saloon and estate. The coupé and cabriolet forms of the same car were strikingly different. Here, prettiness, rather than practicality, took centre stage.

In fact, the elegant 504 coupé and cabriolet variants were styled by – you guessed it – Pininfarina, in one of the Italian firm's earliest Peugeot collaborations. That should tell you all you need to know, really. For the saloon's two rectangular headlamps, the CC substituted smart quad headlamps; the coupé had some beautiful, flowing lines, while the drop-top was, well, drop-dead gorgeous.

The mix of tough Peugeot chassis, a top speed of 115mph, and that rakish Pininfarina styling made for a rather intriguing car. Not quite a supercar, perhaps, but still very desirable. All the more so given that it was something of a rarity here in the UK, most being imports.

Peugeot 404

So, where did the fruitful Peugeot/Pininfarina partnership start? That would be with the 404, an elegant saloon and estate (with stunning cabriolet and coupé derivatives) that was styled by the Italians and built by Peugeot for a decade and a half from 1960. The car bore similarities to both the Austin Farina / Morris Oxford and Fiat 1800/2100/2300 families.

The 404 was another well-packaged Peugeot. Despite being roomy and comfortable inside, it managed to be both smaller and lighter than its predecessor, the 403. It went on to become a big sales success for Peugeot, with over 2.8 million cars produced across its long lifespan, of which 1.8 million were for the French domestic market.

Once again, we must wax lyrical over the coupé / cabriolet form of the 404. There's a hint of 1960s Alfa Romeo or even Ferrari to these beautiful variants – and, if supplied with the fuel-injection engine, they were nicely quick, too.

Both saloon and estate forms, meanwhile, are still doing service in North Africa as taxi services. Over there, they’re hard-working. Over here, any still surviving will doubtless be lovingly cared for – with a specialist classics insurance policy protecting them for years to come.

Peugeot 406 Coupé

The 406 was the replacement for the seminal 405 and, in general, didn't move the game on in any significant way. The exception, though, was its gorgeous coupé form.

Yes, as must be becoming clear, Peugeot have always been good at extracting lithe, gorgeous coupés out of their solid, dependable saloons. And the 406 was one of the best of the lot. Coupés arguably work best when they are spun off larger saloons, rather than more compact cars, as the extra length can give the car real grace and presence. That was definitely the case with the 406.

The conversion of Peugeot's large saloon into a more svelte, low-slung, two-door form seemed to work perfectly, producing echoes of Ferrari's 456 GT. It arguably made for a more beautiful car than more expensive contemporary coupés such as the Mercedes CLK or the Volvo C70. The 406 beat other contemporaries such as the Honda Prelude and Alfa GTV, meanwhile, when it came to ride comfort and spaciousness.

Interestingly, the design for a large coupé was originally offered to Fiat by Pininfarina in about 1990, only for Fiat to reject the design and work on its own model (the straightforwardly-named Coupé). Of the two, we'll have the Peugeot, thanks.

Peugeot 402

The striking 402 family saloon bore the traditional 1930s Peugeot face, with the headlights set well back behind the front grille. It's a wonderfully fluid, opulent-looking saloon from that era where running boards were wide and wheel arches long and flowing.

The car may look unmistakably pre-war now, but at the time it was a feast of innovation, showcasing the new 'streamlining' that was all the rage among French car designs. The Citroen Traction Avant and Bugatti Type 57 were other examples of this bold new Gallic design language. Inside, the car also boasted some cutting-edge features such as twin windscreen wipers, sun visors and a dashboard-mounted clock.

Peugeot 601 Eclipse

The stylish, six-cylinder 601 was Peugeot's range-topper. Like the 402 above, but perhaps even more so, the 601 was blessed with some eye-catchingly beautiful curves – the sweep that carried over both front and rear wheels, in particular, was a thing of absolute beauty.

In Eclipse form, meanwhile, the 601 made history as the first car to be built as a dedicated convertible. Its electronically folding metal roof could be moved and stowed under the rear luggage lid. The design was by one Georges Paulin, a former dentist who'd turned to car design – and who would later become a hero of the French Resistance.

The 601 entered many a car fanatic's consciousness much more recently, in 1996. That year Mercedes launched its SLK, whose hinged roof folded into the boot when you pressed a button. Mercedes claimed this as a world first – until the Peugeot publicity department politely pointed out that the 601 had done something similar 60 years before.

Peugeot 306

The 205, the 405… Peugeot were on a roll with their car designs during the 1980s. And the last hurrah of that design purple patch was probably the 306, a decidedly elegant, comfortable and pleasant-driving Golf rival that sold in big numbers throughout the 1990s.

In fact, until a certain Ford Focus came along in 1998, the 306 was probably the comfiest, best looking and best driving car in its class. It shared its underpinnings with the Citroen ZX, but sold in much bigger numbers than its stablemate – and, looking at the two cars alongside each other, it's not that hard to see why. The 306 was yet another Pininfarina collaboration, and drew somewhat on the looks of the still hugely popular 205 supermini.

The car came in a range of trim levels and engine options, including the sporty S16, XSi, and GTI-16 variants. There was even a nicely nippy diesel, the D-Turbo, which could hold its own against a Mk2 Volkswagen Golf GTD.

Oh, and there was also – this being Peugeot, after all – a rather lovely-looking convertible, which pipped the Renault Megane and VW Golf to the position of best-looking '90s mid-size soft-top. Bravo, Peugeot!

Peugeot 604

There are a group of saloons from the late 1970s and early 1980s that we’ve always admired because of their ruggedly handsome, square-edged good looks.

Among these boxy behemoths we would include the Fiat 130, the Alfa Romeo Alfa 6, the short-lived Talbot Tagora… and the Peugeot 604. On its UK launch in 1975, the latter went up against the likes of the BMW 520, Rover 3500, Ford Granada 3000 GL and the Citroen CX Pallas. It offered a very French interpretation of the luxury car, with a supple ride and oodles of space. The fact that its doors opened extremely wide also made it a popular choice as a limousine or chauffeur vehicle.

Sadly, the 604 didn't sell well, earning just a fraction of the sales tally of its stablemate, the Citroen CX. The 1973 oil crisis, reducing French buyers' appetites for big, thirsty V6 cars, probably didn't help. Nonetheless, we can now look back fondly at the big, imposing 604 – and if we were in the market for a big '70s exec saloon with a bit of rarity value, we might just start our search here.

Classic car insurance – for every car type

Whether your classic is a sturdy estate or a quicksilver coupé, you love it and want to protect it. Which is where we come in. Lancaster’s many years of experience means that we are able to provide insurance for classic cars for a huge number of vintage vehicles.

Contact us for a quote and let the specialists help preserve your retro ride.