Peugeot has a long-standing tradition of offering cabriolet versions of its small saloons and hatchbacks, and the 304's turn came in 1970, soon after the launch of the saloon at the 1969 Paris Motor Show.

The 304 used the smaller 204's centre section, with a longer nose and tail which followed the successful 504's angular styling, but cabrios and coupes were built on a 280mm-shorter 2310mm wheelbase than the saloon and estate.

The 304 was advanced for its time featuring all-round independent suspension, front disc brakes, and a four-speed manual gearbox mounted in the engine sump (like a Mini), while power came from an all-alloy 1288cc SOHC four-cylinder unit that produced a healthy 65bhp.

The cabrio was the first version to receive the more powerful S engine, offering an extra 10bhp, in March 1972.

Only 18,647 cabrios were made before production ended in 1975, with just 836 S Cabriolets provided to the UK market.

This rare, UK-supplied S Cabriolet was manufactured new in 1974 and...