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E-Legend. What does Peugeot intend with this nod to the classic 504 Coupé?

PHOTOS PEUGEOT E-LEGEND AND 504 COUPÉ: PEUGEOT

These last weeks there is an unexpected topic of conversation in some meetings of classics. This is not the 50th anniversary of any model, or the latest carb maintenance trick, but a electric prototype. And not, we are not arguing about electrifying an E-Type. So how could such a car find a place between us?

Well, very simple. Because although the Peugeot e-Legend is a futuristic commitment to autonomous driving and the electric motor, its body makes a nod to that of the mythical 504 Coupé from 1977. With the design of this two-door Pininfarina he scored a goal, which he repeated when designing the 1997 Coupé in 406.

Anyway, the most amazing thing is that we are talking about a car that, most likely, does not reach production. So why all this ad campaign? What is Peugeot pursuing with the recent presentation of the e-Legend at the 2018 Paris Motor Show? What's the point of issuing an advertisement for a car that may not hit the streets?

For us all this is summarized in two parameters that we have already seen previously in other brands. Parameters that, appealing to the past together with the most advanced technology, try create a successful business image. We are going to reel this out by seeing what the classics have to do with this publicity hubbub.

PEUGEOT E-LEGEND: LOOKING BACK TO THE FUTURE

It's a fact: retro sells. But not just out of simple nostalgia. Not at all. It's actually a much more complex branding process. Currently, competition in the automotive market is fierce, with a large number of brands hunting for the customer. Transmit a sense of security, that these or those acronyms can be trusted ... It is essential if you want to position yourself in sales.

peugeot e legend 504 coupe

In this sense, car brands have been pulling from the past for years. Beyond that create a car with nods to some classic Successful is always visually striking, it makes the new model a participant in a decades-long trajectory. It implies that this brand was here a long time ago, and that if it is still there ... It is because of the good quality of its cars.

From the new Mini to the FIAT 500, through the latest Mustang series, it is clear that appealing to the classic creates a visual identity with the ability to sell. Peugeot has decided to do the same, and for this has made use of the lines that embodied as an elegant coupé to the comfortable 504 saloon. Of course, the e-Legend takes the Pininfarina design guidelines but adding a touch of muscle car to make it very attractive.

For the e-Legend, Peugeot offers astonishing data: practically autonomous driving, more than 350CV and a range of more than 600 km. Well, it is a prototype ... Obviously this data is not corroborated by means external to the brand. But the truth is that both by design and by technology the e-Legend would not be impossible for mass production. Nevertheless, we believe this prototype will never see the streets.

So what is the point of all this?

CREATING BRAND. INNOVATION, TECHNOLOGY AND PRESENCE IN THE MEDIA

Look, let's answer the last question with an example. Do you remember when it was published that VW lost almost 5 million euros with each Veyron? And that the Bugatti is not cheap ... But still the development costs were so high that the figures did not add up anywhere. The explanation is not that the brand's accountants are irresponsible. Not at all. The VW group profited from the Veyron in other ways.

peugeot e legend 504 coupe

The first using it as a test bed with which to experiment with technology that is finally applied to the entire range. And the second… As a brand image. Launching such an engineering prodigy VW sent a message to the public and the competition: Look what we can do. We are that strong ". For us, the logic with which Peugeot has launched the e-Legend campaign is the same: generate brand image and test new technologies.

Surely the e-Legend is never seen in dealerships, but the fact is that we are already talking about Peugeot and its advanced autonomous driving technology. Announcing a car that cannot be bought seems crazy, but you see… Even the followers of the classics and the smell of carburetion are talking about this electric. Will we see a similar resurrection with the 205 GTI? It would be good…

What do you think?

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Written by Miguel Sánchez

Through the news from La Escudería, we will travel the winding roads of Maranello listening to the roar of the Italian V12; We will travel Route66 in search of the power of the great American engines; we will get lost in the narrow English lanes tracking the elegance of their sports cars; We will speed up the braking in the curves of the Monte Carlo Rally and we will even get dusty in a garage while rescuing lost jewels.

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