Some fifty years ago a car was launched that heralded the birth of the stylish, high quality cars that Peugeot is famous for today.
The
Peugeot 504 is a mid-size, front-engine, rear wheel drive automobile
manufactured and marketed by Peugeot for model years 1968-1983 over a
single generation, primarily in four-door sedan and wagon configurations
— but also with two-door coupe, convertible and pickup truck variants.
The
504 was noted for its robust body structure, long suspension travel,
and torque tube drive shaft — enclosed in a rigid tube attached at each
end to the gearbox housing and differential casing, relieving drive
train torque reactions. The 504 ultimately achieved widespread
popularity in far-flung rough-terrain countries — including Brazil,
Argentina, Australia, Ivory Coast, Ghana, Cameroon, Benin, Kenya and
Nigeria.
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 LA Times called it “Africa’s workhorse.
Happy birthday #Peugeot504