On October 3, 1968, the Peugeot 504, a car that actually projected the Lion’s house in the following decade. The car was tasked with replacing the upper-middle-class 404 sedan, which nearly 3 million had been produced. However, the French engineers proposed a larger four-door sedan, 4.49 meters long, with a wheelbase of 2.74 meters, abandoning the boxy style and the rear fins.
The 504 was the fruit of collaboration between the La Garenne Style Center, coordinated by Pierre Bouvot, and Pininfarina. This allowed for the creation of new lines, with the front part characterized by trapezoidal headlights and the grille with chromed strips with the Peugeot lion logo in the center. The rear featured a sloping upright and a sloping third volume.
Mechanically, the rear-wheel drive and front-engine layout was confirmed (combined with a four-speed gearbox or, on request, a three-speed ZF automatic). The engine is a four-cylinder 1,796 cm3 offered, depending on the model, in the carburettor versions of 79 and 87 HP or in the Kugelfisher mechanical injection (which had debuted on the 404) with powers ranging between 87 and 103 horses, capable of making them reach a maximum speed of 170 km / h. The diesel, another Peugeot strength, would arrive in 1970.
The 504 was the first Peugeot in history to win the title of “Car of the Year”, In 1969. The year in which man landed on the moon. 3.7 million copies were produced, setting a new record for the brand (beaten several years later by the 205). Why is the 504 really a special car? It can be understood from several curious details. Eg, the trapezoidal shaped headlights are inspired by the bewitching eyes of Sophia Loren, as claimed by designer Gérard Welter.
The derivatives 504 Coupé and 504 Cabrio they were presented in 1969 at the Geneva Motor Show, both powered by a 97 bhp 1.8 engine, which later became two liters with a few more horsepower and later joined by the more powerful 144 bhp V6, first with carburetors and then injection. With more than 30,000 cars produced, the 504 Coupé and Cabrio have become coveted items for collectors, especially the open version. The 504 Coupé cost more than the Cabrio, while on the historic market the second is now worth more than the first.