60-strong Peugeot sale set for Sunday

From behind the scenes

First we had Vauxhall selling duplicates from its reserve collection and now Peugeot is at it – or, to be specific, parent company PSA, which also owns Citroën.

Around 30 vehicles from the archives of Musée de l’Aventure Peugeot, which also features Citroëns, many of which were repeats of models already held in the collection, are going under the hammer on Sunday 20 September to be given a chance of a new lease of life – the proceeds from these sales being reinvested into the acquisition and restoration of museum pieces.

Also crossing the block with Aguttes are cars from private collections, making this a bumper auction for French car fans with around 60 vehicles on offer – and it’s the first ever sale to take place at the Musée de l’Aventure Peugeot, in Sochaux, France. There’s a lot to get stuck into! Here’s a selection…

1. 1932 Peugeot 301 C limousine (est: €8-12,000)

More than 20,000 of these were built, but when did you last see one? Described as being in ‘healthy condition’, this 88-year-old Peugeot still wears its original body and paintwork, while inside you’ll find its original upholstery, too.

Patina perfect, perhaps? And the engine runs, so while it might need some TLC – and a rear tyre appears to be flat – this is an opportunity to make this now seldom-seen model yours.

2. 1954 Peugeot 203 Berline (est: €12-18,000)

Presented in fantastic original condition, this classic was delivered to the Peugeot dealership in Nice on 16 June 1954 – and has covered 87,000km since.

It was clearly enjoyed, as it still bears stickers from road trips over the Alps. The cabin is well lit, thanks to its sunroof, and while the upholstery has had a makeover, that is it – and a recent test drive has proved it runs very nicely indeed.

It will be sold with a bulging history file, too.

3. 1967 Peugeot 404 Coupé (est: €13-18,000)

This oh-so-pretty two-door heads to auction in restored condition, with its original, albeit refreshed, interior.

Aguttes recommends a further overhaul prior to extended driving, however this solid, elegant coupé is a fine starting point.

4. 1973 Citroën Type H Ambulance (est: €4500-6500)

The first of the Citroën lots we’re showcasing here is a departure from the H vans we often see around the UK, working as coffee shops or gin bars.

A former French Red Cross ambulance, it comes with a stack of paperwork and in neat, original condition.

5. 1985 Peugeot 205 GTI 1.6 (est: €12,500-15,500)

From the museum’s reserve collection comes this 159,000km 205 GTI.

It has received a fresh paintjob in its original colour from the specialists at the museum’s workshop, while its interior is in original condition.

6. 1966 Citroën DS21 Pallas (est: €12-22,000)

Sold to Lille when new, this DS changed hands in 1968 and ended up in Yvelines, just west of Paris, and it has never left!

As you can see, it has been stored in a dry barn since the ’80s, and this Palladium Grey sleeping beauty is now looking for someone to return it to the road.

7. 1953 Peugeot 203 Cabriolet (est: €60-80,000)

This charming Peugeot has been in the care of the same family since 1971.

Just 2567 of these were built, making them rare today, and this example’s beige alpaca soft-top has recently been refreshed and the museum’s team has worked on its mechanicals, meaning it’s not just attractive, it is reliable and ready for the road.

8. 1983 Citroën GSA X1 (est: €2500-4500)

This GSA has only just clicked over the 25,000km mark, so has plenty of life left in it.

Presented in good, original condition with original blue upholstery that’s described as being ‘almost new’, it has the optional tinted windows, alloy wheels and rear wiper/washer.

9. 1951 Peugeot 203 Cabriolet Worblaufen (est: €50-70,000)

Yes, this is another 203 Cabriolet, but it is rather different and rare, too, being one of just 10 built by Swiss coachbuilders Worblaufen.

Based on the 203 saloon, it has generous accommodation for four. This car’s first keeper was in Switzerland and its next owner took over in 1971 – and is only selling it now.

The body has been restored but the interior hasn’t, and it has always been kept in fine fettle.

10. 2013 Peugeot 404 Familiale (est: €3500-5500)

Now this is something a little peculiar – and, yes, it is a 2013 car. It was created to star in the 2013 French film L’Écume des Jours, directed by Michel Gondry, based on the book of the same name by Boris Vian.

And, yes, it is, essentially, two rear ends of 404s attached to each other, but a unique film-star car nonetheless.

11. 1979 Citroën Méhari (est: €5-8000)

Méharis have an everlasting charm, and this example is in original condition with a mere 838km on its odometer.

It’s being offered for sale from the Sochaux museum’s collection and is surely an enticing prospect for any model enthusiast.

12. 1987 Peugeot 205 CTI 1.6 (est: €7-9000)

The auction house reports that this 205 soft-top performed well on its test drive, and despite being in original condition and having done 159,800km, it appears to present well.

It currently has a Swedish registration title and has a pre-sale estimate of €7-9000 (approximately £6300-8100).

13. 1974 Peugeot 304 S Cabriolet (est: €9-12,000)

If you prefer your Peugeot droptops to be a little more classic, then how about this sweet-looking 304?

Lot 145 of Sunday’s Aguttes sale, it has a 1.3-litre, four-cylinder engine, a smart cabin and a new soft-top, although the auction house states that it could do with some work in order to fix a couple of issues and traces of a previous restoration.

14. 1927 Citroën B14 (est: €4500-6500)

This impressive-looking Double Chevron is a model that made its debut on the 1926 show scene.

It’s being sold as a restoration project, previous work now being tired, although the engine is said to run.

15. 1966 Citroën DS21 Cabriolet (€160-200,000)

Not all the lots in this sale are in need of work, as this magnificent DS proves. One of the first DS21 Cabriolets, it has been restored to a high level, its body stripped and repainted in its original hue.

Work also extended to the mechanical elements and its interior, plus it received a new soft-top.

Accordingly, it is said to be in ‘near concours condition’ – with a price-tag to match, and comes with a good stack of paperwork.

16. 1978 Peugeot 104 Berline (est: €1500-3500)

If your budget is rather more modest and you’re up for some work, how about this diminutive four-door?

Everything is present and correct, and it has been repainted in its original shade, however it is said to have some corrosion.

17. 1977 Citroën LN (est: €2-4000)

One more dinky lot, but this Citroën is in much finer condition.

Restored by PSA employees and thereafter stored in the museum’s reserve collection, it is in apparently as-new condition, and boasts a super-’70s houndstooth-trimmed interior. 

18. 1972 Citroën Dyane 6 (est: €3-5000)

Another classic that has benefited from a restoration by an in-house force of volunteers, it is described as having ‘beautiful’ bodywork and a ‘perfect’ interior.

It has done fewer than 15,000km, too – that’s under 10,000 miles.

19. 1986 Citroën BX Sport (est: €5-8000)

Here’s a serious dose of ’80s nostalgia that might get you thinking of placing a bid.

It has been part of the company’s collection since 2006, at which point it was restored. It has covered a little more than 126,000km, has a non-original sunroof, and will be sold with all its manuals.

20. 2013 Peugeot 104 (est: €3500-5500)

This time round there are no prizes for guessing that this is a second car from the film L’Écume des Jours.

It is a 104 with the rear of a 404 attached to the front, over the engine. A crazy-looking classic, it will need some time spent on it, but there is nothing else like it.

21. 1999 Peugeot 206 WRC show car (est: €20-25,000)

Finnish rallying legend Marcus Grönholm clinched the drivers’ World Rally Championship title in 2000 and 2002 from behind the wheel of one of these – however this particular car has never seen a world-rally stage.

This is the official promotional car, built using genuine Peugeot Sport parts.

Still, it is very cool.

22. 2011 Citroën DS3 WRC (POA)

Okay, so this isn’t very classic – but we couldn’t resist!

From a WRC show car we go to this, the car in which record-breaking champions Sébastien Loeb and Daniel Elena won 80 stages en route to their ninth and final title, in 2012.

In all, this car contested 32 rallies between 2012 and 2016, with 11 wins, 16 podiums and just four retirements.

Chassis number 17 today wears its 2013 French Rally livery and is said to be in perfect working order.

23. 1978 Peugeot 504 Coupé (est: €11-14,000)

With a very ’70s brown-velvet interior and a crisp-looking exterior, this stylish, Pininfarina-penned coupé is said to be in good working condition.

It was owned from when it was just a few years old in 1982 until 2019 by a lady in Paris, and has done a touch over 150,000km

24. 1967 Peugeot 204 Break (est: €2-4000)

Let’s return to our opening slide, this Peugeot 204 that was sold to the marque’s collection in 2002 – and, incredibly, it was sold by its first owner.

Inside it is in fine order, but it needs some work to its body to bring it back to best. 

25. 1988 Peugeot 205 Rallye 1.3 (est: €12-17,000)

Another 205 variant crossing the block in Sunday’s Aguttes auction is this 99,200km Rallye.

It needs a little attention, but its body was repainted in the recent past, its engine is in fine order and it still has its original interior.

26. 1984 Citroën Visa Proto Dangel (est: €35-45,000)

This is a unique prototype rally car, built by Henry Dangel in association with Citroën. Mid-engined, it has four-wheel drive, a 175bhp V6 and a five-speed gearbox – plus, it’s a featherweight at just 800kg.

However, with the Visa six years old and the BX just two, the latter was selected as the better commercial bet for rallying, leaving this a case of ‘what if’.

The museum’s specialists have recently put it back on the road, so it is raring to go.

27. 1957 Sabatier ‘Le pratique’ Type 49 (est: €2500-5000)

Classic tractors are increasingly cool products and often crop up in classic car sales.

Fewer than 300 Sabatier tractors are thought to be registered in Europe and this one has been restored. Power comes from a 25bhp, four-cylinder Citroën engine – and we love how its colours pop.

28. 1954 Peugeot 203 C8 camionette pick-up (est: €1500-3500)

Here’s another brightly hued lot in this weekend’s Aguttes sale – and other than a fresh coat of paint a few years back, this classic pick-up has never been restored.

Which probably means that’s the job of its winning bidder. It is missing a handful of parts but is largely complete, and would make a distinctive classic for car show visits or even trips to the tip…

29. 1969 Citroën DS21 Prestige (est: €25-35,000)

We return to more conventional classic fare with an unusual version of the hallowed Citroën DS. In fact, it was used for press photographs and was the company car of Pierre Bercot, Citroën’s boss from 1958 until 1971.

A special car, then, in original and unrestored condition.

30. 2007 Peugeot Flux (est: €45-50,000)

Another younger lot, but one from Peugeot’s archives we had to share.

This swooping concept car’s life began with the Concours de Design Peugeot in 2007 and it is the work of student Mihai Panaitescu, who was 20 at the time. The study was shown at the Geneva show, a full scale model revealed at Frankfurt, and it appeared in the game Project Gotham Racing 4 for Xbox 360.

31. 1970 Peugeot 504 Berline (est: €6500-9500)

Back in the real world, how about this pretty saloon that is said to drive very well?

It has new brakes and tyres, it has been repainted in its original shade, and retains its original, patinated interior.

32. 1978 Peugeot 604 V6 Ti (est: €8-10,000)

This 604 hadn’t been driven for a while, so has recently had time and effort invested in it to get it driving as well as it now does.

It has already done 92,200km and with the right care and attention, there’s no reason why this car that’s in very good, original condition, won’t enjoy many more.

33. 2016 Peugeot 2008 DKR16 (est: €450-550,000)

Last – but by no means least – is this! Yes, it is not (yet) a classic, but just look at it!

In this car, Stéphane Peterhansel and co-driver Jean-Paul Cottret won the 2016 Dakar Rally – the same event at which former WRC stars Sébastien Loeb and Mikko Hirvonen made their rally-raid debuts.

A technological tour de force, it is competition ready – and what an adventure that would be!

These lots and many more will be sold in Aguttes’ auction at Musée de l’Aventure Peugeot on Sunday 20 September 2020 – get full details here.