Today in the AutoWeek Classics-comparison test: Two coupés from 1977,
two coupés which prominently show the name of their designers.
This is a Peugeot 504 Coupé, designed by Pininfarina.
And this is a Volvo 262C, designed by Bertone.
I'll start with the 504 Coupé, because it's the oldest one were driving today.
This particular model is from 1977 however, so it's the facelifted version.
The 504 Coupé and Cabriolet were released only a half year later...
...than the 504 saloon car. That was in 1969.
Both the Coupé and Cabriolet were drawn, and built by Pininfarina in Turin.
Together with the Alfa Romeo Spider Duetto, they rolled off the production line.
The drivetrain, so the engine and the gearbox et cetera,
those were mounted in the Peugeot-factory in Sochaux.
Pininfarina also drew another 504. A concept car called the Break Riviera,
a sort of shooting brake version of the 504. A beautiful car,
but unfortunately it never reached production.
Pininfarina has always been a close friend to Peugeot.
Since the early 50's they've been working together. The 403 for example.
This 504 Coupé is based on the normal 504, but you can't really tell.
It's got a shorter wheelbase, and when it comes to the body...
Not a single part is similar to that of the saloon, and that's a big difference with the Volvo.
Just look around you. It's really a design from 'that' era.
Narrow window-styles, clear oversight,
a very small back seat, which doesn't seat a lot...
If you compare this with the 504 saloon, which is a very tame car to look at,
this is quite an exotic car really.
Compared with the 504 saloon, the dashboard is different as well.
They do share the same base, like that middle console,
but everything around you creates a sportier ambiance.
Sporty steering wheel as well.
Like I already said, this is the post-facelift version.
The facelift arrived in 1975. When it was first introduced in 1969,
it had four headlights. Two double units.
After the facelift, it changed to two rectangular headlights.
The rear lights became bigger, it got a new grille,
and it received a 6-cylinder.
The famous/notorious PRV-engine.
PRV stands for Peugeot, Renault and Volvo.
It was developed by those three companies, and it was originally meant as a V8.
Somehow, it ended up in this Coupé.
From the beginning, you had a 1.8-litre 4-cylinder, which later changed to a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder.
But after the facelift, there suddenly was a 6-cylinder.
And to be honest, it really suits this car.
The drive is silky smooth, very comfortable,
very light steering. It's almost American.
The engine itself then... You shouldn't expect too much of it.
Officially, it produces 136 horsepower and it's connected to a three-speed automatic gearbox,
which was an option back in the day. If I let it do its thing...
Actually it's pretty good. I was going to say it doesn't really do anything,
but it isn't a disappointment really.
It's a very smooth driving car this.
That PRV-engine is a great little bridge to the Volvo, because the 262C also came with that famous 6-cylinder.
In the front of this 262C, you'd expect that PRV-engine,
but it's gone... The owner of this car thought that engine was too unreliable,
he didn't want to live in insecurity anymore, so he changed the whole drivetrain.
So now, it's powered by a 6-cylinder from a 1983 Volvo 760.
The automatic gearbox which came with that is in here as well.
That's quite remarkable, because the rest of this car is fully original.
It's the very first 262C which was registered in the Netherlands, even before it officially went on sale.
This was the ex-demonstration car of Volvo Netherlands.
So this is the car which visited the dealerships.
And when it first went on sale, you could only get these colors.
Silver on the outside with a black roof.
I've always thought this was a curious car.
I don't think it's particularly beautiful, but it's very fascinating in a way.
It also isn't as easy to remember as that 504 Coupé.
That really was an instant classic, a really beautiful car.
But if you take a look at this, it just looks like a Volvo like we all know,
only with a roof which is 10 cm lower.
That's the work of Bertone, and it was done in Italy.
The car isn't drawn by Bertone by the way, it's a design of Volvo themselves.
Jan Wilsgaard, who drew everything at Volvo, is responsible for this design.
That same Wilsgaard has designed the roof we've got here, Bertone just built it at their plant in Italy.
And the idea was to give it a sportier look.
The story goes... If it isn't true, don't get angry please, but it's too good not to tell.
Back in the day, Volvo had very advanced factories.
Other companies were interested in that approach.
One day, Ford came to visit and they brought along a Lincoln Continental Mark IV.
The big one, very square.
Volvo liked that design so much, they thought that if they brought this car to the USA,
it would work out very well.
What distinguishes this 262C is the lower, vinyl roof. It also came with a sloped windscreen,
huge C-styles, so it isn't oversightful at all.
It's very distinguishable though.
The vinyl roof was a standard accessory, but in the final year of production, 1981,
you could paint it in the exterior color.
Of course, Bertone did more than just install a chopped roof.
They went to town with the interior as well, just look at this...
It's like I'm in an old nightclub. The ruffed leather,
the veneered wood on the doors. Leather everywhere,
the seats, wherever you may look, even the roof.
But if you look at the dashboard, it's just a Volvo like we're used to.
Everything is very angular and square. Huge buttons everywhere.
Very smart and rational, like Volvo always has been.
And that's funny, because this car was meant for the USA.
It was priced at $20.000, which was more than a Cadillac Eldorado back then.
They described this car as 'a car to be desired, rather than to be required'.
And that's the problem with this car. On one hand,
it was a Volvo with all accessory clichés, but on the other hand it was a Volvo which embodied some kind of greed.
That just didn't go well together, so that's why only 6600 262C's were built.
So it was, it is and it will remain a very exclusive car.
Right. My choice then...
Which one would I rather have? I don't think it's a very hard choice.
Like I said, it's a fascinating car,
but I don't really like the way it drives. It's stiff and it feels bumpy.
Especially if you compare it with the elegant Peugeot...
The driving aside, I think the Peugeot definitely looks better.
So the battle between Bertone and Pininfarina is won by the latter.