(first posted 8/19/2014) It’s amazing what a fresh coat of wax can do, isn’t it? This Peugeot 304 ragtop, captured by r0b0tr10t, really looks like a million bucks with the rain beading on its burgundy bodywork. Of course, the Pininfarina styling has a lot to do with that, but it’s not everyday you see a classic Peugeot looking this good; it puts the cars behind it to shame.
Many of our Western readers have never heard of the Pug 304, which was a facelift/revision/extension of the 1965 204, and given the models’ obscurity next to such luminaries as the 504 and 404, this makes sense. We can cover the 204/304 in detail one day soon (it deserves a full-on CC) but for now, think of them as we’d think of cars like the Jetta or Civic today. Introduced in 1969, it bridged the gap between cars like the Renault 4 and Citroen 2CV, and bigger sedans like the aforementioned 404 and Citroen ID/DS. Peugeot couldn’t let Simca have all the fun, now could they?
With an aluminum transverse engine and independent suspension all around, it was a modern affair (though the transmission was mounted in the sump) which offered one of the first small diesels available outside a big sedan. More importantly, it was available in a variety of bodystyles, including the very svelte cabriolet seen here.
Both the 204 and 304 wear some of the most elegant and simple shapes put to production on a smaller sedan, making it easier to understand why the 305 which came afterward was derided by so many as dull. It’s all relative, obviously; maybe contemporary car buyers also felt indifferent to the -04 series of small Peugeots, which ended production in 1979/1980. It might’ve been hard not to feel that way with such little power to work with; like all French cars in its size class, engine displacement never exceeded the 1,300-ish range. But as this car’s styling (and that of Robert Opron’s Citroen GS) shows, there are other ways of making the middle class car buyer feel wealthy.
This little gem of a 304 convertible certainly looks great. But a million bucks? Maybe a million old francs. One might be inclined to compare them to British roadsters. That would be a big mistake. British roadsters were low to the ground and firm in the suspension. These Peugeot have their very own wind in the hair charm, more like rolling pic-nick baskets with baguettes sticking out.
The coupe gives off a sporty vibe even with the original narrow tires. It’s a nice run about.
The 204 is the practical people hauler.
Of course the Break’s raison d’etre is men’s best friend at least in the sales brochure.
Their style is quite conservative, not as conservative as Simca’s 1501 but avoiding any futuristic pretensions.
Pret a-porter clothes with classic lines rather than fashionable fads.
Quite a looker, but I think I might like that green coupe even better. The ragtop would be much more fun on a nice day though.
Saw one recently at my local Peugeot/Citroen dealership, someone there must be restoring it from the looks,not quite complete yet, though its the right place for such a project.
When I first saw that pic on 504 coupe article thought it was a 304.A friend,a former workmate,returned to his Adelaide home from Hobart and would regularly phone me and talk for an hour or two re city planning.Late 1980s and living now in Blackheath New South Wales and reading the Saturday Sydney Morning Herald newspaper I noticed a Peugeot 304 break,wagon, for sale in Sydney for only $400.I phoned straight away and the 304 sounded like a good condition vehicle.I had a 1959 and 1963 Fiat Multipla and a 1970 Peugeot 404 ute so didn’t need another car.I rang my friend and he flew from Adelaide to Sydney that very Saturday and bought the 304.I went down to Sydney,met him and had a good look at the 304.He drove it from Sydney to Adelaide with no problems.The 304 needed a polish,was a light grey colour similar to an EH Holden ute.The wagon was very reliable for a considerable period of time and then he loaned it to his idiot housemate and the engine overheated and the housemate stopped,ran into a house to borrow their hose and filled the radiator with cold water.That sadly was the end of the 304.I drove it a couple of times when visiting Adelaide and it was a great car to drive.Later I wished I had bought it for myself.
Did the 304 switch to a floor shifter? My 204 convert had “4 on the tree” and the fan belt went “around the corner” to power the fan.
I’m fairly certain the early cars still had a column mount shiftier; later redesigned dash cars switched to a floor location.
They sold 304 sedans & wagons in the us for a couple years (71 & 72 I think)
In the early ’80s, a friend owned a dark green ’71 sedan. I loved the styling (no droopy trunk), interior, seats, and ride, but hated the rubbery floor-shift, and working on it. The sideways engine left very little room to get your hands in there, and the belt that ran around the corner to drive the fan (which I believe had an electric clutch) made me wonder why didn’t they just use an electric fan?
Usually, parts were hard to find or had to be special-ordered.
My friend got rid of it finally, after the body began rusting furiously and the clutch went out.
Happy Motoring, Mark