In the now long-lost heyday of leading styling house Pininfarina, one of the firm's most important commercial relationships was with Peugeot. Beginning with the 403 of 1955, the Turin-based carrozzeria created a succession of refined designs that perfectly complemented the personality of the restrained, well-engineered products of Sochaux - vehicles so beloved of the more conservative elements of the French middle classes.
The 1968 Peugeot 504 saloon - voted Car of the Year for 1969 - continued a tradition established with the 404 by selling in huge numbers (more than 2.8 million by 1982), and providing the basis for elegant coupé and convertible variations with bodies not only designed but also constructed by Pininfarina.
Aldo Brovarone was responsible for the saloon, but the Coupé and Cabriolet models are retrospectively attributed to Franco Martinengo, who had worked with Farina since the 1920s and was due to retire in 1970.
His handsome Peugeot twins were a fine note on which to end a career. With quad rectangular headlights, clean surfaces and curved hips, these gracefully understated designs were an instant hit with both the Peugeot management - which agreed to productionise the cars on first sight of the Coupé prototype - and the public, which bought almost 35,000 of them across a 13-year run. Of the vehicles Pininfarina was contracted to build during this particularly busy period, only the Fiat 124 and Alfa Romeo Spiders (both marketed in North America, unlike the Farina 504s) sold in greater numbers.
Based on a 7in-shorter wheelbase than the four-door-but still four-seaters of sorts - these flagship two-doors were launched at Geneva in 1969 and priced roughly half as much again as the most expensive fuel-injected 504 saloon.
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Denne historien er fra October 2022-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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RAY HILLIER
Double-chevron oddity proves a break from the norm for this Crewe specialist
SHORT BACK & GLIDES
Eccentric enthusiast Captain RG McLeod's series of Manx-tailed Bentley Specials reached its zenith with this unique S2 Continental.
People's choice
The diminutive but multi-million-selling Fiat 850 packed a remarkable diversity of form and function into its compact footprint
PLASTIC BREAKS FROM THE NORM
Glassfibre revolutionised niche car-body production, but just occasionally strayed into the mainstream.
A SENSIBLE SUPERCAR
The cleverly conceived four-seater Elite secured Lotus a place at the big players' table, but has it been unfairly maligned since then?
"I had a habit of grabbing second place from the jaws of victory"
From dreams of yachting glory to the Le Mans podium, via a stint at the top of the motorsport tree, Howden Ganley had quite the career
Still going strong
Herbert Engineering staked its reputation on the five-year warranty that came with its cars. A century on, this Two Litre hasn't made a claim
One for the kids
General Motors was aiming squarely at the youth market with the launch of the Pontiac GTO 60 years ago, and its runaway success popularised the muscle-car movement
A NEW BREED OF HERO
Launched at the turn of the millennium, the GT3 badge has already earned a place alongside RS, CS and turbo in Porsche lore.
Brits with SIX appeal
The straight-six engine is synonymous with a decades-long legacy of great British sports cars. Six variations on the sextet theme convene for comparison
