It was no coincidence that Peugeot's 504 acquired an image as Europe's archetypal medium-sized sedan. At the time it was an image Peugeot were proud, because it said much about the quality of Europe's motor industry; the 504 remainecd a very good car for decades - whether as a sedan, a wagon or with diesel power. The key to the 504's success was easy to see. It was an admirably unpretentious car, devoid of gimmicks and useless decoration, underplayed in the extreme. Yet it was very capable and comfortable. The interior was spacious and airy, the seating luxurious and thoughtfully padded and if that meant an inch or two added to the external dimensions then so be it.
The 504 was designed before packaging was regarded as an art in itself and, as a result, was larger than some later modern designs with comparable interior dimensions. The Ti was the sporting version of the 504 and top of the three car range which also included the L and GL models. Its 1971cc four-cylinder engine featured fuel injection, which boosted the power by some 10 bhp over the carburetted engine of the GL to 106 bhp.
The Ti was quite a heavy car so this sort of power produced brisk rather than sparkling acceleration. However, the Ti was an easy 90-100 mph cruiser and would just top 110 mph. Unlike the live-axled wagon, the sedan featured all-
Independent suspension by MacPherson struts at the front and semi-trailing arms at the rear. As engineered by Peugeot, this was one of the best suspension systems ever made prior to the 1980s: the Ti's handling was safe and predictable with strong but not excessive understeer. The ride was outstanding and only the Jaguars and Renaults of the era could get close or match it.
Noise, suppression was superb and was only bettered by that of an XJ Jaguar. The facia was all chrome trimmings and quirky ergonomics, and the styling, although classically simple and deliberately low key, began to age during the 504s production run, starting to age noticeably by the other side of 1978 when designers turned to ultra-clean and simple designs.
Also see: The History of Peugeot (USA Edition) |
Peugeot 504 Car Review 
