Deriving from the 504 which it was intended to replace in 1979, the Peugeot 505 was a success… especially in France. However, the Sochaux manufacturer spared no effort to sell it abroad, particularly in the United States. It must be said that its wagon is one of the first in its category to be equipped with a high-performance and economical turbo-diesel engine.
This last point will allow Peugeot to win a call for tenders in 1979, issued to renew part of the taxi fleet in New York and Los Angeles, where the antique Checkers operate. The contract provides for the delivery of 600 505 sedans for each of the two cities. That is 1,200 cars, which is somewhat hastily presented as “the contract of the century”.
In the USA, the Peugeot 505 is equipped with suitable headlights and bumpers. Note that for a taxi, Peugeot has not provided a right rear-view mirror…
The cars are therefore equipped with the 2.3 liter Indenor turbo-diesel developing 80 hp, and fitted with an automatic gearbox. Its main argument is consumption, officially announced at 27 mpg, or 8.7 l/100 km. That of competitors with V8 engines is estimated at 16 mpg (14.7 l/100 km) in Peugeot’s advertising brochure.
He does not hide the fact that his 505 costs much more to purchase than the average of its rivals ($13,000 compared to $8,700), but estimates that this additional cost will be largely offset by the lower consumption. According to him, his 505 would save $70 per week. Interesting, but on condition of driving 160,000 km/year.
According to this advertising brochure, the Peugeot 505 allows substantial savings, provided you travel 160,000 km per year. What cars won’t be able to do without major repairs…
The 1,200 cars sold earned Peugeot great media coverage, which will promote the sale of the 505 to the general American public. He bought nearly 15,000 in 1982. In New York, success seemed to be confirmed, with orders reaching 850. The second oil crisis which was raging then favored the Sochalienne!
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Very good to praise the road qualities and braking of the 505. But the New York taxis especially wanted space and robustness.
Only, it won’t last. In New York, the life of the 505 yellows is not rosy, and the taxis who were hoping for substantial savings will quickly become disillusioned. Already, customers do not appreciate it, considering it too small. So that when they see it coming, some refuse to take their place! Indeed, the 505 can only accommodate two rear passengers, whereas three or four can be crammed into a Chevrolet Caprice or a Ford LTD. A significant loss for the Peugeot operators!
It is precisely on durability that the 505 sinned in New York. That of the bodywork and the suspension, more than the engine.
Then, diesel pumps are not that numerous in the Big Apple. As a result, the 505s pile up in stations, and waste drivers’ time, and therefore money. Finally, and above all, unlike its rivals, the 505 cannot withstand the poor state of the streets or the violence of the traffic, not to mention the enormous thermal amplitude that plagues the megalopolis. The Peugeot was simply not designed for that!
If we add that spare parts are expensive and not always available, we understand that drivers are prematurely getting rid of their 505 and returning to the good big American V8 engines. As Crocodile Dundee would later show, you can be at ease in the bush and completely on the street in the jungle of New York…
A Peugeot 505 taxi in New York traffic in the 80s. Its compactness is not an asset there…
In 1983, the tightening of anti-pollution laws sealed the fate of the French diesel engine in the USA, and Peugeot may have offered a gasoline engine to taxis, but nothing would help. The manufacturer should perhaps have limited its offer to the 505 family, with 7 seats and a rigid rear axle, much stronger than the independent axle of the sedan.
The success of the Toyota Prius, 20 years later, with New York taxis, shows that an economical car has its place. It still has to be suitable, reliable and have good after-sales support…
2024-01-14 20:00:00
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