Peugeot 504 Models

Design History

Design studies began in 1963 under Maurice Jordan. A competition was held between Pininfarina's Turin studio and Peugeot's internal team (Paul Bouvot, Gérard Welter, Jean-Pierre Prodeau). The final car combined Pininfarina's rear and trunk treatment — described as giving the car "the eyes of Sophia Loren" — with the internal team's front end.

The distinctive trunk "break" (the sharp crease where the roofline meets the boot lid) was controversial at launch but became one of the car's defining features. The launch was delayed from June 1968 to September 12, 1968, by the May 1968 general strike at Sochaux.

The 504 L (1973)

Responding to the oil crisis, Peugeot introduced the 504 L in April 1973 — a simplified sedan with a live rear axle (the only sedan to use one), drum rear brakes, and a detuned 79 PS engine. The only sedan variant to delete the independent rear suspension.

Trim Levels

Engines Available

Design

Styled by Franco Martinengo at Pininfarina. The bodyshells were built in Turin and shipped to Sochaux for final assembly. Martinengo — due to retire in 1970 — considered this a capstone project. The coupé's wheelbase is 190 mm shorter than the sedan's, and its rear track is wider.

Engine Evolution

Phase 1 (1969–1974): XM 1.8L four-cylinder, carburetted and injected.
Phase 2 (1971–1977): XN 2.0L, 96–104 PS. Reintroduced October 1977.
Phase 3 (1974–1983): PRV V6, 136 PS rising to 144 PS with K-Jetronic injection (from 1977). 5-speed gearbox from 1977.

Production Breakdown

Specifications

Why the Cabriolet is Special

The Cabriolet shares its body structure, wheelbase, and mechanicals with the Coupé, but the open body makes it fundamentally more involving to drive. The V6 Cabriolet was discontinued in 1977 (while the V6 Coupé ran to 1983), making the 977 V6 Cabriolets extraordinarily rare.

The "Monte Carlo" dashboard treatment was found on late-production Cabriolets. Final production models are sometimes called "Grande Finale" examples by collectors.

The bodywork is more susceptible to corrosion than the sedan given the Italian production environment. Trim components for two-door models are difficult to source. See the Restoration guide for details.

Production Breakdown

Suspension Difference

Unlike the sedan and two-door variants, the Break and Familiale use a live rear axle with coil springs rather than semi-trailing arm independent rear suspension. This suits heavier loads and is simpler to maintain — a key practical advantage for fleet and commercial use.

Break Riviera (Pininfarina)

A distinct variant — the Break Riviera — was designed by Pininfarina and represented a more luxurious, stylish estate offering in limited production.

Africa's Bush Taxi

The Break estate became particularly important in Africa, where its body made it the primary cross-border bush taxi vehicle. Capable of carrying more passengers than the sedan, it has remained in active commercial use across West Africa — Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Burkina Faso, Guinea — long after European production ended.

Variants

Dangel 4×4

From July 1981, coachbuilder Dangel offered a four-wheel-drive conversion of the Pickup — Peugeot's first-ever 4×4 vehicle. Initially sold to French Gendarmerie, fire services, and Électricité de France before becoming available publicly.

Global Production