Shape of things to come

The Fiat 1500L and Peugeot 404 heralded a new wave of European imports that would test the UK's loyalty to homebuilt family saloons

- MARTIN BUCKLEY

If not quite enthusiasts' machines, the Peugeot 404 and Fiat 1500L cannot be dismissed lightly as mere 1960s Euro-porridge. Here in Britain, these four-door family saloons, and others like them, were among the first wave of Continental imports to make domestic buyers reconsider their attachment to the usual, locally built Ford, BMC, Rootes and Vauxhall products.

Though certainly not exciting, and no more remarkable than a Consul or a Cambridge in their homelands, these Common Market, 1.5-litre family saloons from France and Italy were built for a now almost extinct breed of buyer who wanted a thoroughly conventional vehicle that was respectable, decently well-made and comfortable. A four-door saloon that faded into the background hum of European cities during the week, but could take a full-size family long distances at the weekends on a modest fuel budget, using an efficient engine that didn't attract penalties from the taxman.

In the UK, where there were no taxes on large engines, both cars were a rare enough sight to be worthy of comment in an era during which loyalty to British-built products remained at a high level. Young car-spotters might have known them best either from copies of their Ladybird or Observer's books, or from the TV, where in a time when cars had a look that defined their country of origin - Fiats and Peugeots were perfectly cast automotive scenesetters in countless ITC action-hero series of the era. Cut to back-projected Rome and you'd likely spot a 1500L weaving through traffic in front of the Colosseum; or, when the action transfers to Paris, 404s could invariably be seen following the protagonist's studio-bound taxi ride along the Champs-Élysées.