Cars with History: Peugeot 104

Diego G. Moreira 12 May 2013 3 min.

A good way to remember or get to know some important cars in history is to take a stroll through Portugal. In the neighbouring country, between the three taxes that new cars pay and its difficult economic situation, the car park has aged, and in the villages you can see true jewels on wheels.

This is the case of the Peugeot 104 that I saw in a hypermarket in the neighbouring country (while I was going to buy coffee). The model was not one of the brand’s historic ones, but there was nevertheless a sporty version, the Peugeot 104 ZS, which was very well received among young people in the 70s.

Manufactured from 1972 to 1988

The Peugeot 104 appeared at a time of great activity for the French manufacturer. In October 1972 it was presented at the Paris Motor Show as one of the smallest city cars in Europe at the time. The M121 project would give rise to the Peugeot 104 and the future Renault 14. Based on this car, with the future acquisition of Citroën and Talbot, the Citroën LNA and the Talbot Samba would be developed.

From its launch it came with a four-door body; the two-door would arrive a year later. The power of the first engine, a mere 1-litre (954 cc), was 46 CV, although the 1.2 with 50 CV, a 1.4 with 72 CV and the ZS sports version with 66 CV (which in the final phase of production reached 80 CV) would later appear. These may seem like modest outputs, but not much power was needed to move the 760 kg of weight. In its final years of production it also had a five-speed gearbox, with which it could reach 158 km/h.

In 1979 the sportiest version arrived, the 104 ZS 2, which with its 1.4 engine reached 93 CV, with a top speed of 175 km/h, easily achieved thanks to a weight of only 770 kg. Of course, reaching 175 km/h in a 3.35-metre car with the safety standards of the time was little short of madness.

It was a very affordable, practical and small car, ideal for squeezing through narrow streets and poorly paved country roads typical of the era (not that there are none today, but back then you could hit a pothole without breaking the front bumper). The four-door version measured 3.5 metres, while the three-door was only 3.35 metres long.

It was sold until 1988, when the Peugeot 205 appeared and the model was withdrawn from the market.

It could seat four adults, and the interior had enough room to keep the driver comfortable; it was not exactly a showcase of design. According to a test by Autopista, the car with the 66 CV engine had a consumption at around 75 km/h of 6.75 litres per 100 km.

By 1988 it is estimated that close to 1.6 million Peugeot 104s had been sold. It even had a rally version that developed up to 100 CV.