Peugeot does not build many cars like the Peugeot 204: a 4-door sedan (car) / saloon / 4-door Station wagon / estate (break) / 2-door coupé / 2-door convertible (car) / convertible / 2-door van with Petrol engine, built from 1965 to 1976 in the decade that gave the world the pony car and the mid-engined supercar. Its designer of record is Battista Pininfarina.
Where it came from
The Peugeot 204 is a small family car produced by the French manufacturer Peugeot between 1965 and 1976. The 204, known in development as Project D12, was available in many body styles including a sedan/saloon/berline, convertible/cabriolet, hatchback/coupe, estate/wagon, and a van. It was launched in Paris, France, on 23 April 1965 and became the best-selling car in France from 1969 to 1971.
Under the skin
Under the skin sits Petrol engine; other versions carried different engines, listed in the specification table below. Kerb weight is 851 kg. The layout matters: the engine drives the front wheels, the packaging choice that gives a small car a big cabin. The wheelbase is 2595 mm. These are manufacturer figures carried by Wikipedia and Wikidata, not road-test measurements.
In context
Where it sits in Peugeot's history is not in doubt: the Peugeot 203 came before it; the Peugeot 304 / Peugeot 205 followed it; it was built at Mulhouse (Mulhouse Plant), France. On a showroom list of its day it stood against the Ford Transit, the Nissan Silvia, the Ford Bronco. Nearby in the Peugeot catalogue sit the Peugeot Onyx and the Peugeot Pars.
The money
MotorJury scores cars on the United States complaint and recall record, and the Peugeot 204 has none: too old, too rare, or never sold there. Its value today is a collector's question, decided by provenance and condition rather than by a class average.