Bonne fête nationale!
Bastille Day, or the French National Day, falls on 14 July, and this year also happens to be the 210th anniversary of French automobile brand, Peugeot.
Known for its stylish and well-crafted cars, Peugeot is the world’s second oldest car manufacturer and the oldest continuous car brand. Today, it is also Europe’s second best-selling car brand.
It had humble beginnings when brothers, Jean-Pierre II and Jean-Frédéric Peugeot, inherited a coffee mill from their father. In 1810, they converted the mill into a steel foundry, crafting a variety of goods from coffee grinders, saws and umbrella frames to bicycles.
The famous lion symbol associated with the brand started appearing in 1847. The lion’s sharp teeth symbolise the strength and sharpness of the products. Over the past two centuries, this logo has undergone a number of changes to reflect the evolution of the brand. The latest update to the logo was in 2021 – a coat of arms adorned with a lion’s head – and is meant to signify the brand’s upmarket shift.
In Singapore, Peugeot has been represented by sole distributor AutoFrance (a division of Vantage Automotive Limited) since 2000. It continues to hold its own as a popular European car brand in a crowded market – thanks to its design flair and dependability.
Let’s look at Peugeot’s history from the late 1880s when it pivoted to the car manufacturing business, led by Armand Peugeot, grandson of Jean-Pierre.
1. Peugeot’s first automotive
In 1889, the first car to carry the Peugeot name debuted at the World Fair in Paris. Only four of these steam-powered three-wheelers were made. The vehicle took a long time to warm up because of the heaviness of its steam-powered engine.
2. Building industry partnerships
A year later, Peugeot introduced a petrol-driven four-wheeled vehicle. Five of these were made in the first year but this quickly grew to 29 cars in 1892. The car had a Daimler engine, and it marked the start of Peugeot collaborating with other industry specialists, such as BMW and Ford, to develop unique engines.
3. Peugeot and motorsports
The Paris-Rouen Trials held in 1894 was considered the world’s first motorsport competition. Peugeot entered five cars and won the second spot with one of them. It has continued to influence the motorsport world from then.
In 1912, a Peugeot driven by George Boillot won the French Grand Prix at Dieppe. The car’s engine made it faster than other cars of its time and immediately set the motorsport community abuzz. For the record, Boillot won the race at an average of 110.2 km/h.
4. Mass-produced Peugeots
Peugeot first mass-produced car appeared in 1929. The Peugeot 201 was a runaway success and paved the way for more models in the next few years. The Peugeot 301 was launched in 1932, and the 401 and 601 in 1934. Today, we see the descendants of this front-runner in the Peugeot 208, the Peugeot 308 and the Peugeot 508.
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5. Major role in World War I
When World War I broke out, the French army lacked many armoured vehicles. Peugeot stepped in to equip normal vehicles with appropriate armour, effectively converting them into military vehicles. It continued to manufacture other military equipment such as arms, shells, bicycles and tanks until the war ended.
6. Scooting along
Remember that Peugeot started making bicycles in its early days? Well, this evolved to the creation of its first scooter in 1953 (the S55 – pictured). Peugeot also pioneered an electric scooter – the Scoot’Elec – in 1995, as well as the first scooter with anti-lock braking system (ABS) – the Elystar, in 2002.
Today, Peugeot Scooters is the world’s oldest manufacturer of motorised two-wheeled vehicles.
7. Peugeot named “European Car of the Year” six times
The company was first awarded the title for the Peugeot 504 in 1969. It then won the title again and again – Peugeot 405 (1988), Peugeot 307 (2002), Peugeot 308 (2014), Peugeot 3008 (2017) and Peugeot 208 (2020).
In Singapore, Peugeot cars have also won numerous awards, including the 2021 sgcarmart Car of the Year for the Peugeot 508.
8. Peugeot and Citroën merged
In 1974, Peugeot bought a 38.2 % share of another French automobile brand, Citroën, after the latter ran into financial trouble. The stake was increased to 89.95% in 1976 which then created a merged parent company, PSA Peugeot Citroën. Since then, the company has been renamed as the PSA Group.
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9. Peugeot 205 was a gamechanger
Entering the 1980s, Peugeot was regarded as the most conservative out of France’s three largest car manufacturers. But the launch of the supermini car, the Peugeot 205, in 1983 proved a lifesaving success for Peugeot. The car became the best-selling car in France and the most-exported French car. The Peugeot 205 was finally “retired” in 1998 but not before being named “Car of the Decade” by CAR Magazine in 1990.
10. First award-winning SUV
In 2016, Peugeot unveiled the 3008 and immediately wowed the critics with its style, design and features. It won the European Car of the Year 2017 title, becoming the first award-winning SUV in the history of the competition.
Continuing the French flair
Peugeot has come a long way both as a company and a brand. In Singapore, it is still sought after for its iconic styling, dependability, and good price point. Now that you know a little more about the fascinating story of the French brand, perhaps it will come in handy as food for thought when you are considering your next car.
Check out our Peugeot range today.
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