MEET THE OWNER - ROBERT DESMOND AND HIS PEUGEOT 304

My first ever car was a 304 saloon, but it rusted away as they tended to in the 1980s. I looked for another for decades and saw this in the late 1990s, but it had sold. Fast-forward 20 years, I saw it again for sale in County Cork, so I bought it unseen in 2018.

Today, Robert’s 1975 304 GL is one of the rarest cars in the country, with a mere 115 of all versions still on the road. Peugeot marketed them as transport for the suburbanite who found the Ford Escort Ghia Mk. II too brash, and the Citroën GS Pallas a little too complex. His Peugeot dates from when the marque was a niche product in this country; in 1976, Autocar thought, “they have never been flashy or ultra-fashionable cars”. In addition, I always imagined Liza Goddard driving a 304 in Pig in The Middle for reasons possibly connected to my youthful penchant for bad sitcoms.

The 304’s origins date from 1965, when Peugeot unveiled the 204, their first FWD car - and their first with all-independent suspension and front disc brakes. Four years later, the 304 featured a 1,288cc engine instead of the 1,130cc unit, a 504-style grille and an elongated boot. It was a combination devised to appeal to the middleclass motorist.

The new model supplanted rather than succeeded the 204, which by 1970 was France’s most popular car. Peugeot unveiled the Coupe and the Cabriolet in that year, followed by the estate in 1971. Bill Boddy of Motor Sport noted it sold for £1,278.12 “and is worth every New Penny of it”. He also believed “this Estate isn’t one in which one would normally carry pig-manure”, which nicely summarises its British marketing identity.

The 304’s principal domestic rival was the Renault 12, which also debuted in 1969. On this side of the Channel, it was the vehicle of choice for drivers who valued taste and discretion. By 1973, the 504 amounted to over half of Peugeot GB’s sales. However, when Robert’s GL left the factory, it was ideal for motorists who regarded the Vanden Plas 1500 as faintly chintzy and a Vauxhall Viva HC with an aftermarket vinyl top as representing social death.

By 1975, the most popular 304 version was the S, with the twin-choke engine from the Coupe and Cabriolet

Meanwhile, the ambitious owner craved the top-of-the-range SLS with its sliding roof, “special road wheels”, and “electronic rev counter”.

When Car evaluated the Peugeot opposite the Alfa Romeo Alfasud Lusso and the Renault 12TS in May 1976, they found “these cars are all good. Almost too good to be true, in fact”. In addition, the 304 was “virtually a luxury car” and “an excellent product, exactly in the Peugeot tradition, which speaks volumes for it”. Manufacture ended in 1980, three years after the 305 made its debut.

Today, the Desmond Peugeot causes a discreet stir when out and about, with Robert remarking, “I am the third owner, and my 304 is immaculate; it has covered only 25,000 miles”. Few discerning buyers in 1975 could have resisted its blend of understated style, comfort and practicality. Plus, as Robert notes, a fresh air vent that resembles a toast rack.

With Thanks To: Robert Desmond.