Oh La 404!

Long before 404 meant government censure or a broken website, the sheer mention of the number brought to mind the picture of an iconic French car that was omnipresent on the streets of Tunisia. Peugeot was dominant back in the 70’s and 80’s and the 404 was the car for virtually anybody from the white collar worker driving the sedan to the small business owner or farmer relying on the truck model for everyday tasks. In the mold of the mid-century cars, ‘La 404’ was a tank.. a heavy metal horse that was both utilitarian and reliable.

Seeing this model on the streets of Paris a few days ago brought back a flood of memories. Back in Feb or March 1982, I was playing with some friends in front of our house when I went running after a ball only to be hit by a reckless driver in a 404 Baché (pick-up). It was a Friday and the driver claimed to be rushing to the mosque for the midday prayer. I had a concussion that day as the 404 sent me flying in the air before I landed on my head. I woke up in pain to find myself inside the truck rushing to the hospital with our building guard shouting at the driver to go faster while waving his jacket at other drivers to let the car through. It turns out the hit was so violent that the car honk was damaged. I almost died that day and who knows when the bill for that concussion will come due but one thing for sure some designs stand the test of the time. The 404 was special then and it is special today.