Not many clues are to be found on this rotten Peugeot 204, but the registration plate and a window sticker help place the car as an arrival from the Balearic Islands, specifically Palma de Mallorca. The references to 91/92 strongly suggest that this petrol-powered example would have arrived here around that time. I’d like to think it was brought over by a misguided British raver who fancied a drive back to the UK but it’s more likely that it was brought over by a visitor whose luck ran out when their car gave up.
Either way, finding a Peugeot 204 saloon is a remarkable feat considering how Peugeots of that era suffered from horrific rust. First introduced in 1965, this model is most likely to be a ‘70s example but with no front grill, it’s not possible to know which half of the decade the car would have been built. They were well-engineered cars that were quite popular in France, because of their comfortable ride, fuel economy, decent performance, and spacious interior.
Peugeot’s mid-sized cars struggled to maintain much of a share in the UK in the 1970s, owing to fewer dealers than Renault and Citroen, and a modest price premium, which may explain why sales of the 204 never exceeded 2,000 per year. The replacement (and similarly scarce) 304 fared better, but it wasn’t until the late 1970s, when the 305 arrived, that Peugeot made a significant effect on the UK compact family car market.
