Home » Behold The Brochure Mystery Of The Missing 1968 Peugeot Reverse Lamp

Behold The Brochure Mystery Of The Missing 1968 Peugeot Reverse Lamp

Cs Pugreverse1
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Who wants to start their day with a mystery? The absolutely least-important mystery ever considered by a human or corvid mind? You do, that’s who! Today let’s look at this 1968 Peugeot 404 brochure and wonder why a particular decision was made. Because no matter how minor it is, it’s still a really strange decision. And one, again, we need to discuss.

Okay, so look up there, at the brochure page. I’ve highlighted the part that talks about the wonderful reverse lamps you can get if you aren’t some miserable cheapskate and don’t spring for the DeLuxe model. But you’re a class act, surely you know the value of a lovely, crystal-clear reverse lamp! So wouldn’t you think the brochure would show the damn reverse lamps in the picture right next to the words that talk about the reverse lights?

Vidframe Min Top
Vidframe Min Bottom

And yet, they’re nowhere to be seen. In fact, it’s making me wonder, do these reverse lamps even exist? Let’s check out the service manual:

Cs Pugreverselamp Diag

Dammit, no reverse lamp! What the hell? Why is this such a secret? Wait, hold on, what’s this?

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Cs Peugeotreverselamp 2

There it is! In the base of the taillight, just like they promised, and yet, somehow, never showed. The hell is wrong with these likely long-dead French brochure makers? I guess they had more important things to include in the brochure, like this:

Cs Pugreverse Ladydog

Yes, the doorless-you-can-ride-with-a-dog pic! I’m sold! I need a 404! A motherflapping DeLuxe one with reverse lamps. Even if Peugeot doesn’t want to show me what the hell they look like.

 

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Slow Joe Crow
Slow Joe Crow
10 months ago

404 File Not Found, explains everything

Ford_Timelord
Ford_Timelord
10 months ago

I’m thinking that the reverse light was on the right hand rear light and left hand had a fog light as I believe in Europe you only need one of each on the rear of your car.

Matthew Parsons
Matthew Parsons
10 months ago
Reply to  Ford_Timelord

You are likely correct, the brochure photo next to the highlighted text does show the taillamp with the red fog light in the lowest position, as you suggest, which is correctly on the drivers side. The reverse light is on the passenger side, as shown in the subsequent photo.

Many European vehicles continue to have the fog light on the drivers side and reverse light on the passenger side today.

Ford_Timelord
Ford_Timelord
10 months ago

And the same light fitting but swapped sides for the Right hand drive models – they look like they could be a symmetrical lens molding which would save money when swapping sides.

Double Wide Harvey Park
Double Wide Harvey Park
10 months ago
Reply to  Ford_Timelord

Reverse lights weren’t required at all for the longest time, too, as evidenced by this brochure making a big deal out of it! Same with the high brake light.

Ford_Timelord
Ford_Timelord
10 months ago

when did fog lights become mandatory? I think high brake lights were a late 80’s thing.

Leandro Pertusati
Leandro Pertusati
10 months ago

The one in the service manual has the reverse in the middle lamp, in Argentinian built cars it came in white or green-blueish color depending the year of fabrication. The ones with the lower Reverse lamps are from the european fuel injected top trim version.

Jonathan Pasley
Jonathan Pasley
10 months ago

My wife and I bought a 1969 Peugeot 404 for her earlier this year. It has a manually-operated reverse lamp switch under the dash. So shifting into reverse does not illuminate the reverse lamps. I assumed this was a half-ass repair to make an inspection some time in the past, but maybe it came that way factory. Odd.

Matt Hardigree
Matt Hardigree
10 months ago

Amazing!

Oldskool
Oldskool
10 months ago

So for everything in the brochure you get 3 pictures? So why waste 1 of them on a picture that doesn’t even show what they’re writing about?

Maybe they should have shown the AC control, which is the focus of 2/3 of the brochure.

And I would think the safety features would be a little more important to show than a map pocket. Or maybe that’s the last picture. Yep the safety features they’re in there. Can’t see a one of them despite cutting the doors off, but nobody’s looking at them anyway.

Last edited 10 months ago by Oldskool
Jakob K's Garage
Jakob K's Garage
10 months ago

Nobody at Poo Show cared about that old archaic car with gothic 50ies Checker Marathon design in 1968, when the new 504, with the beautiful heel shaped tail lights, including 3 color lamps within one frame, had just come out.

Yes, I did love my beautiful sharp Pininfarina 504!

Double Wide Harvey Park
Double Wide Harvey Park
10 months ago

Green?! Repaint?

Jakob K's Garage
Jakob K's Garage
10 months ago

50K miles granddad car, I was the second owner of, original paint “1510 Vert Doré Metalisée” (golden green metallic), with part resprays here and there after rust repairs 🙂

Double Wide Harvey Park
Double Wide Harvey Park
10 months ago

Wow I’ve never seen one like that!

John Patson
John Patson
10 months ago

You do not think they would let a poorly paid photographer near the DuLuxe model?
Mind you I am sure my Dad’s office 404 had a under the bumper reversing light right in the middle which looked as though it was tacked on as an after thought… Same for the DS21 we had. Did not complain, after all it meant us kids were not kicked out of the warm car — first car with heater — to guide reversing manoeuvres in the dark….

Mike Harrell
Mike Harrell
10 months ago

“…if you aren’t some miserable cheapskate and don’t spring for the DeLuxe model.”

The Volvo 66 was available in two trim levels, DL and GL. The cheaper version is the DL (De Luxe) whereas the fancier version is the GL (Grand Luxe). Mine, of course, are both GL cars.

As it turns out, the differences are that the GL has (1) a 1.3 instead of a 1.1 liter engine and (2) driving lights in the grille. From what I can tell, every other option was available at either trim level. Such luxury!

Morgan van Humbeck
Morgan van Humbeck
10 months ago
Reply to  Mike Harrell

Who doesn’t need a half a soda of displacement in their life?

Mike Harrell
Mike Harrell
10 months ago

I have to assume every last bit of performance was important to the original owner of my sedan, as this would explain why it was ordered without the superfluous burden of a radio.

Morgan van Humbeck
Morgan van Humbeck
10 months ago
Reply to  Mike Harrell

Genuinely, at those horsepower levels, I bet you noticed that extra umf. Especially going uphill or when loaded up

Mike Harrell
Mike Harrell
10 months ago

I assume (having never driven a 66 DL) that it is honestly significant, particularly since the Variomatic is not the most efficient of transmissions. Every little bit must help.

Lokki
Lokki
10 months ago

“….human or corvid…”

Uhm, is Corvid the formal name of The Bird Flu?

Ben
Ben
10 months ago
Reply to  Lokki

Well played.

Dead Elvis, Inc.
Dead Elvis, Inc.
10 months ago
Reply to  Ben

At least he’s not crowing about it.

Lokki
Lokki
10 months ago

Uhm, perhaps the reason the reverse lights are hidden is that the French have become sensitive about the hint of anything that even implies they might retreat….again.

Last edited 10 months ago by Lokki
Double Wide Harvey Park
Double Wide Harvey Park
10 months ago
Reply to  Lokki

You’ll note the reverse lamp is white… Like a flag.

Phuzz
Phuzz
10 months ago

Why don’t they show them? Because this is a family publication! You can’t just go putting pictures of reverse lights where kids might see them!

Morgan van Humbeck
Morgan van Humbeck
10 months ago
Reply to  Phuzz

Mystery solved. I can’t believe Jason, of all people, would struggle with this

Canopysaurus
Canopysaurus
10 months ago

Brochure Rule #1: Never waste illustration space on tail light assemblies when you can show a nice pair of headlights instead.

Amberturnsignalsarebetter
Amberturnsignalsarebetter
10 months ago
Reply to  Canopysaurus

ooh la la

EricTheViking
EricTheViking
10 months ago

The brochures were probably done by Monsieur Hulot during his accidental (and unauthorised) wandering in the Peugeot building…

Black Peter
Black Peter
10 months ago
Reply to  EricTheViking

That movie looks amazing.

Citrus
Citrus
10 months ago

404: Taillight Not Found

Morgan van Humbeck
Morgan van Humbeck
10 months ago
Reply to  Citrus

Snort

Shane
Shane
10 months ago
Reply to  Citrus

You jest but if you get a 404 error at the Peugeot France website, a 404 appears. e.g. https://www.peugeot.fr/lost

AC2DE
AC2DE
10 months ago
Reply to  Shane

Do they have a “forbidden” page with a 503 on it? Don’t have time to investigate that one.

Larry B
Larry B
10 months ago

Maybe right side doors only came on the Super DeLuxe model?

10001010
10001010
10 months ago

From his hospital bed while recovering from open-heart surgery the esteemed automotive journalist Jason “Torch” Torchinsky doggedly pursued and exposed one of the darkest scandals of our time, the missing reverse light on the 1968 Peugeot 404 [Ed note: Pronounced Pee-You-Gee-Ought -10].

For reasons yet to be revealed those in command of the French automobile manufacturer during the late 1960s chose to obscure this feature in all external communications. What were they hiding? The rest of the world gave up on this mystery decades ago but not Mr Torchinsky, our man in recovery, who will not rest until he sheds some light into the shadows of this enigma.

CatMan
CatMan
10 months ago

No doubt about it, Torch is feeling better!

Elhigh
Elhigh
10 months ago

Ah yes. Torch, the man who goes into the automotive history hinterlands in search of…a torch.

Turns out, he was The Torch all along. Go back, back from the light Torch!

Jack Beckman
Jack Beckman
10 months ago

The clue to the mystery is right in the name: 404 (not found).

UnseenCat
UnseenCat
10 months ago
Reply to  Jack Beckman

COTD!

Chronometric
Chronometric
10 months ago

Having been informed that their taillights were of the wrong orientation to qualify as layer cakes, Peugeot marketing skulked away without completing their assignment.

Mr. Asa
Mr. Asa
10 months ago

I guess they had more important things to include in the brochure, like this:

I mean, she is cute, and it does show off an admirable amount of leg room

Hoonicus
Hoonicus
10 months ago
Reply to  Mr. Asa

Dang near doppelganger for Audrey Hepburn!

MATTinMKE
MATTinMKE
10 months ago

This is the hard-hitting investigative reporting I come here for every morning! Great work Torch!

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