Regan Peugeot 605 and 605 roll call

[Dijon16]

I also thought that they would be built in large batches (maybe 10-20 at a time, running down the assy line all together). From the dates so far, it's suggesting probably not...

There is an apocryphal story, that was probably made up, about what happened when Peugeot was asked why they did not change the wipers over on the 504 for the Australian market.

The alleged reply was because they make the entire year´s allocation before morning tea on one shift.

I call BS, because not only does that not allow for the UK market, but they would be having croissant, coffee, and a cigarette, not tea.

 

[Dijon16]

Here is a scan of the 605 local spec, dated feb 95. Scanned at 400 but had to resize it to fit, so not sure how legible it will be.

 

[Armidillo]

It's fine - perfectly legible. And confirms that the leather and sunroof were options.

 

[BIGRR]

Here is a scan of the 605 local spec, dated feb 95. Scanned at 400 but had to resize it to fit, so not sure how legible it will be.

The only difference I can see to the one I have dated November 1994 is: on yours they have listed "temperature" gauge.

 

[Sans_sagesse]

The only difference I can see to the one I have dated November 1994 is: on yours they have listed "temperature" gauge.

That means there were at least two print runs of the Aussie Phase II spec leaflet? Hot ticket item!
I wonder if any cars came here with the std velour interior.

 

[BIGRR]

Dijon16 could you post a pic of your series 1 "Compliance plate" this should inform who bought the series 1's into Aus! (?)



My ex-605 Plate attached. Yours may not be affixed in same place.

 

[BIGRR]

That means there were at least two print runs of the Aussie Phase II spec leaflet? Hot ticket item!
I wonder if any cars came here with the std velour interior.

May be the cars pre- Feb 1995 did not have a temperature gauge! Ha Ha.

 

[SLC206]

Here's the original press release from Feb 1994.

Best quote of the whole article, by Ray Bowden:

Our plan is not to flood the market with the Peugeot 605

 

[SLC206]

I have a 1993 then a 1996 price list. Only the 205 and 405 are on the 1993 list.

List price in 1996 - SV spec 3.0 litre auto - was $78,995

The only two options were Leather at $3,350 and Sunroof at $1,850.

For info, the 1993 List Price says that Peugeot Concessionaires is a division of Inchcape Motors.

My Sept 1991 205 Si brochure says Peugeot Concessionaires is a division of Capedome Pty Ltd.

 

[SLC206]

Here is a scan of the 605 local spec, dated feb 95. Scanned at 400 but had to resize it to fit, so not sure how legible it will be.

I have the same brochure dated November 1994. None of the details are different, other than the already mentioned "Oil level and temperature gauge".

 

[Dijon16]

Dijon16 could you post a pic of your series 1 "Compliance plate" this should inform who bought the series 1's into Aus! (?)

Mr Big, I am not near my car at the moment, and will not be for several days, but as soon as I am yes I will do that.

 

[Sans_sagesse]

Here's the original press release from Feb 1994.

Best quote of the whole article, by Ray Bowden:

Simon, any chance you could scan that press release? Or was this a published news story in which Bowden was quoted? That makes more sense, probably in response to being pestered about projected sales volume.
Capedome was a division of Inchcape.

 

[SLC206]

Simon, any chance you could scan that press release? Or was this a published news story in which Bowden was quoted? That makes more sense, probably in response to being pestered about projected sales volume.
Capedome was a division of Inchcape.

Hi - if you hover your mouse over “original press release” in my original post, the link is there.

 

[Armidillo]

Here's the original press release from Feb 1994.

Best quote of the whole article, by Ray Bowden:

Our plan is not to flood the market with the Peugeot 605

If that was the plan, then you'd have to say they succeeded!

Given that Australians (certainly at that time) bought a lot of large family cars, I do wonder if a more basic spec 605, priced below the luxury car tax threshold, might have had more success, and actually increased demand for the luxury spec as people became aware of the 605.

I suppose the main problem would have been that to really reduce the price, the cars would have come with a 2 litre engine, which might have been seen as a bit underpowered, even with a manual transmission. OTOH, there might have been a niche market for a turbo diesel 605.

I know plenty of 605s and XMs were sold with smaller engines in Europe and the UK, but would Aussies have showed any interest?

 

[pugrambo]

I think if we had lower spec 605's here back then they would have fallen into the 405 range and being that the 405 with the same 4cyl engine would have been in a lighter car the 6054 still wouldn't have sold

 

[Dijon16]

Bit like saying that if you had a poverty pack C5 with cloth and a 1.6 that it would not sell because it would be in the C4 range.

The 605 and C5 are almost exactly the same size, to a couple of mm. I think that the deciding factor would have been the selling price, and nothing else.

However, I do not disagree with you.

 

[BIGRR]

pugrambo, is your 605 a Series 1 (?). What does the Compliance plate say, who was the importer?

 

[Sans_sagesse]

My work is getting really busy so I've stalled a bit on rounding up 605s.

I'm not sure if a 605 base model would have been cheap enough. Commodore/Falcon started at around $30K then. With import duties I'm not sure Peugeot could've shaved enough off the price on a povo version to make it worth it. Just trying to think of any other big, FWD base cars back then - Avalon wasn't until about 2000. Hyundai Grandeur? Also, even though in its early days, the hot ticket item was the SUVs like the RAV4 5-door released in 1995. Even Jeep was selling heaps of Cherokees. Plus, Inchape would be well aware of the risk of supporting a model that tanked. They already had a few by then. Think 1990 Audi V8 quattro (14 sold) and 1991 B3 Passat GL (also about 14 sold). Then there's the 1990 Citroen AX GT - that was a $15-$16K car that listed at $22,990 or something. They (not Inchcape, maybe Franzcars?) sold about 50 or them.

I haven't seen an interior of an Aussie Phase 1 605, except the white ute. That has a Phase 2 airbag steering wheel. Does anyone know if all local 1994 Phase 1s had that wheel? I have seen a pic of a LHD Phase 1 with another airbag wheel, different design altogether (and earlier Ph1 - no airbags at all). That Feb 1994 press release above mentions the car came with a driver's airbag.

Found an ad from Just Cars from 2012, of a dark blue 605 Ph2, no sunroof, advertised in Sydney for $1000 with a transmission problem. Did a rego check; no luck.
No other cars turning up... yet.

 

[Mike Tippett]

For what it's worth, in 1986 my wife and I went on a factory tour at Sochaux. At the time there was no 605 of course but this observation might be relevant.

On the same assembly line at the same time were - for example - a 505 STI Euro version, a 505 Turbo USA station wagon, a RHD 505 diesel, one right after the other, on and on. So clearly these examples would have been heading for very different markets, which seems to diminish the "batch" theory.

I also saw the same thing when at the smart factory in Hambach in 2005 - a Canadian model, followed by seven or ten EU models, both RHD and LHD.

I think the batches were more common back in the old days, like the sixties, int he 404 era.

 

[Sans_sagesse]

For what it's worth, in 1986 my wife and I went on a factory tour at Sochaux. At the time there was no 605 of course but this observation might be relevant.

On the same assembly line at the same time were - for example - a 505 STI Euro version, a 505 Turbo USA station wagon, a RHD 505 diesel, one right after the other, on and on. So clearly these examples would have been heading for very different markets, which seems to diminish the "batch" theory.

I also saw the same thing when at the smart factory in Hambach in 2005 - a Canadian model, followed by seven or ten EU models, both RHD and LHD.

I think the batches were more common back in the old days, like the sixties, int he 404 era.

My reasoning was that, unlike other export markets, Australian 605 production was tiny and have unique ADR requirements (not as much now with harmonisation) such as door intrusion barriers and top tether points - I just thought they may build them in batches. Your experience and the build dates so far suggests not.

I would guess that the PCA shipments would have been in batches, including a fair lump of 306s and 405s. I'd love to know how they did it, but the life of an automotive stock controller usually doesn't make for interesting reading for most people. Then again, I am one of those people that is fascinated by a car factory tour.... I missed my chance to see the T9 308 being built at Mulhouse (I think) in 2014, I really regret that. At least I got to see the museum.