1975 Peugeot 304 S – Project Profile

Summer is coming, apparently. And by the time it gets here, we should hopefully be able to hit the streets and get out and about. And what a glorious moment that will be. Sun, social outings, it’s all very exciting. And you can make it even more exciting by making sure you return to the world with a cool set of wheels, and few are cooler than those attached to this little Peugeot 304S. It’s dripping with French chic, but it’s a UK car, so no left-hand drive to contend with. This is an exceptionally rare car to begin with – but to find one in UK specification? Well, that’s unicorn territory. 

Of course, it needs some work. But it’s no basket case. Far from it in fact. There is some specialist bodywork to contend with, and of course some freshening up in regard to the mechanicals and the like. But that, for the most part, is about it. This could be on the road in no time. All it needs is you to take it on, and for a mere £4,850, you definitely should. 

What is it? 

What we have here is a 1975 Peugeot 304S cabriolet. The 304 was a hugely important car for Peugeot. It slotted into the model range between the massively popular 204 and the more upmarket 504. Interestingly though, the 304 was not a new car and was instead a hybrid of the two. The mechanicals and cabin sections were largely the same as the 204 – a car lauded for its interior space. The nose and rear of the 304, however, were styled to look similar to the 504, which had been praised for its looks. The 304 was to be a midground, offering the best of both worlds. 

The 304 was offered most notably as a saloon, as an estate, as a coupe and even as a van. And then of course, there was the cabriolet, as seen here. Unlike the coupe on which it was based, the cabriolet only had two seats and featured a manually folding hood. The rarest of all 304s, only 19,000 were built. Of those, only 836 were right-hand drive. Many have since succumbed to the dreaded tin worm, and as such, the topless 304 is now a very rare car indeed. Especially in UK specification. 

Why is it a project? 

As projects go, this one – on the surface at least – doesn’t seem to need too much. There is of course some rust in the rear decklid, and as parts simply don’t exist, that’s going to need some specialist work. The interior looks like it could do with a deep clean, and the roof while present, seems to be in good order, though missing the rear screen. The car runs and drives according to the vendor, so there are no scary unknowns there. 

The big killer on these cars is rust. There seems to be a hole in the nearside sill, by the base of the B pillar, and there seems to be some thick filler flaking off the nearside rear, so this would need investigation. The sill especially, as this area has been beefed up to take a lot of the strain of the body. If it fails here, it could be game over. It’s going to need some love with the sparkly spanner, but given its rarity, it’s got to be worth the effort. You certainly won’t find another. 

Five things to look for? 

1) Roof

The roof seems to be there, and it seems to be in decent condition. However, where is the rear window section? What’s the frame and mechanism like? Does it still shut and fold up as it should?

2) Interior

It looks tired, but also complete. The door cards have some warping, but other than needing a bit of a deep clean, that’s all we can see. Of course, you’ll want to lift the carpets ideally and look at the condition of the floors and the pillar bases. 

3) Engine

The vendor says the car runs and drives, but how well? It is lazy, does it knock, is there excessive smoke or other issues? Give it a thorough inspection. Parts aren’t too hard to find, but it’s better to know going in.

4) Boot lid 

The boot lid is unique to this model. Frustratingly, the one on this car seems to have some significant corrosion on the rear edge. Can it be saved? If not, you’re going to need to find someone to replicate it, and that won’t be cheap. 

5) Rust

As we mentioned earlier, rust is the killer of these cars. Check the floors, the sills, the pillars, the inner wings, the bulkhead, the boot floor – if it’s metal, check it and check it properly. The metal is this car’s strength, if it’s failing, it could be scrap. 

What should you do with it? 

Given the rarity of this 1975 Peugeot 304 S, the only way to really go would be a full restoration. Strip it down, deal with what is hopefully only minor rust and then build it back up to factory specification. This little Peugeot, when restored, is going to be one of those cars that captivates. It’s a beautiful, unfussy design, and one that still cuts a dash today. Make it shine once more.