Did you know Peugeot is the oldest car company in the world started as a company producing steel products, coffee grinders, umbrellas, and bicycles?
THE HUMBLE BEGINNING OF PEUGEOT
Jean-Pierre founded Peugeot in 1734 as a grain mill. Later in 1810, his two sons Jean Pierre 2 and Jean-Frederic founded Peugeot Freres. They took their father’s old grain mill and transformed it into a steel foundry that produced coffee grinders, umbrella frames, and bicycles.
Armand Peugeot Jean-Pierre’s grandson was fascinated by machines. In 1889, he worked with a steam specialist named Leon Serpollet and the Serpollent Peugeot; a steam-powered three-wheeler was born. Later that same year, after switching to petrol, the company unveiled its first four-wheeled, petrol driven vehicle-the Type 2 quadricycle with a Daimler engine.
WHEN DID PEUGEOT START MASS-PRODUCING CARS?
Peugeot began mass-producing cars in 1929 when it showcased the 201. This was the first car of the company that used the new numbering system of three digits with a zero in the middle
The 201 was so successful that it served as an impetus to the Peugeot range. In 1932, the 301 was launched, followed by the 401 and 601 in 1934.
NEWFOUND SUCCESS
Peugeot’s interest in capturing the market was inspired in 1934 by the Eclipse 401 and 601. These models had a retractable roof designed by Georges Paulin, who was considered a saviour during the French resistance.
Peugeot had to wait until 1962, though, for any real success in capturing the market. In that year, the adorable 404 cabriolet was launched, which is, to date, a collector’s favourite. The car also served as a forerunner to future Peugeot cars like the 308CC and the breathtaking RCZ.
MERGER WITH CITREON
In 1974, the company brought 38.2% shares of Citroen, which increased to 89.95% in 1976. This led to the formation of the PSA (PEUGEOT Société Anonyme). In 2016, the name was changed to PSA Groupe.
FORAY INTO THE SMALL CAR SEGMENT
In 1983, Peugeot launched the 205, which marked the beginning of the company’s success story in the small car market. The following year, the company launched the 205 Gi. 5 million Peugeot 205’s was built before being replaced by the 206 in 1998, which sold 6.5 million models.
The PEUGEOT LOGO
The Lion symbol was first seen in 1847, and the Peugeot family used it for their steel products.
PEUGEOT I-Cockpit®, Park Assist, Grip Control®, and CarPlay®. The symbol used jagged and sharp teeth to portray strength and sharpness. In 1858, the logo was registered as the PEUGEOT trademark.
The logo kept changing over the years. In 1998, the Lion got paws which depicted power and corporate balance. Later, a blue background began to be used to show the forward-thinking nature of the company.
Peugeot was the first company to introduce the 607, which was equipped with an HDi engine with a Diesel Particulate Filter that removed 99,9% soot particles.
CONCLUSION
Peugeot is one of the world’s oldest car companies, but it is also among the few companies where the founders are shareholders and hold managerial positions.
The company continues to innovate in the auto industry with new technologies like PEUGEOT I-Cockpit®, Park Assist, Grip Control®, and CarPlay®.
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