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1975 saw the introduction of the three cars that shared the 2.7-litre V6 PRV engine. Today, neither the Renault 30 nor the Volvo 264/265 is a common sight on British roads while there are just nine Peugeot 604s remain in use. Yet the last-named has a fair claim to be one of the most interesting models to leave the Sochaux factory.

When the 604 made its bow at the Geneva Motor Show, it attracted a large amount of interest as the first RWD French saloon aimed at the Grande Bourgeoisie since the demise of the Simca Vedette in 1961. By 1968 Peugeot’s 504 was definitely targeting the Citroën ID/Mercedes-Benz W115 market and the 604 was intended to elevate the marque’s image further. Plans to use a V8 engine were abandoned due to the 1973 Fuel Crisis, and Pininfarina’s coachwork was elegantly formal.

The Peugeot received an immense amount of praise from the British automotive press. Bill Boddy of Motor Sport believed ‘there is space, pace and a great deal of refinement about the 604’. He also raved about ‘the splendid Peugeot ride, derived from effective trailing-arm i.r.s. and Peugeot’s own precision damping’. Meanwhile, Car magazine evaluated the 604 opposite the intriguing choices of the BMW 528 and the XJ6 3.4 S2. Their conclusion – ‘The Jaguar is still a brilliant car, but in some respects Peugeot have managed to better it. And that takes some doing’.

1977 saw the debut of the Ti with its Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection, which the chaps of Car tested alongside the Rover 2600 and the Lancia Gamma Berlina. ‘For us the Peugeot wins, flaws and all’ while the entire group was ‘three of the very best cars currently available’. In 1979 Peugeot introduced a TD engine option, which Motor regarded as ‘one of the best diesels yet’. By 1981 the 604 could be ordered in rather splendid STi form, and three years later Sochaux introduced the 2.8-litre GTi.

The British publicity stated, ‘The 604 sets the measure of comfort, efficiency and style to which many aspire but few achieve’, and it was inevitably destined to be a rare sight in the UK.  Fleet buyers were not tempted from their Ford Granadas, and when production of the big Peugeot ceased in November 1985, it was already an unusual sight.  

One problem facing Peugeot dealers was that as the 1980s progressed the 505 had gradually encroached on the 604’s territory. Indeed, the V6 version served as a virtual replacement until the launch of the 605 in 1989. Another was that the Peugeot looked almost deliberately low-key, compared to the likes of the Granada Ghia Mk. II. The result may have appealed to French officialdom, but sales directors in Croydon and company secretaries in Kingston-on-Thames liked to flaunt their status.

Today, those few who own the flagship Peugeot are quietly secure in the knowledge that they drive one of the key French saloons of its era. As Martin Buckley put it in Classic and Sports Car, the 604 offered ‘a level of sophistication – in terms of civilisation and comfort – that was beyond even the expectations of this class of car’.

Why choose Lancaster Insurance?

Here at Lancaster, we love classic cars as much as you do and we understand what it takes to protect them for future generations.

We have links with some of the top classic car clubs around the country and some of our policies even offer discounts of up to 25% for club members.

Other benefits of classic car insurance through Lancaster can include:

• Historic rally cover
• Static show cover
• Limit mileage discounts
• Choice of repairer
• 24-hour claims helpline

Give your classic the protection it deserves and get a quote for your Peugeot today.