1975 PEUGEOT 604 2.7L 5MT RWD (144 HP)

Vehicle Overview

As one of the oldest brands in the automotive industry, Peugeot insisted on having a flagship model with which it could successfully compete against its French neighbors from Renault and Citroen, and, in 1975, that was the 604.

Peugeot decided to return to the luxury car market after more than four decades, but instead of going all the way with an entirely new platform, it recycled the older platform from the 504, and the result was less than customers expected from the lion-branded carmaker.

Employing Pininfarina design studio to pen the car was a good idea. This resulted in an elegant line with a clean design. At the front, the squared-looking headlights were split into three segments for the high and low beams and for the turning signals mounted on the outer sides. Unlike its smaller sibling, the 504, the 604 featured plastic bumpers with a chromed trim on them. At the back, the carmaker placed wide taillights that sat lower than the trunk’s lid.

The 604’s interior featured velour or leather upholstery, depending on the trim level and options. Its dashboard was ahead of its time, featuring the instrument cluster and the center stack neatly integrated. Thanks to its long wheelbase, the 604 provided enough room for five passengers, although its rear bench was designed for two, with a folding center armrest. Also, the transmission tunnel crossed the car from front to back, and it was quite tall.

Under the hood, Peugeot relied on the 2.7-liter PRV engine developed together with Renault and Volvo. It was fed via a three-choke Solex carburetor. Over the car’s production time, Peugeot improved the gasoline engine and added turbodiesel options.