What you're looking at here is one of the world's most popular cars. It may never have sold in massive numbers in the UK, but across the globe the Peugeot 504 sold over 3,000,000 examples.

It was a versatile car, too. It was sold in multiple body styles - a saloon, an estate, a pick-up truck, a crew cab and a factory-built ambulance, as well as a 4x4 conversion in association with Dangel.

The 504 was also built in eight different countries: France, Argentina, China, Kenya, Nigeria, South Africa, Spain and Taiwan. European production ceased in 1983, but at that point the 504 was less than halfway through its life. It remained in production in China until 1997, Argentina until 1999, and Kenya as recently as 2004. 

It's not hard to see why it was so popular either. Not only was the 504 a stylish effort with a body designed by Pininfarina, no less, but it was also remarkably strong and rugged with simple mechanicals, long suspension travel and a vast and spacious cabin. It's little wonder, then, that it proved particularly popular in Sub-Saharan Africa.

Indeed, that's where this example began its life. It was manufactured by the Sigma Motor Corporation in Pretoria, South Africa, where Peugeot models were assembled under a contract. It's a South African model denomination too. A Super 7, denoting the fact that it's a seven-seater estate.

The 504 left the Pretoria factory in January 1982 and spent most of its life in the nation’s Western Cape Province, in the coastal town of Riverdale. Its most recent owner bought the car in 2008 and it was acquired by the vendor at the end of 2021. Its earlier history isn't known.

The car has covered 219,583km, which equates to just under 136,000 miles - absolutely nothing for a rugged 504.

It has recently arrived in the UK and is being sold by a classic car dealer who specialises in bringing in vehicles from South Africa.

As a recent arrival in the UK, the 504 isn't currently registered here. But critically, all of the import paperwork has been completed including the NOVA forms and all duties have been paid.

That means that registering the car is a simple process, which will require a notice of first registration to the DVLA. The vendor is happy to help with this if needed, as he has done it several times before. 

Although it is now MOT and tax exempt, the vendor will also supply the car with a full UK MOT to give peace of mind to the buyer that it is fit and roadworthy.

In order to create the 504 estate, Peugeot extended the floor pan and wheelbase and as a result, this really is a large car - bigger, in fact, than a Mercedes-Benz S class of the same era.

With bodywork the same colour as a Smurf you certainly won't miss this 504 or lose it in a car park. it's a bright and distinctive vehicle that certainly stands out in a crowd.

The paint appears to be mostly original and while it is flat in a few places, it should polish back up beautifully, while beneath the sandy road dust the underside appears to be rock solid thanks to the arid South African climate.

The car comes with rare factory alloy wheels and is in very presentable order, with only a few minor scuff marks. 

For some reason, one of the front indicator lenses was a different colour to the other side, that is now resolved.

As well as being huge on the outside, the 504 is enormous on the inside, with acres of head and legroom for passengers in both the front and rear seats. Its real party trick, though, is inside the boot where an extra bench seat can be folded up, turning it into a seven-seater.

It’s a useful-sized seat, too, with easily enough room for a pair of passengers and a surprising amount of luggage space still left behind the seat. It's no wonder, then, that the 504 was such a popular taxi worldwide, especially in station wagon specification.

The cabin is functional, with tan leatherette seat facings and a very basic and straightforward dashboard. It's in good but not perfect condition. For example, there are a couple of small pulls to the stitching in the seats, two of the door handle surrounds are damaged and the radio-cassette player no longer appears to work. None of these affect the car’s usability of functionality, so are things for the next owner to sort out at their leisure.

The Peugeot’s two-litre petrol engine starts up instantly and runs very smoothly with no signs of excessive oil consumption or overheating. There are no rattles or suspicious noises from the engine bay and it holds a steady idle.

We were able to conduct a short test drive of the car on private land and can confirm that the steering and brakes appear to be fine and that the car goes smoothly in and out of all of its four gears as well as reverse.

There is no power steering, but despite this manoeuvring is surprisingly light and easy.

Not only is this one of the definitive classic cars of the 20th century, famous the world over, but it is also an immensely practical classic car that promises fun for all the family, as well as being a useful vehicle to have around for its vast load lugging ability.

It's the kind of classic that you can have in reserve as a hugely practical stopgap if you need to collect furniture, a domestic appliance or a mother-in-law, for example.

In addition, the 504’s global popularity means that unlike many workaday cars of the era, you can still get most parts (including rare interior trim and body panels) with relative ease. Combined, these elements make it a very attractive proposition as well as a rare one on British shores.