Peugeot 604 , A French Granada Competitor

Peugeot 604 , A French Granada Competitor

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reddiesel

Original Poster:

2,478 posts

54 months

Monday 25th December 2023
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https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/unexceptional-c...

Been many years since I last saw one of these but I have to say that for me the overall shape has aged extremely well . Probably more common in France does anyone have any thoughts or experience of these Peugeots ? I have always thought they had a certain charm .

Pistom

5,577 posts

166 months

Monday 25th December 2023
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They do have a charm but if going for something like this, I'd prefer the altogether wackier Talbot Tagora.

Having said that, anything of this type or era is going to be few and far between so if it's your thing - grab it while you can.

reddiesel

Original Poster:

2,478 posts

54 months

Monday 25th December 2023
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Designed by Pininfarina I am learning for the first time . France really has an interesting history with these top of the range Saloons and most instantly forgettable , the 505 GTI was another .

Edited by reddiesel on Monday 25th December 17:58

ChasW

2,136 posts

209 months

Monday 25th December 2023
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Back in the day my GF's father had one along with an Alfsud Sprint. I only ever travelled in the back but recall it being really comfortable and smooth. He was a keen driver. He chose it ahead of an Rover SD1.

reddiesel

Original Poster:

2,478 posts

54 months

Monday 25th December 2023
quotequote all
Pistom said:
They do have a charm but if going for something like this, I'd prefer the altogether wackier Talbot Tagora.

Having said that, anything of this type or era is going to be few and far between so if it's your thing - grab it while you can.
Great to hear you mention the Talbot Tagora , I had totally forgotten about that one

reddiesel

Original Poster:

2,478 posts

54 months

dbdb

4,417 posts

180 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
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My father was a fan of these big Peugeots and I still have a real fondness for them. The 604 was a genuinely nice car in its day, incredibly smooth and beguiling. They're a far nicer than the Tagora in my view which is more of a curiosity really.

coppice

8,910 posts

151 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
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I drove a friend's 604Ti a fair bit . Lovely, wafty auto, super seats and a cultured growl when provoked. It has become fashionable for some classic car journalists (who were minus 15 at the time ) to sneer at the PRV V6 , primarily because it failed to turn the De Lorean into a supercar . It was a lovely engine in the right car .

reddiesel

Original Poster:

2,478 posts

54 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
quotequote all
https://www.curbsideclassic.com/curbside-classics-...

It certainly seems to have had many recognised qualities though like you say most of them in retrospect

ATG

21,363 posts

279 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
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We had one when I was a kid. I remember when it decided to just switch everything off while we were driving back from Hereford in the middle of the night. One moment engine was running, headlights were on. Next second, silent running, still balling down there road at 60, hoping Dad can remember which way the road went. Trying to find anyone who knew how to work on it was also a challenge. But, when it was working it was a great way to get from A to B.

Rob 131 Sport

3,130 posts

59 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
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They were a great classy stylish car back in the day. Certainly more upmarket than a Granada and more of a competitor to the BMW 5 series and smaller engined Jaguar XJ6.

I’ve got some very fond memories as a child looking at used examples with my Dad.


biggbn

24,975 posts

227 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
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I love the 604, and it's little brother 504, especially the Familiale estate. 504 coupe and cabrio were stunning cars

Studio263

25 posts

11 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
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Poor man's CX?

Why have a car that looks like a box when the same company also makes one that looks like a space ship (inside and out)?

reddiesel

Original Poster:

2,478 posts

54 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
quotequote all
Studio263 said:
Poor man's CX?

Why have a car that looks like a box when the same company also makes one that looks like a space ship (inside and out)?
Fair point but is it also not fair to say that back then there was tremendous Brand Loyalty and few were tempted by what then was still a very left field Brand
They had their fans but how would you bracket a Seventies Citroen Driver ?

Rob 131 Sport

3,130 posts

59 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
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reddiesel said:
Studio263 said:
Poor man's CX?

Why have a car that looks like a box when the same company also makes one that looks like a space ship (inside and out)?
Fair point but is it also not fair to say that back then there was tremendous Brand Loyalty and few were tempted by what then was still a very left field Brand
They had their fans but how would you bracket a Seventies Citroen Driver ?
Whilst I like the CX now, it did look a touch odd compared to the competition. The 604 was both classy and conventional.

Simes205

4,661 posts

235 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
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Rob 131 Sport said:
reddiesel said:
Studio263 said:
Poor man's CX?

Why have a car that looks like a box when the same company also makes one that looks like a space ship (inside and out)?
Fair point but is it also not fair to say that back then there was tremendous Brand Loyalty and few were tempted by what then was still a very left field Brand
They had their fans but how would you bracket a Seventies Citroen Driver ?
Whilst I like the CX now, it did look a touch odd compared to the competition. The 604 was both classy and conventional.
Peugeot and Citroen were separate companies when these cars were introduced.

There’s a thread on the 604 elsewhere.
They aren’t that common in France. I’d say I’ve seen more CX’s than the one 604 in the last ten years in France! Even as kids visiting our family in the 70’s 604’s were not a common site.

https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

Edited by Simes205 on Tuesday 26th December 17:23

Rob 131 Sport

3,130 posts

59 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
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604’s are incredibly rare in France. I did however see an immaculate one in the Loire Valley in 2020. For some reason it won’t let me upload a picture.

That was the only one I’ve seen in what has been a mostly twice yearly trip to France in the last 20 years. The other car that is becoming very rare there is the Renault Safrane and Peugeot 605.

ClaphamGT3

11,527 posts

250 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
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coppice said:
I drove a friend's 604Ti a fair bit . Lovely, wafty auto, super seats and a cultured growl when provoked. It has become fashionable for some classic car journalists (who were minus 15 at the time ) to sneer at the PRV V6 , primarily because it failed to turn the De Lorean into a supercar . It was a lovely engine in the right car .
Sorry but that is absolute b*ll*cks.

Having had the "pleasure" of two cars with the Douvrin V6 (Volvo 265 and Volvo 760) I can confirm with 1st hand certainty that it was an absolute pig of an engine; rough, unreliable, ridiculously thirsty and horrible to work on.

There is not and never has been an application on God's green earth where the Douvrin V6 has been "a lovely engine"

Studio263

25 posts

11 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
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Simes205 said:
Peugeot and Citroen were separate companies when these cars were introduced.
Only just - the development costs of the CX were part of what pushed Citroen into the financial problems that forced the Peugeot takeover. The CX was a PSA product for all its life. They even put Peugeot engines in them - the CX Athena and CX 22 TRS used the 2.2L OHC Peugeot unit. This was a grim period for Citroen indeed - smashing up the last few SM bodyshells and throwing new Maserati V6s from high windows into skips below just to make sure they could not be used was how the Peugeot era started. Instead we got the LN - a cut 'n shut 104 with a Dyane 6 engine in it. It was all downhill from there.

Its a shame the money ran out, the CX as originally intended (with the big water cooled flat four or the wankels from Comotor) would have been quite a thing. Still, even with the DS-based sloggers under the bonnet it was a better car than the 604. I still miss mine.

Simes205

4,661 posts

235 months

Tuesday 26th December 2023
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Studio263 said:
Simes205 said:
Peugeot and Citroen were separate companies when these cars were introduced.
Only just - the development costs of the CX were part of what pushed Citroen into the financial problems that forced the Peugeot takeover. The CX was a PSA product for all its life. They even put Peugeot engines in them - the CX Athena and CX 22 TRS used the 2.2L OHC Peugeot unit. This was a grim period for Citroen indeed - smashing up the last few SM bodyshells and throwing new Maserati V6s from high windows into skips below just to make sure they could not be used was how the Peugeot era started. Instead we got the LN - a cut 'n shut 104 with a Dyane 6 engine in it. It was all downhill from there.

Its a shame the money ran out, the CX as originally intended (with the big water cooled flat four or the wankels from Comotor) would have been quite a thing. Still, even with the DS-based sloggers under the bonnet it was a better car than the 604. I still miss mine.
We had 2 CX’s, a safari 2400 in period and a 2200dtr a few years back! The first the best car my dad ever owned!