Peugeot (, , ) is a French brand of automobiles owned by
Stellantis.
The family business that preceded the current Peugeot companies was founded in 1810, with a steel foundry that soon started making hand tools and kitchen equipment, and then
bicycles. On 20 November 1858, Émile Peugeot applied for the lion
trademark
A trademark (also written trade mark or trade-mark) is a type of intellectual property consisting of a recognizable sign, design, or expression that identifies products or services from a particular source and distinguishes them from othe ...
. Armand Peugeot (1849–1915) built the company's first car
steam tricycle, in collaboration with
Léon Serpollet
Léon Serpollet (4 October 1858 – 1 February 1907) was a French engineer and developer of flash steam boilers and steam automobiles.
Léon Serpollet was born in Culoz, in the Ain department of France in 1859, son of the carpenter August ...
in 1889; this was followed in 1890 by an
internal combustion
An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combust ...
car with a
Panhard
Panhard was a French motor vehicle manufacturer that began as one of the first makers of automobiles. It was a manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its final incarnation, now owned by Renault Trucks Defense, was formed ...
-
Daimler engine.
The Peugeot company and family are originally from
Sochaux
Sochaux () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France.
Geography
Sochaux lies east of Montbéliard, and southeast of Paris.
Population
Inhabitants are known as ''Sochaliens''.
Economy
S ...
. Peugeot retains a large manufacturing plant and
Peugeot museum there. In February 2014, the
shareholders agreed to a
recapitalisation
Recapitalization is a type of corporate reorganization involving substantial change in a company's capital structure. Recapitalization may be motivated by a number of reasons. Usually, the large part of equity is replaced with debt or vice versa. ...
plan for the
PSA Group, in which
Dongfeng Motors
Dongfeng Motor Corporation Ltd. is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Wuhan, Hubei. Founded in 1969, it is currently the third largest of the " Big Four" state-owned car manufacturers of China, namely: SAIC Motor, FAW ...
and the French government each bought a 14% stake in the company.
Peugeot has received many international awards for its vehicles, including six
European Car of the Year awards.
Peugeot has been involved successfully in motorsport for more than a century, including victories at the
Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
in 1913, 1916, and 1919.
Peugeot Sport won the
World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
five times (1985, 1986, 2000, 2001, 2002), the
Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as the "Paris–Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal ...
seven times (1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 2016, 2017, 2018), the
24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose ...
three times (1992, 1993, 2009), the
World Endurance Championship twice (1992, 1993), the
Intercontinental Rally Challenge Championship three times, the
Intercontinental Le Mans Cup
The Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (shortened ILMC) was an endurance sports car racing tournament organised by the Automobile Club de l'Ouest (ACO) started in 2010. twice (2010, 2011) and the
Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), also known as The Race to the Clouds, is an annual automobile hillclimb to the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado, USA. The track measures and has over 156 turns, climbing from the sta ...
three times (1988, 1989, 2013).
History
Early manufacturing
The Peugeot family of
Valentigney
Valentigney () is a commune in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France.
Valentigney is best known as the place where Peugeot began operations; several members of the Peugeot family still live in the area.
...
,
Montbéliard
Montbéliard (; traditional ) is a town in the Doubs department in the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté region in eastern France, about from the border with Switzerland. It is one of the two subprefectures of the department.
History
Montbéliard is ...
,
Franche-Comté, France began in the manufacturing business in 1810 with a steel foundry, which quickly started manufacturing
saws; then other hand tools and, circa 1840 to 1842,
coffee grinder
A burr mill, or burr grinder, is a mill used to grind hard, small food products between two revolving abrasive surfaces separated by a distance usually set by the user. When the two surfaces are set far apart, the resulting ground material is co ...
s; then, in 1874, pepper grinders; and then, circa 1880,
bicycles. The company's entry into the vehicle market was by means of
crinoline dresses, which used steel rods, leading to umbrella frames, chisels, wire wheels, and bicycles.
Armand Peugeot introduced his "''Le Grand Bi''"
penny-farthing in 1882, along with a range of other bicycles.
The company's logo, initially a lion walking on an arrow, symbolized the speed, strength, and flexibility of the Peugeot saw blades. The car and motorcycle company and the bicycle company parted ways in 1926, but the family-owned
Cycles Peugeot continued to build bicycles throughout the 20th century until the brand name was sold off to unrelated firms. The family-owned firm Peugeot Saveurs continues to make and market grinders and other kitchen and table-service equipment.
Early motor vehicles
Armand Peugeot became interested in the automobile early on and, after meeting with
Gottlieb Daimler
Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler (; 17 March 1834 – 6 March 1900) was a German engineer, industrial designer and industrialist born in Schorndorf ( Kingdom of Württemberg, a federal state of the German Confederation), in what is now Germany. He w ...
and others were convinced of its viability. The first Peugeot automobile, a three-wheeled,
steam-powered car designed by
Léon Serpollet
Léon Serpollet (4 October 1858 – 1 February 1907) was a French engineer and developer of flash steam boilers and steam automobiles.
Léon Serpollet was born in Culoz, in the Ain department of France in 1859, son of the carpenter August ...
, was produced in 1889; only four examples were made.
[Georgano, p22.] Steam power was heavy and bulky and required lengthy warmup times. In 1890, after meeting Daimler and
Émile Levassor, steam was abandoned in favour of a four-wheeled car with a petrol-fuelled
internal combustion engine
An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal c ...
built by
Panhard
Panhard was a French motor vehicle manufacturer that began as one of the first makers of automobiles. It was a manufacturer of light tactical and military vehicles. Its final incarnation, now owned by Renault Trucks Defense, was formed ...
under Daimler licence. The car was more sophisticated than many of its contemporaries, with a three-point suspension and a sliding-gear transmission.
[Darke, p.1683.] An example was sold to the young
Alberto Santos-Dumont
Alberto Santos-Dumont ( Palmira, 20 July 1873 — Guarujá, 23 July 1932) was a Brazilian aeronaut, sportsman, inventor, and one of the few people to have contributed significantly to the early development of both lighter-than-air and heavie ...
, who exported it to Brazil.
More cars followed, 29 being built in 1892, 40 in 1894, 72 in 1895, 156 in 1898, and 300 in 1899.
These early models were given "type" numbers. Peugeot became the first manufacturer to fit rubber
tyres (solid, rather than
pneumatic) to a petrol-powered car. Due to family discord, Armand Peugeot founded the Société des Automobiles Peugeot, in 1896, but in 1910 it was merged back with the family's Peugeot bicycle and motorcycle business.
Peugeot was an early pioneer in motor racing, with
Albert Lemaître winning the world's first motor race, the
Paris–Rouen, in a 3 hp Peugeot. Five Peugeots qualified for the main event, and all finished. Lemaître finished 3 min 30 sec behind the Comte
de Dion whose steam-powered car was ineligible for the official competition.
[Georgano, p.22.] Three Peugeots were entered in the
Paris–Bordeaux–Paris
The Paris–Bordeaux–Paris Trail race of June 1895 is sometimes called the "first motor race", although it did not fit modern competition where the fastest is the winner. It was a win for Émile Levassor, who came first after completing the 1,1 ...
, where they were beaten by Panhard's car (despite an average speed of
[Georgano, p.20.] and taking the 31,500 franc prize.
This also marked the debut of
Michelin pneumatic tyres in racing,
[Darke, p.1684.] also on a Peugeot; they proved insufficiently durable.
Nevertheless, the vehicles were still very much
horseless carriage
Horseless carriage is an early name for the motor car or automobile. Prior to the invention of the motor car, carriages were usually pulled by animals, typically horses. The term can be compared to other transitional terms, such as wireless pho ...
s in appearance and were steered by a
tiller
A tiller or till is a lever used to steer a vehicle. The mechanism is primarily used in watercraft, where it is attached to an outboard motor, rudder post or stock to provide leverage in the form of torque for the helmsman to turn the rudder. ...
.
In 1896, the first Peugeot engines were built; no longer were they reliant on Daimler. Designed by Rigoulot, the first engine was an horizontal twin fitted to the back of the
Type 15.
It also served as the basis of a nearly exact copy produced by
Rochet-Schneider
Rochet-Schneider was a French company, based in Lyons, that produced automobiles between 1894 and 1932. The Rochet-Schneider sales slogan was "strength, simplicity and silence".
Like other motorcars of the Brass Era, the cars made by Roche ...
.
Further improvements followed: the engine moved to the front on the Type 48 and was soon under a
bonnet
A Bonnet is a variety of headgear, hat or cap
Specific types of headgear referred to as "bonnets" may include
Scottish
* Blue bonnet, a distinctive woollen cap worn by men in Scotland from the 15th-18th centuries And its derivations:
** Fea ...
at the front of the car, instead of hidden underneath; the steering wheel was adopted on the
Type 36, and they began to look more like the modern car.
Also in 1896, Armand Peugeot broke away from Les Fils de Peugeot Frères to form his own company, Société Anonyme des Automobiles Peugeot, building a new factory at
Audincourt to focus entirely on cars.
In 1899, sales hit 300; total car sales for all of France that year were 1,200.
The same year, Lemaître won the Nice-Castellane-Nice Rally in a special racer.
At the 1901
Paris Salon, Peugeot debuted a tiny shaft-driven one-cylinder, dubbed "''Bébé''" ("baby"), and shed its conservative image, becoming a style leader.
[Darke, p.1685.] After placing 19th in the 1902 Paris-Vienna Rally with a racer, and failing to finish with two similar cars, Peugeot quit racing.
In 1898, Peugeot Motocycles presents at the
Paris Motorshow the first motorcycle equipped with a Dion-Bouton motor. Peugeot Motocycles remains the oldest motorcycle manufacturer in the world.
Peugeot added motorcycles to its range in 1901, and they have been built under the Peugeot name ever since. By 1903, Peugeot produced half of the cars built in France, and they offered the ''Bébé'', a four-seater, and an and resembling contemporary
Mercedes models.
The 1907 salon showed Peugeot's first six-cylinder and marked
Tony Huber joining as an engine builder.
By 1910, Peugeot's
product line included a two-cylinder and six four-cylinders, of between two and six liters. In addition, a new factory opened the same year at Sochaux, which became the main plant in 1928.
A more famous name,
Ettore Bugatti
Ettore Arco Isidoro Bugatti (15 September 1881 – 21 August 1947) was an Italian-born French automobile designer and manufacturer. He is remembered as the founder and proprietor of the automobile manufacturing company Automobiles E. Bugatti, wh ...
, designed the new four-cylinder ''Bébé'' of 1912.
The same year, Peugeot returned to racing with a team of three driver-engineers (a breed typical of the pioneer period, exemplified by
Enzo Ferrari
Enzo Anselmo Giuseppe Maria Ferrari (; 20 February 1898 – 14 August 1988) was an Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobil ...
among others):
Jules Goux
Jules Goux (6 April 1885 - 6 March 1965) was a French racing driver and Grand Prix motor racing champion. He was also notable for being the first Frenchman, and the first European driver, to win the Indianapolis 500.
Biography
Influenced by the G ...
(graduate of ''Arts et Metiers'', Paris),
Paolo Zuccarelli (formerly of
Hispano-Suiza), and
Georges Boillot (collectively called ''Les Charlatans''), with 26-year-old Swiss engineer
Ernest Henry to make their ideas reality. The company decided ''voiturette'' (light car) racing was not enough, and chose to try ''grandes épreuves'' (grand touring). They did so with an engineering ''tour de force'': a
dual overhead camshaft
An overhead camshaft (OHC) engine is a piston engine where the camshaft is located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier overhead valve engines (OHV), where the camshaft is located below the combustion cha ...
(DOHC) 7.6-liter four-cylinder (110x200 mm) with four valves per cylinder. It proved faster than other cars of its time, and Boillot won the 1912 French Grand Prix at an average of , despite losing third gear and taking a 20-minute pit stop.
[Darke, p.1688.] In May 1913, Goux took one to
Indianapolis, and won at an average of , recording straightaway speeds of .
making Peugeot the first non-American-based auto company to win at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. In 1914, Boillot's 3-liter L5 set a new Indy lap record of , and Duray placed second (beaten by ex-Peugeot ace
René Thomas in a
Delage).
[Darke, p.1689.] Another (driven by Boillot's brother,
André
André — sometimes transliterated as Andre — is the French and Portuguese form of the name Andrew, and is now also used in the English-speaking world. It used in France, Quebec, Canada and other French-speaking countries. It is a variation ...
) placed in 1915; similar models won in 1916 (
Dario Resta) and 1919 (
Howdy Wilcox
Howard Samuel Wilcox (June 24, 1889 – September 4, 1923) was an American racecar driver active in the formative years of auto racing.
Biography
He was born in Crawfordsville, Indiana on June 24, 1889.
Wilcox won the 1919 Indianapolis 500 ...
).
For the 1913
French Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de France), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One World Championsh ...
, an improved L5 (with engine) was produced with a pioneering ballbearing
crankshaft, gear-driven camshafts, and
dry sump
A dry-sump system is a method to manage the lubricating motor oil in four-stroke and large two-stroke piston driven internal combustion engines. The dry-sump system uses two or more oil pumps and a separate oil reservoir, as opposed to a con ...
lubrication, all of which soon became standard on racing cars; Zuccarelli was killed during testing on public roads,
but Boillot easily won the event, making him (and Peugeot) the race's first double winner.
For the 1914 French GP, Peugeot was overmatched by
Mercedes, and despite a new innovation, four-wheel brakes (against the Mercedes' rear-only), Georges proved unable to match them and the car broke down.
(Surprisingly, a 1914 model turned a lap in practice at Indy in 1949, yet it failed to qualify.)
[Darke, p.1690.] Peugeot was more fortunate in 1915, winning at the French GP and
Vanderbilt Cup.
During the
First World War
World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...
, Peugeot turned largely to arms production, becoming a major manufacturer of arms and military vehicles, from armoured cars and bicycles to shells.
Interwar years
After the war, car production resumed in earnest. Racing continued as well, with Boillot entering the 1919
Targa Florio
The Targa Florio was a public road endurance automobile race held in the mountains of Sicily near the island's capital of Palermo. Founded in 1906, it was the oldest sports car racing event, part of the World Sportscar Championship between 1955 ...
in a 2.5-liter (150-in
3) car designed for an event pre-empted by World War I; the car had on it, yet Boillot won with an impressive drive (the best of his career)
Peugeots in his hands were third in the 1925 Targa, first in the 1922 and 1925
Coppa Florio
The Coppa Florio (or Florio Cup) was a motorsport race for automobiles first held in Italy in 1900. It was renamed in 1905 when Vincenzo Florio offered the initial 50,000 Lira prize money and a cup designed by Polak of Paris. The cup was to be aw ...
s, first in the 1923 and 1925 Touring Car Grands Prix, and first at the 1926
Spa 24 Hours
The 24 Hours of Spa is an endurance racing event for cars held annually since 1924 at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Stavelot, Belgium. It is currently sponsored by TotalEnergies.
History
The Spa 24 Hours was conceived by Jules de Their ...
.
Peugeot introduced a five-valve-per-cylinder, triple-overhead-cam engine for the Grand Prix, conceived by
Marcel Gremillon (who had criticised the early DOHC), but the engine was a failure.
The same year, Peugeot debuted and fours, the larger based on the Type 153, and a 6-liter
sleeve valve six, as well as a new
cyclecar
A cyclecar was a type of small, lightweight and inexpensive car manufactured in Europe and the United States between 1910 and the early 1920s. The purpose of cyclecars was to fill a gap in the market between the motorcycle and the car. A key ...
, ''La Quadrilette''.
During the 1920s, Peugeot expanded, in 1926 splitting the cycle (pedal and motor) business off to form Cycles Peugeot, the consistently profitable cycle division seeking to free itself from the rather more cyclical auto business, and taking over the defunct
Bellanger and
De Dion companies in 1927.
In 1928, the Type 183 was introduced.
''Peugeot Sochaux production (units):
:::* 1930 43,303
[
:::* 1931 33,322][
:::* 1932 28,317][
:Soon after the timely introduction of the Peugeot 201, the Great Depression hit all the French auto-makers: Peugeot sales slumped, but the company survived.]
New for 1929 was the
Peugeot 201, the cheapest car on the French market,
and the first to use the later Peugeot trademark (and registered as such)—three digits with a central zero. The 201 would get independent front suspension in 1931, Soon afterwards, the Depression hit; Peugeot sales decreased, but the company survived. The Peugeot system of using three-digit names with a central 0 was introduced in 1929. The first digit has always signified the car's size and the final digit has indicated the generation of the vehicle.
In 1933, attempting a revival of fortune, the company unveiled a new, aerodynamically styled range. In 1934, Peugeot introduced the 402 BL Éclipse Décapotable, the first convertible with a
retractable hardtop
A retractable hardtop — also known as "coupé convertible" or "coupé cabriolet" — is a car with an automatically operated, self-storing hardtop, as opposed to the folding textile-based roof used by traditional convertible cars.
The benefits ...
[Odin, L.C. ''World in Motion 1939, The whole of the year's automobile production''. Belvedere Publishing, 2015. ASIN: B00ZLN91ZG.] — an idea followed later by the
Ford Skyliner in the 1950s and revived in the modern era by the
Mitsubishi 3000GT Spyder in 1995. More recently, many manufacturers have offered retractable hardtops, including Peugeot itself with the 206-cc.
Three models of the 1930s were the
Peugeot 202
The Peugeot 202 is a supermini developed and designed by the French car manufacturer Peugeot. Production of the car ran between 1938 and 1942 and then, after a brief production run of 20 in early 1945, restarted in mid-1946. It was sold until 1949 ...
,
Peugeot 302, and
Peugeot 402
The Peugeot 402 is a large family car produced in Sochaux, France from 1935 to 1942 by Peugeot. It was unveiled at the Paris Motor Show in 1935, replacing the Peugeot 401.
The Peugeot 403, introduced approximately thirteen years after the d ...
. These cars had curvaceous designs, with headlights behind sloping grille bars, evidently inspired by the
Chrysler Airflow.
[Darke, p.1693.] The 2.1-liter
402 entered production in 1935 and was produced until the end of 1941, despite France's occupation by the Nazis. For 1936, the new Airflow-inspired 302 (which ran until 1938) and a 402-based large model, designed by Andrean, featured a vertical fin and bumper, with the first high-mounted taillight.
The entry-level 202 was built in series from 1938 to 1942, and about 20 more examples were built from existing stocks of supplies in February 1945. The 202 lifted Peugeot's sales in 1939 to 52,796, just behind
Citroën.
[Darke, p.1694.] Regular production began again in mid-1946, and lasted into 1949.
After World War II
In 1946,
the company restarted car production with the 202, delivering 14,000 copies.
In 1947, Peugeot introduced the
Peugeot 203
The Peugeot 203 is a small family car which was produced by the French car manufacturer Peugeot between 1948 and 1960.
The car was exhibited at the Paris Motor Show in 1947, but by then had already been under development for more than five years. ...
, with coil springs, rack-and-pinion steering, and hydraulic brakes.
The 203 set new Peugeot sales records, remaining in production until 1960.
Peugeot took over
Chenard-Walcker
Chenard-Walcker, also known as Chenard & Walcker, was a French automobile and commercial vehicle manufacturer from 1898 to 1946. Chenard-Walcker then designed and manufactured trucks marketed via Peugeot sales channels until the 1970s. The facto ...
in 1950, having already been required to acquire a controlling interest in
Hotchkiss in 1942.
A popular model introduced in 1955 was the
Peugeot 403. With a 1.5-liter engine, it sold one million copies by the end of its production run in 1962, famously including one
cabriolet/convertible driven by TV detective Columbo.
The company began selling cars in the United States in 1958, and in 1960 introduced the
Peugeot 404, which used a engine, tilted 45°. The 404 proved rugged enough to win the
East African Safari Rally four times, in 1963, 1966, 1967, and 1968.
More models followed, many styled by
Pininfarina
Pininfarina S.p.A. (short for Carrozzeria Pininfarina) is an Italian car design firm and coachbuilder, with headquarters in Cambiano, Turin, Italy. The company was founded by Battista "Pinin" Farina in 1930.
On 14 December 2015, the Indian ...
, such as the
504
__NOTOC__
Year 504 (DIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Nicomachus without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1257 ...
, one of Peugeot's most distinctive models. Like many European manufacturers, collaboration with other firms increased; Peugeot worked with
Renault
Groupe Renault ( , , , also known as the Renault Group in English; legally Renault S.A.) is a French multinational automobile manufacturer established in 1899. The company produces a range of cars and vans, and in the past has manufacture ...
from 1966 and
Volvo
The Volvo Group ( sv, Volvokoncernen; legally Aktiebolaget Volvo, shortened to AB Volvo, stylized as VOLVO) is a Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation headquartered in Gothenburg. While its core activity is the production, distributio ...
from 1972. The results of this cooperation included the development of the
V6 PRV engine, which was first manufactured in 1974.
Several Peugeot models were assembled in Australia, commencing with the 203 in 1953.
[Peugeot in Australia]
Retrieved on 31 August 2010 These were followed by 403, 404 and 504 models with Australian assembly ending with the 505 in the early 1980s.
[
]
Takeover of Citroën and Chrysler Europe
In 1974, Peugeot bought a 30% share of Citroën and took over it completely in 1975 after the French government gave large sums of money to the new company. Citroën was in financial trouble because it developed too many radical new models for its financial resources. Some of them, notably the Citroën SM
The Citroën SM is a high-performance coupé produced by the French manufacturer Citroën from 1970 to 1975. The SM placed third in the 1971 European Car of the Year contest, trailing its stablemate Citroën GS, and won the 1972 ''Motor Trend' ...
and the Comotor Wankel engine
The Wankel engine (, ) is a type of internal combustion engine using an eccentric rotary design to convert pressure into rotating motion. It was invented by German engineer Felix Wankel, and designed by German engineer Hanns-Dieter Paschke. ...
venture proved unprofitable. Others, the Citroën CX and Citroën GS
The GS is a front-engine, front-drive, four or five door, five passenger family car manufactured and marketed by Citroën in two series: for model years 1970-1979 in fastback saloon and estate bodystyles and subsequently as the GSA for model yea ...
for example, proved very successful in the marketplace.
The joint parent company became the PSA Peugeot Citroën
The PSA Group (), legally known as Peugeot S.A. (Peugeot Société Anonyme, trading as Groupe PSA; formerly known as PSA Peugeot Citroën from 1991 to 2016) was a French multinational automotive manufacturing company which produced automobiles ...
group, which aimed to keep separate identities for both the Peugeot and Citroën brands while sharing engineering and technical resources. Peugeot thus briefly controlled the Italian Maserati marque, but disposed of it in May 1975.
The group then took over Chrysler Europe, the European division of Chrysler (which were formerly Rootes Group, Rootes and Simca) in 1978 as the American auto manufacturer struggled to survive. Soon, the whole Chrysler/Simca range was sold under the revived Talbot (automobile), Talbot badge until the production of Talbot-branded passenger cars was shelved in 1987 and on commercial vehicles in 1992.
1980s and 1990s
In 1983, Peugeot launched the successful Peugeot 205 supermini, which is largely credited for turning the company's fortunes around. The 205 was regularly the bestselling car in France, and was also very popular in other parts of Europe, including Britain, where sales regularly topped 50,000 a year by the late 1980s. It won plaudits for its styling, ride and handling. It remained on sale in many markets until 1998, overlapping with the introduction of the Peugeot 106, 106 in 1991, and ceasing production at the launch of the Peugeot 206, 206, which also proved hugely popular across Europe.
As part of the Guangzhou Peugeot Automobile Company (GPAC) joint venture, the Peugeot 504 and Peugeot 505, 505 were built in China from 1985 to 1997.
By 1987, the company had dropped the Talbot brand for passenger cars when it ceased production of the Simca-based Chrysler Horizon, Horizon, Simca Alpine, Alpine, and Talbot Solara, Solara models, as well as the Talbot Samba supermini which was based on the Peugeot 104. What was to be called the Talbot Arizona became the Peugeot 309, with the former Rootes plant in Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Ryton and Simca plant in Poissy being turned over for Peugeot assembly. Producing Peugeots in Ryton was significant, as it signalled the first time Peugeots would be built in Britain. The 309 was the first Peugeot-badged hatchback of its size, and sold well across Europe. The 309's successor, the 306, was also built at Ryton.
The Peugeot 405, 405 saloon was launched in 1987 to compete with the likes of the Ford Sierra, and was voted European Car of the Year. This, too, was a very popular car across Europe, and continued to be available in Africa and Asia after it was replaced by the Peugeot 406, 406 nearly a decade later. Production of the 405 in Europe was divided between Britain and France, although its 406 successor was only produced in France. The 106, Peugeot's entry-level model from 1991, was also produced solely in France.
The Talbot name survived for a little longer on commercial vehicles until 1992 before being shelved completely. As experienced by other European volume car makers, Peugeot's United States and Canadian sales faltered and finally became uneconomical, as the Peugeot 505 design aged. For a time, distribution in the Canadian market was handled by Chrysler. Several ideas to turn around sales in the United States, such as including the Peugeot 205 in its lineup, were considered but not pursued. In the early 1990s, the newly introduced Peugeot 405, 405 proved uncompetitive with domestic and import models in the same market segment, and sold less than 1,000 units. Total sales fell to 4,261 units in 1990 and 2,240 through July 1991, which caused the company to cease its U.S. and Canada operations after 33 years.
In 1997, just six years after pulling out of both United States and Canadian markets, Peugeot returned to Mexico after a 36-year absence, under the Chile–Mexico Free Trade Agreement. However, Peugeot models (1997–present) are not to be bought or imported into the United States from Mexico.
2000s to present
On 18 April 2006, PSA Peugeot Citroën announced the closure of the Ryton manufacturing facility in Coventry, England. This announcement resulted in the loss of 2,300 jobs, as well as about 5,000 jobs in the supply chain. The plant produced its last Peugeot 206 on 12 December 2006, and finally closed down in January 2007.
Peugeot set an ambitious target of selling 4 million units annually by the end of the decade. In 2008, its sales stayed below the 2 million mark. In mid-2009, "adverse market and industry conditions" were blamed for falls in sales and operating losses. Christian Streiff was replaced by Philippe Varin (CEO) and Jean-Pierre Ploué (head of design) was transferred from his post at Citroën. In 2009, Peugeot returned to the Canadian market with the scooter brand only.
Peugeot still plans on developing new models to compete in segments where it currently does not compete. Collin claimed that the French automaker competed in 72% of market segments in 2007, but he wanted to get that figure up to 90%. Despite Peugeot's sportscar racing program, the company is not prepared to build a pure sportscar any more hardcore than the RC Z sports-coupe. It is also pursuing government funding to develop a diesel-hybrid drivetrain, which might be key to its expansion.
By 2010, Peugeot planned on pursuing new markets, mainly in China, Russia, and South America. In 2011 it decided to re-enter India after 14 years with a new factory at Sanand, Gujarat.
Peugeot re-entered the Philippines in 2012 after having a short presence in 2005 with distribution done by the Alvarez Group.
In March 2012, General Motors purchased a 7% share in Peugeot for 320 million euros as part of a cooperation aimed at finding savings through joint purchasing and product development. In December 2013, GM sold its entire Peugeot stake, taking a loss of about 70 million euros.
In October 2013, Peugeot closed their production plant at Aulnay-sous-Bois as part of a restructuring plan to reduce overcapacity in the face of a shrinking domestic market. By December 2013, Chinese investors were rumoured to be potential investors. In February 2014, the Peugeot family agreed to give up control of the company by reducing its holdings from 25% to 14%. As part of this agreement, Dongfeng Motors
Dongfeng Motor Corporation Ltd. is a Chinese state-owned automobile manufacturer headquartered in Wuhan, Hubei. Founded in 1969, it is currently the third largest of the " Big Four" state-owned car manufacturers of China, namely: SAIC Motor, FAW ...
and the French government were each to buy 14% stakes in the company, creating three partners with equal voting rights.[ The board of directors was to be composed of six independent members, two representatives of each Dongfeng, the French state and the Peugeot family, and two members representing employees and employees shareholders. The French government took the view the deal did not require approval by Brussels as European Union competition law, EU competition rules do not count public investment in a company on the same terms as a private investor as state aid. The equity participation by Dongfeng expanded an already budding relationship with Peugeot. The pair at the time were jointly operating three car-manufacturing plants in China, with a capacity of producing 750,000 vehicles a year. In July 2014, the joint venture, Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën, disclosed they were building a fourth factory in China in Chengdu, in Sichuan Province, targeting the manufacture of 300,000 Sport-utility vehicle, sport-utility and multipurpose vehicles a year, starting towards the end of 2016.]
In January 2015, Indian multinational automotive giant Mahindra & Mahindra purchased a major stake of 51% of Peugeot Motocycles for a price of 28 million euro.
In 2020 it was announced that a merger of Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and PSA is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021. The combined company will be called Stellantis. The merger was confirmed on 4 January 2021, after an overwhelming vote of shareholders from both companies and the deal officially closed on 16 January 2021. Stellantis now owns various well-known brands such as Peugeot, Citroën, Jeep, Maserati (previously owned by Citroën from 1968 through 1975), Chrysler, Fiat, Lancia and Alfa Romeo, among others.
Factories
Stellantis plants
* France (Stellantis Poissy Plant): DS 3 Crossback
* France (Stellantis Mulhouse Plant): Peugeot 2008, Peugeot 508 (Second Generation)
* France (Stellantis Sochaux Plant): Peugeot 308, Peugeot 3008, Peugeot 5008 (First Generation)
* France (Stellantis Rennes Plant): Peugeot 508, Peugeot 5008 (Second Generation)
* Algeria (Oran): Peugeot 208
* Argentina (Buenos Aires): 208, 308, 408
* Brazil (Porto Real): Peugeot 208, Peugeot 2008
* Portugal (Stellantis Mangualde Plant): Peugeot Partner
* Slovakia (Stellantis Trnava Plant): Peugeot 208
* Spain (Madrid): 207 Plus, 207 CC
* Spain (Stellantis Vigo Plant): Peugeot Partner, Peugeot 301
Joint venture and outsourced plants
* Austria (Graz under contract by Magna Steyr): Peugeot RCZ
* Azerbaijan (Neftçala, Neftchala assembly under contract to Iran Khodro): 206 and 405
* China (Wuhan), joint venture Dongfeng Peugeot-Citroën: 206 Plus, 307, 308, 408, 508
* Czech Republic (Kolín), Toyota Peugeot Citroën Automobile Czech: Peugeot 107, Peugeot 108
* France (joint venture Sevel Nord near Valenciennes): Peugeot Expert
* Iran (Tehran) assembly under contract to Iran Khodro: 206, 206 Sedan, 207i (206 plus), 405 and joint venture IKAP: Peugeot 208, 208, Peugeot 2008, 2008, Peugeot 301, 301, Peugeot 508, 508
* Italy (Atessa), joint venture Sevel: Peugeot Boxer
* Japan, (Kurashiki, Okayama, Mizushima) under contract by Mitsubishi Motors: Peugeot iOn
* Malaysia (Gurun, Kedah, Gurun) assembly under contract to Naza Automotive Manufacturing#Peugeot, Naza Automotive Manufacturing: Peugeot 208, 208, Peugeot 2008, 2008, Peugeot 308#Second generation (T9; 2013), 308, Peugeot 408 (saloon)#Second generation (2014-current), 408, Peugeot 508, 508, Peugeot 5008, 5008
* Netherlands VDL Nedcar, NedCar (former): Peugeot 4007
* Nigeria :fr:Peugeot Automobiles Nigeria: Peugeot 301
* Russia (Kaluga), joint venture Peugeot Citroën Mitsubishi Automotiv: Peugeot 4007, Peugeot 308 (First Generation)
* Tunisia (Fouchana): Peugeot Pick Up
* Turkey (Bursa), under contract by Tofaş: Peugeot Bipper
* Vietnam (Ho Chi Minh City), joint venture THACO Group: Peugeot 408 (saloon), Peugeot 408
* Pakistan (Karachi), JV Lucky Motors Cooperations: Peugeot 2008
Current models
GTI models
Vehicles
Awards
European Car of the Year
Peugeot has produced six winners of the European Car of the Year
* 1969 – Peugeot 504
* 1988 – Peugeot 405
* 2002 – Peugeot 307
* 2014 – Peugeot 308
* 2017 – Peugeot 3008#Second generation (2016–present), Peugeot 3008
* 2020 – Peugeot 208#Second generation (2020–present), Peugeot 208
Four other Peugeot models got either second or third in the contest.
* 1980 – Peugeot 505
* 1984 – Peugeot 205
* 1996 – Peugeot 406
* 1999 – Peugeot 206
Women's World Car Of The Year
* 2022 - Peugeot 308
Semperit Irish Car of the Year award
Peugeot has produced two Car of the Year award winners in Ireland since 1978. It is judged by the Irish Motoring Writers Association (IMWA).
* 1997 – Peugeot 406
* 2010 – Peugeot 3008
Car of the Year award in Italy
Peugeot has produced four "''Car of the Year'' Auto Europa" award winners in Italy in 28 years, since 1987. "Auto Europa" is the prize awarded by the jury of the Italian Union of Automotive Journalists (UIGA), which annually celebrates the best car produced at least at 10,000 units in the 27 countries of the European Union, and sold between September and August the previous year.
* 2007 – Peugeot 207
* 2010 – Peugeot 3008
* 2013 – Peugeot 208
* 2014 – Peugeot 2008
* 2015 – Peugeot 308
Car of the Year award in Spain
Peugeot has produced nine Car of the year award winners in Spain in 40 years, since 1974.
* 1981 – Talbot Horizon
* 1985 – Peugeot 205
* 1999 – Peugeot 206
* 2002 – Peugeot 307
* 2005 – Peugeot 407
* 2006 – Peugeot 1007
* 2007 – Peugeot 207
* 2012 – Peugeot 508
* 2013 – Peugeot 208
Numbers
* 100-Series: Peugeot 104, 104 (1972–1988), Peugeot 106, 106 (1991–2003), Peugeot 107, 107 (2005–2014), Peugeot 108, 108 (2014–2021)
* 200-Series: Peugeot 201, 201 (1929–1937), Peugeot 202, 202 (1938–1949), Peugeot 203, 203 (1948–1960), Peugeot 204, 204 (1965–1976), Peugeot 205, 205 (1983–1998), Peugeot 206, 206 (1998–2013), Peugeot 207, 207 (2006–2014), Peugeot 208, 208 (2012–present)
* 300-Series: Peugeot 301 (1932–36), 301 (Original) (1932–1936), Peugeot 302, 302 (1936–1938), Peugeot 304, 304 (1969–1980), Peugeot 305, 305 (1977–1989), Peugeot 309, 309 (1985–1994), Peugeot 306, 306 (1993–2002), Peugeot 307, 307 (2001–2008), Peugeot 308, 308 (2007–present), Peugeot 301, 301 (Africa/Balkans/China/Central Europe/Eastern Europe/Kazakhstan/Latin America/Middle East/Spain/Taiwan) (2012–present)
* 400-Series: Peugeot 401, 401 (1934–1935), Peugeot 402, 402 (1935–1942), Peugeot 403, 403 (1955–1966), Peugeot 404, 404 (1960–1975), Peugeot 405, 405 (1987–1997), Peugeot 406, 406 (1995–2004), Peugeot 407, 407 (2004–2011), Peugeot 408 (saloon), 408 (2010–present)
* 500-Series: 504
__NOTOC__
Year 504 (DIV) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar) of the Julian calendar. At the time, it was known as the Year of the Consulship of Nicomachus without colleague (or, less frequently, year 1257 ...
(1968–1983), Peugeot 505, 505 (1979–1992), Peugeot 508, 508 (2010–present)
* 600-Series: Peugeot 601, 601 (1934–1935), Peugeot 604, 604 (1975–1985), Peugeot 605, 605 (1989–1999), Peugeot 607, 607 (1999–2010)
* 800-Series: Peugeot 806, 806 (1994–2002), Peugeot 807, 807 (2002–2014)
* 900-Series: Peugeot 905, 905 (1990–1993), Peugeot 908, 908 (2011), Peugeot 9X8, 9X8 (2022)
* 1000-Series: Peugeot 1007, 1007 (2004–2009)
* 2000-Series: Peugeot 2008, 2008 (2013–present)
* 3000-Series: Peugeot 3008, 3008 (2008–present)
* 4000-Series: Peugeot 4007, 4007 (2007–2012), Peugeot 4008, 4008 (Europe) (2012–2016), Peugeot 3008#Second generation (P84E; 2016), 4008 (China) (2016–present)
* 5000-Series: Peugeot 5008, 5008 (2009–present)
Others
* Sevel LAV, Bipper
* Fiat Ducato, Boxer
* Peugeot DMA, DMA/DMAH
* Peugeot D3 and D4, D3/D3A
* Peugeot D3 and D4, D4/D4A
* Peugeot Expert, Expert
* Peugeot Hoggar (coupé utility), Hoggar (a pickup designed and manufactured in Brazil since 2010)
* Peugeot J5, J5/Peugeot J7, J7/Peugeot J9, J9
* Peugeot P4, P4
* Peugeot Pars, Pars (also known as Persia)
* Peugeot Partner, Partner
* Peugeot RCZ, RCZ (2010)
* Type 15
* Peugeot VLV, VLV
* Peugeot iOn#France, iOn
* Peugeot Pick Up, Pick Up
Electric and hybrid vehicles
Peugeot presented a new concept hybrid electric sports sedan at the 2008 Paris Motor Show called the Peugeot RC HYmotion4. Similar to the drivetrain model used in the upcoming Chevrolet Volt, the RC concept promises the ability to run solely on electric power for extended periods, with a hybrid electric powertrain filling in the gaps when extra range is needed. The RC HYmotion4 includes a 70-kW electric motor at the front wheels. The Peugeot Prologue HYmotion4 was also shown at the 2008 Paris Motor Show, 2008 Paris show and is in many ways the opposite of the RC HYmotion4 concept. The Prologue puts the internal combustion engine up front and runs on diesel instead of gasoline, with the electric motor going at the back.
The Peugeot BB1 is an battery electric vehicle, electric concept car with in-wheel motors in its rear wheels first shown in September 2009 at the Frankfurt Motor Show.
In 2010, Peugeot started selling the electric Peugeot iOn, a rebadged and revised version of the Mitsubishi i-MiEV.
Peugeot VELV electric concept car was presented on 26 September 2011.
Motorsport
Early
Peugeot was involved in motorsport from the earliest days and entered five cars for the Paris–Rouen (motor race), Paris-Rouen Trials in 1894 with one of them, driven by Lemaître, finishing second (the winning car was a steam-powered car and was therefore disqualified meaning Lemître was promoted to first). These trials are usually regarded as the first motor sporting competition. Participation in a variety of events continued until World War I, but in 1912, Peugeot made its most notable contribution to motor sporting history when one of their cars, driven by Georges Boillot, won the French Grand Prix
The French Grand Prix (french: Grand Prix de France), formerly known as the Grand Prix de l'ACF (Automobile Club de France), is an auto race held as part of the Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile's annual Formula One World Championsh ...
at Dieppe. This revolutionary car was powered by a straight-4 engine designed by Ernest Henry under the guidance of the technically knowledgeable racing drivers Paul Zuccarelli and Georges Boillot. The design was very influential for racing engines as it featured for the first time DOHC and four valves per cylinder, providing for high engine speeds, a radical departure from previous racing engines which relied on huge displacement for power. In 1913, Peugeots of similar design to the 1912 Grand Prix car won the French Grand Prix at Amiens and the Indianapolis 500
The Indianapolis 500, formally known as the Indianapolis 500-Mile Race, and commonly called the Indy 500, is an annual automobile race held at Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS) in Speedway, Indiana, United States, an enclave suburb of Indi ...
. When one of the Peugeot racers remained in the United States during World War I and parts could not be acquired from France for the 1914 season, owner Bob Burman had it serviced in the shop of Harry Miller (auto racing), Harry Miller by a young mechanic named Fred Offenhauser. Their familiarity with the Peugeot engine was the basis of the famed Miller racing engine, which later developed into the Offenhauser.
Rallying
Peugeot Sport is one of the most successful winners in rallying, along with Citroën World Rally Team, Citroën Racing (eight-time WRC winner), by winning five times the List of World Rally Championship Constructors' Champions, World Rally Championship Manufacturer's Title (1985–1986, 2000-2002), seven times the Dakar Rally
The Dakar Rally (or simply "The Dakar"; formerly known as the "Paris–Dakar Rally") is an annual rally raid organised by the Amaury Sport Organisation. Most events since the inception in 1978 were staged from Paris, France, to Dakar, Senegal ...
(1987–1990, 2016–2018), three times the European Rally Championship (2002–2003, 2008), three times the Intercontinental Rally Challenge (2007–2009).
Peugeot's East African importers had a very impressive record in rallying in the 1960s; Nick Nowicki and Paddy Cliff won the East African Safari in 1963 with a Marshall's-entered 404 sedan. In 1966 and 1967, Tanzania's Tanganyika Motors entered the winning 404 Injection sedan, piloted by the late Bert Shankland and Chris Rothwell. They might have won again in 1968, but while in second place, their engine blew and ultimately Nick Nowicki and Paddy Cliff upheld Peugeot's honour by winning the rally. Peugeot also won the Safari Rally in 1975 (Andersson in a 504 Injection sedan) and in 1978 (Nicolas in a 504 Coupé V6), both cars being factory team entries.
Peugeot also had further success in international rallying, most notably in the World Rally Championship
The World Rally Championship (abbreviated as WRC) is the highest level of global competition in the motorsport discipline of rallying, owned and governed by the FIA. There are separate championships for drivers, co-drivers, manufacturers and t ...
with the four-wheel-drive turbo-charged versions of the Peugeot 205, and more recently the Peugeot 206. In 1981, Jean Todt, former co-driver for Hannu Mikkola, Timo Mäkinen, and Guy Fréquelin, among others, was asked by Jean Boillot, the head of Automobiles Peugeot, to create a competition department for PSA Peugeot Citroën. The resulting Peugeot Sport, Peugeot Talbot Sport, established at Bois de Boulogne near Paris, debuted its Group B 205 Turbo 16 at the 1984 Tour de Corse in May, and took its first world rally win that same year at the 1000 Lakes Rally in August, in the hands of Ari Vatanen. Excluding an endurance rally where Peugeot were not participating, Vatanen went on win five world rallies in a row.
Peugeot's domination continued in the 1985 World Rally Championship season, 1985 season. Despite Vatanen's nearly fatal accident in Rally Argentina, Argentina, in the middle of the season, his teammate and compatriot Timo Salonen led Peugeot to its first List of World Rally Championship Drivers' Champions, drivers' and List of World Rally Championship Constructors' Champions, manufacturers' world championship titles, well ahead of Audi and their Audi Sport Quattro. In the 1986 World Rally Championship season, 1986 season, Vatanen's young replacement Juha Kankkunen beat Lancia's Markku Alén to the drivers' title and Peugeot took its second manufacturers' title ahead of Lancia. Following Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile, FIA's banning of Group B cars for 1987 World Rally Championship season, 1987, in May after Henri Toivonen's fatal accident, Todt was outraged and even (unsuccessfully) pursued legal action against the federation. Peugeot then switched to rally raids. Using the 205 and a Peugeot 405, 405, Peugeot won the Dakar Rally four times in a row from 1987 to 1990; three times with Vatanen and once with Kankkunen. In 2015 Peugeot again took part in the Rally Dakar with a newly constructed buggy. For the 2016 Paris-Dakar, Peugeot presented a new team of drivers including 9-time WRC-champion Sébastien Loeb and 12-time Dakar winner Stéphane Peterhansel who managed to win the 2016 edition for the Peugeot factory team in the Peugeot 2008 DKR. The 2017 edition saw Peugeot make the switch to the new 3008 DKR where Peterhansel won the event for the 13th time in a row. On 31 October 2017, Peugeot announced that it would end its program in the Dakar Rally after the 2018 edition in order to focus on its FIA World Rallycross Championship career. The 2018 event would see Peugeot win for the seventh straight time with ex-World Rally Championship driver Carlos Sainz Sr., Carlos Sainz.
In 1999 World Rally Championship season, 1999, Peugeot returned to the World Rally Championship with the Peugeot 206 WRC, 206 WRC. The car was immediately competitive against such opposition as the Subaru Impreza WRC, the Ford Focus WRC, and the Mitsubishi Lancer Evolution. Marcus Grönholm gave the car its first win at the 2000 Swedish Rally, and Peugeot went on to win the manufacturers' title in their first full year since the return, and Grönholm the drivers' title in his first full WRC season. After successfully but narrowly defending their manufacturers' title in 2001 World Rally Championship season, 2001, Peugeot Sport dominated the 2002 World Rally Championship, 2002 season, taking eight wins in the hands of Grönholm and Gilles Panizzi. Grönholm also took the drivers' title. For the 2005 World Rally Championship season, 2004 season, Peugeot retired the 206 WRC in favour of the new Peugeot 307 WRC, 307 WRC. The 307 WRC did not match its predecessor in success, but Grönholm took three wins with the car, one in 2004 and two in 2005 World Rally Championship season, 2005. PSA Peugeot Citroën withdrew Peugeot from the WRC after the 2005 season, while Citroën Total World Rally Team, Citroën took a sabbatical year in 2006 and returned for the next season. Meanwhile, Gronholm departed Peugeot when they quit at the end of 2005 to partner young compatriot Mikko Hirvonen at Ford World Rally Team, Ford.
Peugeot 207 S2000, winner of the Intercontinental Rally Challenge from 2007 to 2009.
Touring car racing
In 2013, the Peugeot 208GTi won a one-two-three at the 24 Hours Nürburgring endurance race.
The Peugeot 306 GTi won the prestigious Spa 24 hours endurance race in 1999 and 2000.
Peugeot has been racing successfully in the Asian Touring Car Series, winning the 2000, 2001, and 2002 championships with the Peugeot 306 GTi.
Peugeot has been racing successfully in the Stock Car Brasil series since 2007 and won the 2008, 2009, and 2011 championships.
Peugeot won five times the Danish Touringcar Championship, with both the Peugeot 306 -winner in 1999, 2000, and 2001- and the Peugeot 307 winner in 2002 and 2003.
With his Peugeot 406, Laurent Aiello won the 1997 Super Tourenwagen Cup season.
Throughout the mid-1990s, the Peugeot 406 sedan (car), saloon (called a sedan in some countries) contested Touring car racing, touring car championships across the world, enjoying success in French Touring Car Championship, France, Super Tourenwagen Cup, Germany and Australia, yet failing to win a single race in the British Touring Car Championship despite a number of podium finishes under the command of 1992 British Touring Car Champion Tim Harvey. In Gran Turismo 2 the 406 saloon description sums its racing career up as "a competitive touring car which raced throughout Europe".
The British cars were initially prepared by Peugeot Sport; a team from the Peugeot UK factory in Coventry under the direction of team manager Mick Linford in 1996, with TotalEnergies, Total sponsorship. Peugeot Sport was not however a full professional race team akin to those of the competition, by now including Williams, Prodrive, Schnitzer and TWR; being as it was run from workshops within the Peugeot factory, largely by factory employees from 1992 to 1996, racing the 405 Mi16 from 1992 to 1995.
Peugeot, therefore, contracted Motor Sport Development (MSD; who had developed and run the Honda Accord in the British Touring Car Championship, BTCC from 1995 to 1996) to build & run the 406 for 1997–98, when they wore a distinctive green and gold-flame design in deference to new sponsor Esso.
Initially, the 406's lack of success was blamed on suspension problems. During 1998 the 406 apparently lacked sufficient horsepower to compete with the front runners' Nissan Primeras and Honda Accords; this was mentioned during a particularly strong showing from Harvey's 406 at the Oulton Park BTCC meeting of 1998 when motorsport commentator Charlie Cox (racing driver), Charlie Cox stated: "some people say (the 406) is down on power – you're kidding". During the first BTCC meeting at Silverstone in the same year, Cox mentions that MSD re-designed the 406 touring car "from the ground up".
It was however widely reported in publications like the now-defunct 'Super Touring' magazine that it was the aero package primarily developed for longer, faster tracks in Germany and France that led to its success there but hindered the 406 on the slower, twistier tracks of the UK.
In 2001, Peugeot entered three BTC-T Peugeot 406 Coupés into the British Touring Car Championship to compete with the dominant Vauxhall Astra coupes. Unfortunately, the 406 coupe was at the end of its product lifecycle and was not competitive, despite some promise towards the end of the year, notably when Peugeot's Steve Soper led a race only to suffer engine failure in the last few laps. The 406 coupes were retired at the end of the following year and replaced with the Peugeot 307—again, uncompetitively in 2003. Alongside the BTC-C 406's; two works-supported 306 GTis were also raced in the BTC-P (Production) class by Simon Harrison and Roger Moen, with Harrison emerging class champion.
Sports car racing
In the 1990s the company competed in Endurance racing (motorsport), endurance racing, including the World Sportscar Championship and the 24 Hours of Le Mans
The 24 Hours of Le Mans (french: link=no, 24 Heures du Mans) is an endurance-focused sports car race held annually near the town of Le Mans, France. It is the world's oldest active endurance racing event. Unlike fixed-distance races whose ...
race with the Peugeot 905, 905. The Sports car racing, sportscar team was established at Vélizy-Villacoublay, France. After early problems with reliability and aerodynamics, the 905 was successful in the World Sportscar Championship, winning eight of the 14 races across the 1991 World Sportscar Championship season, 1991 and 1992 World Sportscar Championship season, 1992 seasons and winning the team and driver titles in 1992. Peugeot also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans in and .
Peugeot returned to sportscar racing and Le Mans in 2007 with the diesel-powered Peugeot 908 HDi FAP. At the 2007 24 Hours of Le Mans, Stéphane Sarrazin secured pole position but the 908s proved unreliable and ceded victory to Audi. In , Sarrazin earned a pole position but Audi prevailed once again. For the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans, the Peugeot 908 HDi FAPs finished first and second overall, led by drivers Marc Gené, David Brabham, and Alexander Wurz.
Formula One
The company has also been involved in providing engines to Formula One teams, notably to McLaren in 1994 Formula One season, 1994, to Jordan Grand Prix, Jordan for the 1995 Formula One season, 1995, 1996 Formula One season, 1996 and 1997 Formula One season, 1997 seasons, and to Prost (racing team), Prost for the 1998 Formula One season, 1998, 1999 Formula One season, 1999 and 2000 Formula One season, 2000 seasons. Despite a number of podium finishes with each of these three teams, the manufacturer did not score any victories, and their F1 interests were sold to Asiatech at the end of the 2000 season.
Pikes Peak Hillclimb
In April 2013, a 208 T16 was tested by Sébastien Loeb at Mont Ventoux. Loosely based on the shape and design of the production 208, the T16 is a lightweight vehicle that uses the rear wing from the Peugeot 908, and has a 3.2-litre, twin-turbo V6 engine, developing with the aim of competing at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb
The Pikes Peak International Hill Climb (PPIHC), also known as The Race to the Clouds, is an annual automobile hillclimb to the summit of Pikes Peak in Colorado, USA. The track measures and has over 156 turns, climbing from the sta ...
. 30 June 2013 saw this car demolish the standing record on Pikes Peak by over a minute and a half, with an overall time of 8:13.878.
Concept cars
* Peugeot Quasar, Quasar (1984)
* Peugeot Proxima, Proxima (1986)
* Peugeot Oxia, Oxia (1988)
* Peugeot Ion, Ion (1994)
* Peugeot Touareg, Touareg (1996)
* Peugeot Asphalte, Asphalte (1996)
* Peugeot 806 Runabout, 806 Runabout (1997)
* Peugeot 206, 206 (1998)
* Peugeot 206 Escapade, Escapade (1998)
* Peugeot Les City Toyz, Les City Toyz (2000)
* Peugeot 607 Feline (2000)
* Peugeot 607#Peugeot 607 Paladine, Peugeot 607 Paladine (2000)
* Peugeot Sésame (2002)
* Peugeot 607 Pescarolo, 607 Pescarolo (2002)
* Peugeot 307 CC, 307 CC (2002)
* Peugeot H2O, H2O (2002)
* Peugeot RC (2002)
* Peugeot Hoggar (coupé utility), Peugeot Hoggar (2003)
* Peugeot 407 Elixir (2003)
* Peugeot 4002 (2003)
* Peugeot 407 Silhouette, 407 Silhouette (2004)
* Peugeot Quark (2004)
* Peugeot 907 (2004)
* Peugeot Coupé 407 Prologue (2005)
* Peugeot 20Cup (2005)
* Peugeot 908 RC (2006)
* Spider 207 (2006)
* Peugeot RC HYbrid4 HYmotion4 (2008)
* Peugeot RD (2008)
* Peugeot BB1 (2009)
* Peugeot EX1 Concept (2010)
* Peugeot HR1 (2010)
* Peugeot SR1 (2010)
* Peugeot 5 by Peugeot (2010)
* Peugeot HX1 (2011)
* Peugeot SXC (2011)
* Peugeot Onyx (2012)
* Peugeot Exalt (2014)
* Peugeot Quartz (2014)
* Peugeot Fractal (2015)
* Peugeot Instinct (2017)
* Peugeot e-Legend (2018)
File:Peugeot908RC 7.JPG, Peugeot 908 RC, 2006
File:Peugeot RC HYMotion4.JPG, Peugeot RC Hybrid4, 2008
File:Festival automobile international 2011 - Peugeot EX1 - 01.jpg, alt=Peugeot EX1 Concept (2010), Peugeot EX1 Concept, 2010
File:Peugeot-SR1-side.jpg, Peugeot SR1, 2010
File:HX1 (7501815288).jpg, Peugeot HX1, 2011
File:IAA 2013 (11148676005).jpg, Peugeot Onyx, 2012
File:Peugeot Exalt (17313547841).jpg, Peugeot Exalt, 2014
File:Festival automobile international 2015 - Peugeot Quartz - 009.jpg, Peugeot Quartz, 2014
File:Festival automobile international 2016 - Peugeot Fractal - 001.jpg, Peugeot Fractal, 2015
File:Peugeot Instinct Concept (2017), Paris Motor Show 2018, IMG 0475.jpg, Peugeot Instinct, 2017
File:Peugeot e-Legend 01.jpg, Peugeot e-Legend, 2018
File:Blade Runner - 47102814774.jpg, Spinner (Blade Runner), Spinner from ''Blade Runner 2049'' on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum, Los Angeles
In fiction
In the 2017 film ''Blade Runner 2049'', the main character's flying car (known in-universe as a Spinner (Blade Runner), "Spinner") was branded as a Peugeot as part of a proposed advertising campaign to re-enter the US market. The film's production company, Alcon Entertainment, later sued Peugeot in 2019 for failure to hold up their financial and advertising obligations.
Peugeot Avenue flagship dealerships
Peugeot has flagship dealerships, named Peugeot Avenue, located on the Champs-Élysées in Paris, and in Berlin. The Berlin showroom is larger than the Paris one, but both feature regularly changing mini-exhibitions displaying production and concept cars. Both also feature a small Peugeot Boutique, and they are popular places for Peugeot fans to visit. Peugeot Avenue Berlin also features a café, called Café de France. The Peugeot Avenue at Berlin closed in 2009.
Motorcycles
Peugeot Motocycles company remained a major producer of scooter (motorcycle), scooters, underbones, mopeds, and bicycles in Europe, as of 2018. Peugeot produced an electric motor scooter, the Peugeot Scoot'Elec, from 1996 to 2006, and was projected to re-enter the market in 2011 with the E-Vivacity.
File:Peugeot Elyséo 125, Sondermodell 'Roland Garros' (2002).JPG, alt=Peugeot Elyséo 125, 'Roland Garros' (2002), Peugeot Elyséo 125, 'Roland Garros', 2002
File:Scooter Peugeot Satelis 125 Compressor.jpg, Peugeot Satelis 125
Bicycles
Peugeot also produced bicycles starting in 1882 in Beaulieu, France (with ten Tour de France wins between 1903 and 1983), followed by motorcycles and cars in 1889. In the late 1980s Peugeot sold the North American rights to the Peugeot bicycle name to ProCycle, a Canadian company which also sold bicycles under the CCM and Velo Sport names. The European rights were briefly sold to Grimaldi Industri, Cycleurope S.A., returning to Peugeot in the 1990s. Today, the Peugeot bicycle brand name remains within the Grimaldi Industri, Cycleurope S.A. portfolio.
Kitchen- and table-service equipment
As of 2021, the separate Peugeot-family-owned firm Peugeot Saveurs, previously named PSP Peugeot, continues to make and market pepper Burr mill, grinders, salt grinders, corkscrews for wine bottles, cutlery, tableware, and other kitchen- and table-service equipment.
See also
*List of automobile manufacturers of France
*French bicycle industry
*List of automobile manufacturers
*List of companies of France
*Peugeot Concours Design
References
External links
*
The Peugeot Museum at Sochaux
Peugeot Mills
*
{{Automotive industry in France
Peugeot,
Stellantis
Bus manufacturers of France
Electric vehicle manufacturers of France
Moped manufacturers
Motorcycle manufacturers of France
Scooter manufacturers
1882 establishments in France
Vehicle manufacturing companies established in 1882
French brands
Multinational companies headquartered in France
Henokiens companies
Car brands
Luxury motor vehicle manufacturers
Companies based in Bourgogne-Franche-Comté