(first posted 7/27/2016) This post started out to cover both the 504 Coupe and Cabriolet, but I see that Roger Carr has found a genuine curbside Cabrio, and will be sharing it very soon. So avert your eyes from the red car, and keep them on the Coupe. Either way, these are some of the finest classic European grand touring coupes/cabrios of the era, and a long one it was. These Pininfarina designs were built from 1969 through 1983, and the ones above are from that final year. Genuine evergreen classics, from day one right to the end.
The Coupe (and Cabriolet) premiered at the 1969 Geneva Auto Show, and were of course heavily based on the 504 sedan, which had arrived the previous fall. The wheelbase was shortened by 7.5 inches (19 cm), the rear track was widened a bit, and the springs and shocks were stiffened some. Pininfarina built the raw bodies at its Grugliasco factory, and then shipped them to be finished at Peugeot’s Sochaux plant in the Alsace.
Under the hood was the 504’s 1798cc four, enlarged to 2.0 liters in 1970, in what would be the ultimate evolutionary stage of the venerable hemi-head pushrod four whose origins trace back to the 1947 203. Along with that increase in displacement, Kugelfischer fuel injection became standard, upping output from 90 to 108 hp.
The Peugeot four isn’t a rev-happy engine like the OHC fours from contemporary Alfas and BMWs, but it had a fat torque band, and was smooth, and suited the over character of these as relaxed, comfortable but very capable tourers, in the classic idiom of the term Grand Turisimo. Top speed was some 111 mph.
The distinctive tail lights were simplified in 1974, as would the quad-headlight front end and the bumpers in subsequent years in an effort to reduce costs.
One of the most direct competitors to the 504 Coupe was the BMW 2000CS (left) and the subsequent six cylinder version, the E9 coupes. The 2000CS is also considered a classic design, although the BMW four cylinder version’s front end wasn’t nearly as successful as the later E9 six cylinder redesign.
It does makes for an interesting comparison.
The coupe didn’t exactly have a stellar interior, although it was different and better trimmed than the sedan’s.
There’s little doubt that Pininfarina was inspired by Giugiaro’s brilliant Alfa Romeo 105/115 GT/GTV coupes, in terms of the gently flowing front and rear ends.
Comparisons to the Fiat 124 Coupe are inevitable, but as nice as it is, it’s overly tall and long greenhouse looks out of proportion to the rest of the car, and makes it look too much like a two-door sedan rather than a genuine sports coupe. The 504 Coupe’s proportions are decidedly superior.
In 1974, the 504 debuted the new PRV (Peugeot-renault-Volvo) V6, in its original 2664 cc form and making 136 hp. The ultimate engine version in the coupe was the later 160 hp fuel injected V6, but that was withheld from the Cabrio because of concerns about structural integrity. In fact, later versions of the Cabrio were four-cylinder only for that reason.
The interior was modernized along the way, with a new larger instrument binnacle and other changes.
It’s a car that doesn’t have a bad angle.
Even when pointing down hill.
This ad is for a low-spec four cylinder coupe from 1983, with steel wheels even.
The re-fresh for the last few years is controversial, as it includes body color bumpers considered inferior to the early ones. But it’s hard to ruin the 504 Coupe, no matter what is tacked on.
Some 22,005 Coupes were made over its fourteen year life span, compared to only 4472 cabriolets. Of course, the Cabrio is in greater demand, as is the case with just about all open top versions of cars. Sadly, neither were imported to the US; why I’m not sure, since the 404 Coupe and Cabrio were. So many of you may well be rather less than familiar with this gem. Needless to say, I’d most happy to introduce more Americans to a 504 Coupe in the flesh, if one happened to come into my possession.
True beauty cannot be disfigured!
In my opinion that is true for the Peugeot 504 Coupe, the BMW 2000CS and the Alfa Romeo 105/115 GT/GTV.
this is a mouthwatering introduction of the 504 coupe if not of the whole genre of GT’s.
Minor editing: 17898cc can’t be right.
“suited the over character” drop the over or make it overall.
” no matter is tacked on” add: what.
All fixed now; thanks. This is what happens when trying to write in the late evening after a long day renovating a house followed by a 5 mile hike and a swim in the river. Temporary brain death. 🙂
I don’t know how you do it!
So pretty…
Nice looking car. I’ve never seen a 504 coupe. I’ve seen pictures of them before, but I’ve never seen one in person. Apparently, not many were sold in the USA.
Apparently none at all, as was stated in the article.
It is a very nice shape, but I wonder if it works better at the slightly smaller scale Alfa used. At this size there begins to be some first generation Camaro resemblance.
Just a coupe with the unattractive, crimped front and rear ends that Peugeot favored at the time.
As the author notes, a comparison can be made to the BMW CS – one which to these eyes comes off clearly in favor of the German car.
A much more attractive contemporary coupe was the Fiat 130 and it also came with a V-6, not a four.
It reminds me of its little sibling, the Fiat 124 coupe as seen in the Italian movie “Italia a mano armata”. http://www.imcdb.org/vehicle_143381-Fiat-124-Sport-Coupe-124AC-1967.html
Wow! When I first saw the pic in the byline, I thought I was looking at a 69’ish Fiat 124 Coupe and Spider. I did a double take when I saw Peugeot was the name on them.
+1
Beautiful Cars. I love the 130 Coupe as well, thanks for posting constellation.
That is a gorgeous car. It certainly does look Italian, if nationalism would affect its acceptance in France.
I know that the cabrio is forthcoming on CC and that it is more sought after and valuable, but the coupe is far and away the more gorgeous. That simple, elegant roofline completes the design so well. What a knockout. One of my favorite Europen cars of all time. Good, informative write-up.
Agree absolutely – the coupe looks far more graceful to my eyes. The cabrio looks too close to the saloon with the roof cut off. And I prefer the later front end.
I remember seeing one of these in Wichita Kansas when I was a kid. I remember being surprised that it was a Peugeot because my familiarity with Peugeot consisted of the occasional boxy 505 sedan or wagon. I really liked it, thought it was beautiful in fact, and I remember how modern it looked even 10-15 years after it was built. I’m surprised these weren’t imported both because Wichita seems like a weird place for someone to import one of these, and also because of the looks. Someone would’ve bought it!
These are new to me. I am positively smitten with the Coupe!
Beautiful car. I’d choose the coupe over the cabrio, for sure. Most folks would prefer the simple chrome bumpers, but the refresh looks mighty good at the angle shown, especially in that color. There were so many wonderful cars in that class that it’s hard to pick a winner. That said, I do love Peugeots.
Beautiful car. I actually like the updated version, can’t decide which is better looking.
Agreed, the update was done much better than many. The coupe also looks much more modern than the 2000CS, but perhaps not as beautiful as the 3.0CS if that makes sense.
Seeing as it is all academic or MM to use the proper CC terminology, I will hold out for a 504 Break Riviera!
Paul:
https://www.willhaben.at/iad/gebrauchtwagen/auto/peugeot-oldtimer-504-v6-coupe-165740671/
With Euro falling and falling, now is the time…
Positively breathtaking. It does seem like a scaled-up, more mature version of the Alfa GTV shape, but other than outline/roofline it’s not derivative at all. And I actually don’t mind the body-color front bumper either, and I think I prefer the later headlamps, but the original tail design is better. The optimal combo might be a chrome bumper car with the later headlamps retrofitted and wearing the 8-spoke alloys seen in the top photo.
Eh, I’m not picky. I’d take any of them, even the steel-wheeled late-run I4.
Wow there’s more Peugeot cars on cc than I have seen in a lifetime
I have a dealer nearby I visit periodically, every now and then theres something different in the workshop, Saw this while getting an airfilter a couple of weeks back, Somebodies project, theres a 57 Chev hardtop coupe and 58 Corvette usually stored there two and a MK2 Daimler V8.
Not entirely sure about the styling, I agree about the ‘crimped’ front and rear, however the side profile is successful enough.
The 124 coupe ‘bc’ model is stylistically far superior and a better drive too.
Once again CC has educated me.
I’ve never heard or seen the 504 Coupe. But I like what I see especially when the car is equipped with the nice alloy wheels. Very much some 124 influence. Shame these cars were never imported.
I was negotiating with a guy on a local classic car page on facebook two nights ago for a set of those wheels, they are very hard to find in good order but will fit onto both my cars, admin took the post down before we completed the deal so I’m still looking, First Peugeot with four stud hubs as far as I know, anyway they are 4×108 bolt pattern same as my Hillman and Citroen
4x 108? My Alfa Spider uses that size so I was curious as I also like the look of those alloy wheels.
However wheelsize.com says that the Peugeot 504 used a 4×140 lug pattern.
http://www.wheel-size.com/size/peugeot/504/1974/
Interesting the parts manager at my local Pug dealer said the only four stud pattern used is 4×108 which PSA still used untill some models went five stud recently.
I remember one cool weekday morning of September or October 2000, I was driving my 1967 Riviera on St-Denis street in Montreal, and I followed what seemed like a very clean (and very unusual even then) 504 Break for a few minutes.
While I was following the 504 Break, I saw someone going in the opposite direction driving a 504 coupe! It had been a long time since I had seen a 504 on the street and suddenly, I saw two at the same time and a 504 coupe for the first time!
The exotic 504 Coupe. Peugeot’s last true rally star until the 205 T16 of the mid 1980’s. While it was true that 504 saloons were successful rally cars, the early cars suffered from high suspension failure rates. By 1973, Peugeot had largely sorted this problem out, while at the same time had worked engine output up to around 170 horsepower. Suspension woes were traded for camshaft failures. Nonetheless, they persisted on developing the sturdy sedans and eventually took First place finishes in the 1975 Safari, Moroccan, and Ivory Coast Rallies. With the 504 sedans being underpowered relative to the competition of the time, attention was turned to the new 504 V6 Coupe.
The 1976 Safari Rally is where Peugeot decided to debut the new cars. This year turned out to be one of the wettest, most difficult runs of the event ever. Flooding and mud predominated the event. Early on it was clear that the Coupe was an overall superior car to the saloon, with one exception; the powertrain. Overheating and transmission problems plagued the cars until both eventually got stuck and were forced to retire. Timo Makinen was able to salvage something that year and captured First on the Ivory Coast Rally at the end of the season. 1977 saw similar problems with the powertrain, and most of that year was utilized refining the car to avoid the transmission woes and overheating. It paid off. Jean-Pierre Nicolas had a relatively easy run on the 1978 Safari and had a comfortable lead for most of the rally. Then near disaster struck. 30 minutes outside of the finish at Nairobi, a spectator’s car pulled out to make a u-turn directly in front Nicolas, and the two collided. The radiator of the Peugeot was pushed back into the fan, and now without proper engine cooling, they were forced to limp to the finish and hope the engine would not seize. They thankfully did make it to Nairobi and claimed First. Nicolas was also able to maintain a healthy lead and take First on that year’s Ivory Coast Rally.
After the 1978 season, the competition was surpassing the Coupe’s abilities, and no further outright wins were in store for Puegeot. Third place on the 1980 Ivory Coast rally was the best they could do before the car was retired after the 1981 season. The photo below is that of Jean-Pierre Nicolas’ 1978 Safari winning car during the event:
And here is Nicolas again at the podium; you can clearly see the damage done by the collision that nearly cost him the event:
*Thin* B-pillar. Almost not there.
Not quite a 130 coupe, nor a 124 coupe, but I wouldn’t kick one out of my garage.
I’d take a Cabriolet any day, and maybe a Fiat 130 Coupe ahead of the Coupe – they are stunning in the flesh
I’d definitely take a 504 cabrio over a 124 spider.
The 124 Coupe’s greenhouse is too tall and too long in the rear (presumably for rear seat headroom) to work well for me. it looks a bit like the ’65 Ford ute the other day, with a to-short front door. The 504 Coupe’s roof is decidedly more coupe-like.
I also prefer the way the 504’s front end gently arcs down to the front, and the gentle curve of its beltline at the rear wheels. The 124 coupe is nice, but it’s a bit to rectilinear for me in some regards.
Designed by Giorgetto Giugiaro, Japan’s Isuzu 117 Coupe was similar in style, and gorgeous compared to many goofy looking Japanese cars of that era.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isuzu_117_Coup%C3%A9
The wheels on the lead photo of the 504 Coupe almost look like they belong on a 2000s car.
Of course, a very, very attractive design. The sedan’s styling left me cold – I thought the 505 was a huge improvement – but the coupe is a delight.
front view
Before I’d read any of the article, after looking at the first picture, I thought that it must have been designed by an Italian company; maybe Pininfarina…..they have an unmistakable style and grace to their cars.
A gorgeous car! I’ve loved Peugeots ever since owning a 504 diesel wagon in the mid ’80s.
To my eye it’s a prettier car than the 2000CS and even the 3.0CS, particularly the early version 504, it’s lighter, more flowing and elegant looking somehow, the 3.0 comes off as a bit heavy looking, though of course still a pretty car, and a great driver, we had a 2800, the sedan version back then.
There was a Peugeot dealer 28 miles from my home the whole time. Didn’t know either of these models existed. Shopped the Fiat 124 and bought a new Volvo 142 in late 1970. Should maybe have saved some money and bought a Duster? Volvo dealer had a stick in stock. Lot to like about these, why didn’t they advertise? Price was right, only a little more than the plain looking Volvo.
A lovely, graceful, easy-on-the-eyes coupe without a bad camera angle anywhere on it.
First top-only bumper guards I’ve seen. I prefer the later, simpler bumpers and taillights.