The Peugeot 405 was discontinued in 1997 but was still being made in another country until 2024
Published on Aug 03, 2025 at 10:18 PM (UTC+4)
by Henry Kelsall
Last updated on Aug 01, 2025 at 1:30 PM (UTC+4)
Edited by
Henry Kelsall
The French Peugeot 405 was officially discontinued in 1997; however, it was still being manufactured in another country until 2024.
The 405 was a large family car, made by Peugeot from 1987 to 1997, and it is one of the best Peugeots to emerge from the 1990s.
Yet while the French ceased production of the car in the late 1990s, Iran and Azerbaijan didn’t and continued to build the car for nearly 30 more years.
In fact, the 405 became the twentieth most long-lived single-generation car in history.
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Why was the Peugeot 405 built for so long?
Iran kept building the 405 until 2024, while Azerbaijan produced the car until 2023.
Prior to this, the 405 had already been one of the best-selling cars in Europe before production ended in 1997.
In Iran, however, the company Iran Khodro continued to build versions of the 405.
The main one is the Peugeot Pars, or Persia, a facelifted version of the car with a new front-end.
The 405 became the ‘national car’ for Iran, also known as the Samand, replacing the Paykan based on the British Hillman Hunter.
It became an affordable, robust, and reliable car for the population, with the same being true in Azerbaijan.
Unusually, it wasn’t the age of the car that saw it discontinued, but rather its lack of tire pressure sensors.
A truly brilliant family sedan
It is little wonder the 405 lasted so long in some countries, thanks to its impressive pedigree.
In total, around 2.5 million 405s have been sold worldwide, and the car was designed by Pininfarina.
A range of inline-four engines could be found under the hood, including diesel and turbocharged powertrains.
Peugeot at the time was one of the most respected manufacturers in the world.
It produced great cars like the Peugeot 205 GTI, prior to its reputation nosediving in the 2000s.
The 405 encapsulated this, with its great looks, reliable engines, and spacious cabin for families.
It even won European Car of the Year in 1988, by the largest number of votes in the history of the contest.
It is that pedigree that ensured the car lasted for so long in some countries.
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Henry is a content writer with nearly ten years experience, having written for various publications since 2017. Qualifying with a Sports Journalism degree from Staffordshire University, Henry loves all things automotive but has a particular soft spot for classic Japanese cars and anything Lancia. He also has a curious passion for steam locomotives.
