An old winner
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The Peugeot 504 pick-up got its first mention in CM in October 1979, when it was launched in France. We reported on its 1,100kg payload, four-speed transmission and choice of 1.6-litre petrol or 1.9-litre diesel engines.
When it arrived here in early 1980, it was the sole European offering competing against the Japanese. Sales were strong, helped by Peugeot's reputation for reliability and the quota system that limited the number of imports from Japan.
Our first road test (April 1980) had the heading "Peugeot picks a winner". We praised the fuel economy, which was a "remarkably frugal" 27.9mpg laden and an "even more astonishing" 36.5mpg unladen. In 1982 the South African-built Cortina-based P100 arrived, and it became an immediate best-seller. The Peugeot and Ford would jostle for the top sales spot from here on in.
We tested the 504 again in 1983, this time with the new 2.3-litre diesel. We praised the "pick-up exceptionnel" for its fuel economy (31.7mpg) and impressive ground clearance.
A new interior arrived in 1985 and by the following year it was outselling the elderly P100. But this had more to do with Ford's lack of a diesel engine than Peugeot's new seat coverings. Two years later, Ford addressed this with a European-built Sierra Sapphire-based diesel-powered P100. Suddenly the 504, which was based on a 1960s car, seemed antiquated in comparison.
In our final road test (April 1987), we discovered that a new five-speed gearbox had done nothing for fuel economy (29.8mpg), and were critical of the "very weak clutch and poor detents on the gearbox". We concluded that the "driveline feels unburstable and the bodywork feels strong", and although it "may not be the most up-to-the-minute pick-up on the market, that will be seen as a significant advantage by some users".
European production ceased in 1993 but it was built by Sevel in Argentina until 1999, while China's Guangzhou Peugeot Automobile Company was manufacturing twoand four-door 504 pick-ups until 2009.
' PEUGEOT STANDARDAND GL How many left?
Despite their durability, 504 pick-ups have a low survival rate. In 1995 there were more than 13,000 of them on UK roads, yet according to howmanyleft.com, today there are fewer than 100. Like the saloons and estates, a large number were exported to Africa, where they are still highly respected.