Peugeot 604 Turbo Diesel: What Are They Worth Today?

Peugeot expanded from making tools and bicycles to building cars in the 1880s. That makes Peugeot the oldest continually operating carmaker in the world, although Carl Benz's Patent Motorwagen is often regarded as the first car ever made. Peugeot became part of the Stellantis group a few years ago, putting it in an international garage with Jeep, Chrysler, and Dodge. 

For nearly a century, Peugeot has badged its cars with a three-digit number with a "0" in the middle. In 2005, Peugeot broke tradition by doubling up on the centrally placed zeros for the 1007, a compact crossover that was somewhat of a disappointment in terms of sales. That was a full three decades after Peugeot introduced the 604, a luxury sedan built on the same platform as the slightly smaller 504. The 604 was initially offered with a gas-fueled 2.7-liter V6 that produced 136 horsepower, but a turbodiesel version was released for the 1982 model year. That car was priced at a hefty $19,595 (about $65,000 today), but what is a turbodiesel Peugeot 604 worth in 2024?

[Featured image by Thomas Doerfer via Wikimedia Commons|Cropped and scaled|CC-By 3.0]

 Peugeot was on the verge of bankruptcy when it introduced the turbodiesel 604, and that car would have been a poor investment at the time. JD Power lists the current high retail value for a 1982 Peugeot 604 turbodiesel at $4,525, although one sold in 2022 on Bring a Trailer for just over $8,500.

The original appeal of the 604 was in its styling and not its performance, particularly for the diesel-powered version. The 2.3-liter inline four turbodiesel produced just 80 horsepower and 136 lb-ft of torque and required more than 17 seconds to get the 604 from 0–60 miles per hour. That was nearly 3 seconds slower than that year's Toyota Corolla, a car that is now in its twelfth generation but has never been known for its performance. In comparison, the 1982 Honda Accord was a veritable dragster with its 1.8-liter, 75 horsepower I4 that could get that car to 60 miles per hour in a more reasonable 12.6 seconds.