Peugeot 504 Cabriolet

Some car models don't know when to give up. Think of the Landrover Defender, Volkswagen Beetle, Mercedes G-Class and the Toyota Land Cruiser. Cars that cannot be taken off the streets, a dream of every car manufacturer. At some point the development costs are out of the equation and you only have to cough up the production costs. To achieve this, it must be a very good car. Not every car can be kept in production for 15 years. The Peugeot 504 was a hit at the Paris Salon in 1968. An extremely well designed and developed car with a solid base; engine lengthwise in front and rear wheel drive. Besides the sportier driving experience, also more balance. A successful successor to the 404, which had been in production since 1960. A year after its launch, the 504 was awarded the (then very prestigious) Car of the Year title.

To extend the shelf life of a model, there must be many successful variants. This is something that the Peugeot 504 also succeeded in doing. Ultimately, the 504 was offered as a Coupe, Cabriolet, Break, Pickup, Dangel (4×4) and as an Ambulance (the Loisirs).

In this article we will take a closer look at the Cabriolet. We have in our possession a beautiful 504 Cabrio, finished in Rouge Ecarlate. The body was designed by Pininfarina and it shows! The convertible is a model of understated elegance, something that seems to be a bit lost in 2019. In addition to its Italian design, the 504 convertible really does have some Italian blood; it came off the same factory line as the Alfa Romeo Spider 'Duetto'. Another unusual fact: the ones sold in New Zealand were assembled there by rival Renault!

Techniquement, la Cabrio est en grande partie identique à la Berline, bien que l'empattement (15 cm plus court) diffère considérablement. Le moteur 2,0 litres à injection est commun avec la 504 Ti. De 1970 à 1974, le 4 pitter est abandonné et remplacé par le moteur PRV V6, un bloc développé par Renault, Volvo et Peugeot eux-mêmes. Ce moteur a également été utilisé dans la Delorian DMC-12. Après une longue insistance de la part des passionnés, en 1974, les quatre cylindres ont à nouveau été fournis dans les Cabrios. Après 1978, le V6 PRV a même été abandonné et ne se trouvait plus que dans le Coupé.

Au final, un peu plus de 3 millions de 504 ont été livrées en Europe. Pourquoi n'en trouve-t-on presque plus dans les rues ? L'exportation. Parce que dans les pays d'Afrique aussi, la voiture est très populaire en raison de sa technique simple et de sa fiabilité. C'est presque la version française de la Mercedes W123. Une bouteille de Dreft sur roues ; elle dure plus longtemps, beaucoup plus longtemps !

This 504 is from 1980 and is in truly top condition. The Peugeot has been in the Netherlands since 2007 and has the necessary documentation.