Peugeot 304

Peugeot 304 at a glance

Filling the gap between the 204 and the 504

By 1969 Peugeot's range had a hole between the 6 CV 204 and the larger 404 and 504. The 304, shown at the Paris Motor Show that autumn, filled it cheaply. It kept the 204's centre section, wheelbase and track, added about 15 cm behind the rear wheels for a bigger boot and took its trapezoidal headlamps and grille from the 504 of 1968. Zwischengas puts the total growth at 17 cm in length, 1 cm in width and 50 kg in weight. French Wikipedia classes it as a 7 CV mid-size car and notes that it arrived the same year as its main French rival, the Renault 12.

Mechanically it stayed close to its sister: a transverse all-alloy overhead-cam four with the gearbox below it, MacPherson struts at the front, independent coil-sprung rear suspension, disc and drum brakes with a servo and rack-and-pinion steering. Most engine and running gear parts interchange with the 204.

Bodies and production: from saloon to cabriolet

The coupé and cabriolet replaced the 204 versions in spring 1970 on a 2,310 mm wheelbase and gained the 504-style lamps of the saloon. The Break had the same length as the 204 estate, 3,990 mm. In 1973 the saloon received a new roof and rear pillars with rectangular tail lights, and from 1978 a wider front suspension was fitted.

Octane counts 836 right-hand-drive cabriolets officially imported into Britain from 1970 and estimates that about 60 remain there.

Engines: from the 1.3 to the 304 S and the diesels

The launch engine was the 1,288 cc XL3 with 48 kW (65 PS). From March 1972 the coupé and cabriolet received the twin-choke XL3S with 55 kW (75 PS), and the saloon followed that autumn as the 304 S for the 1973 model year. Peugeot's advertising called it the "New S motor super-powerful 60 kW (80 hp)", a gross figure that sits well above the net 55 kW (75 PS) once both are put into the same unit with our kW, PS and hp converter. The S engine was not offered on the estate.

Peugeot claimed 150 km/h for the 48 kW (65 PS) saloon, 152 km/h for the cabriolet and 160 km/h for the S versions. The 1,548 cc diesel needed a bulge in the bonnet. Inside, the 304 S had brown or amber leatherette seats until cloth became standard in 1976; its thicker seats cost rear legroom.

Period verdicts and the American episode

Motor Sport drove a 304 Estate in November 1971, when it cost GBP 1,278.12 in Britain. The magazine quoted 52 kW (70 bhp SAE) for the 1,288 cc engine, recorded 8.7 l/100 km (32.5 mpg), noted a 280 kg payload and about 1.5 cubic metres of load space with the rear seat folded, and called the car "a charming little vehicle and a useful load-carrier as well". It stayed composed even when heavily overloaded.

Peugeot also tried the United States. A federal 304 with 7.5:1 compression, instead of 8.8:1, was built from June 1970 to July 1972; output fell from 52 kW (70 hp) SAE gross in 1970 to 43 kW (58 hp) SAE net in 1972. Sales came to 1,407 in 1970, 2,153 in 1971 and 709 in 1972, a total of 4,269 saloons and estates.

The 304 never matched the 204's popularity in France, though export markets slightly preferred it. The coupé and cabriolet ended in July 1975, the saloon in summer 1979 and the last estates and vans in May 1980. Its successor, the 305 of 1977, was essentially a re-bodied development of the same front-drive layout.

Peugeot 304 today: what to check when buying

Octane's May 2024 buying guide to the 304 cabriolet names corrosion as the main concern, particularly for cars that spent their whole life in Britain. Check the underside for structural rot and every body panel, because replacement panels are hard to find. On the cabriolet, check the rear lights: they are unique to that body. The 204-derived mechanicals are durable, but specific parts can be hard to source outside France, so owners use French classified sites and the Peugeot clubs. On S models, make sure the twin-choke carburettor is present and correctly set up, since it accounts for the 7 kW advantage over the standard car.

The same guide put solid running cabriolets at about EUR 3,500 to 4,700 (GBP 3,000 to 4,000) and cars in excellent mechanical and body condition at about EUR 9,400 to 11,700 (GBP 8,000 to 10,000) in May 2024, converted at the exchange rate of that month. Octane notes that cars are plentiful in the Netherlands and France but fetch higher prices on the Continent.

The 304 is listed in our Peugeot catalogue, and its place in the company's story is covered in our Peugeot history. Its rival's maker is described in our history of Renault, and more cars of the period are in the classic cars section.