1968 Peugeot 504

The Peugeot 504 is a mid-size, front-engine, rear-wheel-drive automobile manufactured and marketed by Peugeot from 1968 to 1983 over a single generation, primarily in four-door sedan and wagon configurations – but also as twin two-door coupé and cabriolet configurations as well as pickup truck variants.

The sedan (berline) was styled by Aldo Brovarone of Pininfarina, and the coupé and cabriolet twins were styled by Franco Martinengo at Pininfarina, with wagon (break and familiale) and pickup (camionette) designed and sketches produced in-house at Peugeot.

The 504 was noted for its robust body structure, long suspension travel, high ground clearance, large wheels and torque tube driveshaft – enclosed in a rigid tube attached at each end to the gearbox housing and differential casing, relieving drivetrain torque reactions. The 504 ultimately achieved widespread popularity in far-flung rough-terrain countries – including Latin America and much of Africa.

More than three million 504s were manufactured in its European production, with production continuing globally under various licensing arrangements – including 27,000 assembled in Kenya and 425,000 assembled in Nigeria, using knock-down kits – with production extending into 2006.

Having debuted as Peugeot’s flagship at the 1968 Paris Salon, the 504 received the 1969 European Car of the Year. In 2013, the Los Angeles Times called it “Africa’s workhorse.”

Models

• 504 Commerciale 5-door utility wagon
• 504 4-door saloon/5-door Break/Familiale
• 504 Injection 4-door saloon
• 504 Commerciale Diesel 5-door utility wagon
• 504 Diesel 4-door saloon/5-door Familiale
• 504 Injection 2-door coupé
• 504 Injection 2-door cabriolet

1971

During 1971 the Break SL (“Super Luxe”) was introduced, a better equipped version using the carburetted 2.0-liter engine. Unlike the regular wagons, the SL received metallic paint, plusher upholstery, and various other additional equipment.

1972

During the year, fuel injected 504 saloons changed to a floor-mounted shifter on cars equipped with the manual transmission as well. The 504 Commerciale dropped the round headlights in favor of the standard units.

1973

In April 1973, because of the oil crisis Peugeot presented the 504 L. It featured a coil sprung live rear axle and reintroduced the smaller 1796 cc engine, now rated at 58 kW (79 PS; 78 hp) or 60 kW (81 PS; 80 hp) for the L Automatique. The different rear axle required somewhat more space; this required some alterations to the floor pan which meant marginally less boot space and rear headroom. At around the same time, the lineup was revamped as listed below. Also new was the 1.95-litre 504 LD saloon, matching the Commerciale diesel although producing 41 kW (56 PS; 55 hp). The power of the Commerciale diesel dropped to 37 kW (50 PS; 49 hp) at the same time. The L saloons can be recognized by the missing bumper overriders and inside by the simpler dashboard with horizontal instrument cluster. Also during 1973, the column shifters were replaced by floor mounted ones on all other 504 saloons than the L.Models

• 504 L saloon (1.8 carb)
• 504 GL saloon (2.0 carb)
• 504 TI saloon (2.0 injection)
• 504 LD saloon (1.95 diesel)
• 504 GLD saloon (2.1 diesel)
• 504 Commerciale (1.8 carb)
• 504 Break/Break SL/Familiale (2.0 carb)
• 504 Commerciale Diesel (1.95 diesel)
• 504 Familiale Diesel (2.1 diesel)
• 504 Coupé (2.0 injection)
• 504 Cabriolet (2.0 injection)

1974

In August 1974 the second series 504 was introduced. The most noticeable change was the new, more flush fitting doorhandles, and new wheels with rectangular rather than oval openings on the GL and TI models. The GL and TI also received a new, more padded steering wheel. Additionally, the 2.0’s double carburettor was changed from the Solex SEIA to a Zenith INAT (with no change in power), while the liftgate on the estates changed from steel springs to gas struts.

At the 1974 October Motor Show Peugeot presented a more powerful engine for the 504 coupé and cabriolet, now fitted with a “PRV” 2664 cc V6 unit developed in collaboration with Renault and Volvo. This was the same engine that would be used for the 604 berline, to be introduced at Geneva five months later, in March 1975. The engine incorporated various innovative features such as an aluminium cylinder block, and a fuel-feed system that employed carburetors of differing type, one (type 34 TBIA) featuring a single chamber controlled directly according to the movement of the accelerator pedal, and the second being a twin chamber carburetor (type 35 CEEI) designed to operate simultaneously with the first, using a pneumatic linkage. Maximum output for the 504 coupé and cabriolet fitted with this new V6 engine was given as 100 kW (136 PS; 134 hp), supporting a top speed of 186 km/h (116 mph). During 1975, the first full year of production, 2643 of these six-cylinder 504 coupés and cabriolet were produced, which was considered a respectable number although dwarfed by the 236,733 four-cylinder 504 berlines (saloons/sedans) and breaks (estates/station wagons) produced by Peugeot in France in the same year. Following the launch of the six-cylinder cars, the four-cylinder versions of the coupé and cabriolet 504s were delisted: they returned to the showrooms in 1978 in response, it was reported, to customer demand.

1975

The Break and Break SL were renamed L and GL. The 504 TI received power windows in the rear as well.

1976

At the Paris Motor Show of October 1976 an enlarged diesel engine was introduced for the 504 GLD saloon. The stroke of 83 mm (3.3 in) remained the same as that of the existing 2112 cc diesel motor, but for the larger engine the bore was increased to 94 mm (3.7 in), giving an overall 2304 cc along with an increase in claimed power output from 48 to 51 kW (65 to 70 PS; 64 to 69 hp). Briefly, the 2.1 diesel was not offered on any 504 saloons. The 2112 cc diesel engine would also find its way into the Ford Granada since Ford did not at the time produce a sufficient volume of diesel sedans in this class to justify the development of their own diesel engine. From August 1976 on, the power of the 2-liter petrol engines increased marginally, to 71 and 78 kW (96 and 106 PS; 95 and 105 hp) for the carburetted and fuel injected engines respectively. The grille on the 504 L models was changed from the original chromed metal piece to a black, plastic unit. The 504 TI gained power steering.

1977

In September 1977, the 2.3-liter diesel found its way into the new GLD Break and the Familiale Diesel, while the Break L now received a downtuned version of the old 2.1-liter unit, producing 43 kW (59 PS; 58 hp). Also new was the option of an automatic transmission for the 2.3 diesel (saloons only). The old 1.9-liter diesel was discontinued, and the basic 504 saloons dropped the “L” designation, gaining a black plastic dash and the steering wheel from the GL/TI in the process. The new 504 diesel saloon was fitted with the erstwhile, 48 kW (65 PS; 64 hp) 2.1-liter diesel engine that had graced the GLD until the introduction of the 2.3.

The coupé and cabriolet saw the reintroduction of the fuel injected 2.0-liter engine, a response to slow sales of the thirsty V6. The V6 coupé gained a five-speed manual transmission and fuel injection for 106 kW (144 PS; 142 hp), while the V6 cabriolet was discontinued after only 970 examples had been built in three years.

1979 to 1983

Peugeot 504 production in Europe was pruned back in 1979 with the launch of the Peugeot 505, although the 504 Pickup was introduced as a replacement for the 404 Pickup for the 1980 model year. The last European-made example rolled off the production line in 1983, although the pick up version continued in production, and was available in Europe until 1993. More than three million 504 passenger cars were produced in Europe. The 505 shared most of the Peugeot 504 mechanical parts, similarly to the Peugeot 604 and Talbot Tagora.