A long time ago, in the early 1980s, I was standing in the Lage Weide industrial estate in Utrecht. There lay, very practically on a piece of railroad, Nefkens, the Peugeot importer. I was looking at two wagons that were driven full of Peugeot's 504.
Another Peugeot arrived
What?! Arrive to drive? Light up! The Peugeot 504 resolutely shot down the road, onto the slope, onto the ramps of the train wagon and hit the rear bumper of the Peugeot 504 in front when it stopped. It didn't seem to bother the driver. A ferociously smoking 504 diesel arrived with difficulty climbing the top deck of the wagon. The following 504s rode on the lower deck. The wagon was full.
I once went inside to ask what was going on
And an hour later I knew everything and I had adopted a two-liter automatic with sliding roof. That was a nice car. For little money. Because: "The Africans had already paid him."
A long story short
The 504s without local commercial value were collected by Nefkens and went on their way to Africa with train loads. Whether they have missed the 504 that I bought on the spot? Plenty have arrived in Africa. Surely. I recently saw them driving.
The whole story came back when I came across such an 504 in Drempt. Hard, but with a somewhat tired interior. So the other way around than we were used to in the Netherlands. He was endearing. I had to admonish myself very much. Because I really don't have a place anymore.
They are made very long
In Europe, those Peugeots with their characteristic falling butt have been made 1983. But what is dated here does not have to be completely written off. In Africa and South Africa, years later, Peugeot's 504 was still full. In Kenya and Nigeria this was done - and reportedly on very tired press molds - until 2004 and 2006 respectively.
The most bought Peugeot 504s, those were the sedans
But the station cars, called Break, Familiale or Commerciale by the French? Those were the dreams of everyone who thought that sufficient interior space was always too little. And at the once famous Lameris, a rather chic company in hospital equipment, there were the service technicians in station cars that were fitted with sliding chests during the week, but which were a fantastic - at that time still tax-free - employment condition during weekends and holidays. Want to go to the South of France for three weeks with four people plus a lot of luggage and with four surfboards on the roof? With a Peugeot 504 Diesel Break that was a party!
Presented in 1968
And in 1969 the Peugeot received the title 'Car of the Year'. At that time, that title was still quite something. In the meantime, those Peugeots with their production time of no less than 38 years were and are of course top cars. The design was technically sound and well thought out. The appearance had a certain bold elegance thanks to the ideas of Pininfarina. The austerity of those lines made the 504 a timeless appearance. And that was the reason why he kept selling for so long.
And the Peugeot 504 that we saw at Albert Venema? With its decent price it just deserves a good owner and a fresh interior.
