The Peugeot 505 was a large family car produced by the
French manufacturer Peugeot from 1978 to 1992. The 505 was the replacement for the Peugeot 504 (although European production of that car continued until 1983, and it is
still sold in developing markets today), and was available in sedan/saloon and station wagon/estate body styles, with the Family Estate model featuring 8-seats. The styling was similar to the 504. It is known as the “Work Horse” of Africa today. It
is a very popular car in many African countries.
The 505 was praised by contemporary journalists for its ride and handling, especially on rough and unmade roads; perhaps ne reason for its popularity in less developed countries. The 05 also had good ground clearance; in the 1980s, Dangel ade a four wheel drive version of the 505 estate equipped with either the intercooled turbodiesel 110 hp (81 kW) engine or the 130 hp 2.2 L petrol (96 kW) engine. The four wheel drive 505 also had shorter gear ratios. The range was given a facelift, including an all new interior, in 1986, but European Peugeot 505 production egan to wind down following the launch of the smaller Peugeot 405 at the end of 1987, and ended in 1992, some time after the introduction of the larger Peugeot 605, although the car is still manufactured in Africa.
In some countries such as France and Germany, the 505 estate was used as an ambulance, a funeral car, police car, military vehicle and as a road maintenance vehicle. There were prototypes of 505 coupés and 505 trucks, and in France many people have modified 505s into pickup trucks themselves. The 505 was one of the last Peugeot models to be sold in the United States, with sales ending there in 1991. Both the sedan (saloon) and tation wagon (estate) remain popular in Africa, where they are still locally assembled, and are used as longdistance bush taxis. 505s were also sold in Australia, China, and New Zealand. In New York City, Peugeot 505s were used as taxicabs (from Wikipedia).