The 504 Pikes Peak is Peugeot Design Lab’s radical reinvention of the classic family wagon

French motoring brands have some of the richest automotive archives of the planet, a combined wealth of design innovation that stretched back well over a century. The last few years has seen all the key players plunder this treasure chest of inspiration, drawing not only on hallowed models from the past but actively working to refresh and refurbish classic designs in order to bring them before fresh eyes.

In addition to the clearly retro-inspired Renault 4 and Renault 5 EVs, the company has also tapped local design talent to revisit classic designs, from Mathieu Lehanneur’s Suite N°4 (2021), the Renault 5 Diamant by Pierre Gonalons (2022), the Twingo reinvented by Sabine Marcelis and Ora-ïto’s recent Renault 17. Citroën’s glorious past was recently recalled in the SM Tribute by DS Automobiles while Peugeot itself evoked Pininfarina’s elegant 504 Coupe in the 2018 E-Legend concept.

This is Peugeot Design Lab’s take on the iconic 504 Break, or estate. The company’s creative arm has ventured into all sorts of arenas since being set up just over a decade ago, from pianos to yachts, but this time the canvas is a vintage Peugeot classic.

First introduced in 1968, the 504 sedan and coupé were both styled by Pininfarina, part of a long and winning run of collaboration between the French manufacturer and the Italian design house. Peugeot’s in-house team turned the elegant four-door form into a pick-up truck and a capacious estate car, capable of seating seven in three rows. Something of a cult object, the 504 Break was produced in France until 1983, when it was replaced by the equally sharp-edged 505.

But the 504 didn’t die. Production continued in China and South America until the late 1990s and – most notably – in Kenya and Nigeria, where the last examples were built in 2006. Spacious and durable, there are still thousands on the roads of Africa today. It’s this combination of longevity and design simplicity that’s fired up the Design Lab, as they take the original form in three radical directions.

First up is this relatively stock example of the classic Break, created as an homage to the French hip-hop group 113, who used a 504 Break in a legendary appearance at Victoires de la Musique, the annual French music awards, exactly 25 years ago. The group took to the stage in a 504 to celebrate their award-winning debut album, Les Princes de la ville. Jumping out of the car, 113 performed the track ‘Tonton du Bled’, which references a road trip from France to visit family in Africa in a 504.

Where the 113-themed design sketch shown here was fairly faithful to the exterior styling of the original, the interior is altogether different, with custom trim, Peugeot’s ‘Hypersquare’ steering wheel and a centrally located record deck and vinyl store. This isn’t the studio’s only take on the 504, however. Also revealed are two other highly customised examples.

The first of these is a drift car version of the 113 tribute, complete with slammed suspension, thick slick tyres, carbon fibre interior and bodywork, with removed rear doors for a fastback, shooting break style body. The roof rack still bears the ‘big blue trunks’ referenced in the lyrics to Tonton du Bled, a colour that’s carried forward into the front spoiler and tyres.

Finally, we have the 113 Pikes Peak car shown here. Splicing elements from both 113 concepts with current Peugeot design language, most notably in the headlamps, this door-less racing machine is pitched at the legendary Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, an annual time trial event held in the Rocky Mountains in Colorado since 1916.

Pikes Peak is a formidable challenge for both driver and car, a 1.4km ascent over a twisting 20km road with no room for error. Open to a variety of classes, the quickest times are usually achieved by machines that have been built especially for the event, often by manufacturers keen to showcase their racing prowess. In recent years, electrification has added another layer of performance intensity.

There’s no hint as to whether the 504 Break Pikes Peak will even compete, let alone if it’ll be electrified, but should it roll out on the starting line in Colorado this June, it’s a safe bet to assume the latter.

@PeugeotDesignLab