Peugeot was founded as a family business in 1896,[6] making it the oldest car company in the world.[7] On 20 November 1858, Émile Peugeot applied for the liontrademark. Armand Peugeot (1849–1915) built the company's first vehicle, asteam-powered tricycle. In 1886, the company collaborated withLéon Serpollet, followed by the development of an internal combustion car in 1890, which used aPanhard-Daimler engine.[8]
The Peugeot family and company are originally fromSochaux, where Peugeot still operates a large manufacturing facility and thePeugeot Museum.
Peugeot first emblem, displaying the lion figure, 1810
The Peugeot family ofValentigney,Montbéliard,Franche-Comté, France began in the manufacturing business in 1810 with a steel foundry, which quickly started manufacturingsaws; then other hand tools and, circa 1840 to 1842,coffee grinders; then, in 1874, pepper grinders; and then, circa 1880,bicycles.[10] The company's entry into the vehicle market was by means of stiff, structuredpetticoats orcrinoline dresses, which used steel rods, leading to umbrella frames, chisels, wire wheels, and bicycles.[11]Armand Peugeot introduced his "Le Grand Bi"penny-farthing in 1882, along with a range of other bicycles.[12]
The company's logo, initially a lion walking on an arrow, symbolized the speed, strength, and flexibility of the Peugeot saw blades.[13] The car and motorcycle company and the bicycle company parted ways in 1926, but the family-ownedCycles 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.[14]
Armand Peugeot became interested in the automobile early on and, after meeting withGottlieb Daimler and others were convinced of its viability. The first Peugeot automobile, a three-wheeled,steam-powered car designed byLéon Serpollet, was produced in 1889; only four examples were made.[15]Steam power was heavy and bulky and required lengthy warm-up times. In 1890, after meeting Daimler andÉmile Levassor, steam was abandoned in favour of a four-wheeled car with a petrol-fuelledinternal combustion engine built byPanhard under Daimler licence. The car was more sophisticated than many of its contemporaries, with a three-point suspension and a sliding-gear transmission.[16] An example was sold to the youngAlberto Santos-Dumont, who exported it to Brazil.[17]
More cars followed, 29 being built in 1892, 40 in 1894, 72 in 1895, 156 in 1898, and 300 in 1899.[15] These early models were given "type" numbers. Peugeot became the first manufacturer to fit rubbertyres (solid, rather thanpneumatic) to a petrol-powered car.[citation needed] 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.[18]
Peugeot was an early pioneer in motor racing, withAlbert Lemaître winning the world's first motor race, theParis–Rouen, in a 3 hp Peugeot. Five Peugeots qualified for the main event, and all finished. Lemaître finished 3 min 30 sec behind the Comtede Dion whose steam-powered car was ineligible for the official competition.[15] Three Peugeots were entered in theParis–Bordeaux–Paris, where they were beaten by Panhard's car[19] (despite an average speed of 20.8 km/h (12.9 mph)[20] and taking the 31,500 franc prize).[20] This also marked the debut ofMichelin pneumatic tyres in racing,[21] also on a Peugeot; they proved insufficiently durable.[15] Nevertheless, the vehicles were still very muchhorseless carriages in appearance and were steered by atiller.
In 1896, the first Peugeot engines were built; no longer were they reliant on Daimler. Designed by Rigoulot, the first engine was an 8 hp (6.0 kW) horizontal twin fitted to the back of theType 15.[21] It also served as the basis of a nearly exact copy produced byRochet-Schneider.[21] Further improvements followed: the engine moved to the front on the Type 48 and was soon under abonnet at the front of the car, instead of hidden underneath; the steering wheel was adopted on theType 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 atAudincourt to focus entirely on cars.[21] In 1899, sales hit 300; total car sales for all of France that year were 1,200.[21] The same year, Lemaître won the Nice-Castellane-Nice Rally in a special 5,850 cc (357 cu in) 20 hp (14.9 kW) racer.[21]
At the 1901Paris Salon, Peugeot debuted a tiny shaft-driven 652 cc (40 cu in) 5 hp (3.7 kW) one-cylinder, dubbed "Bébé" ("baby"), and shed its conservative image, becoming a style leader.[22] After placing 19th in the 1902 Paris-Vienna Rally with a 50 hp (37.3 kW) 11,322 cc (691 cu in) racer, and failing to finish with two similar cars, Peugeot quit racing.[22]
In 1898, Peugeot Motocycles presents at theParis 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 5 hp (4 kW)Bébé, a 6.5 hp (4.8 kW) four-seater, and an 8 hp (6.0 kW) and 12 hp (8.9 kW) resembling contemporaryMercedes models.[22]
The 1907 salon showed Peugeot's first six-cylinder and markedTony Huber joining as an engine builder.[22] By 1910, Peugeot'sproduct line included a 1,149 cc (70 cu in) 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.[23]
A more famous name,Ettore Bugatti, designed the new 850 cc (52 cu in) four-cylinderBébé of 1912.[22] The same year, Peugeot returned to racing with a team of three driver-engineers (a breed typical of the pioneer period, exemplified byEnzo Ferrari among others):Jules Goux (graduate ofArts et Metiers, Paris),Paolo Zuccarelli (formerly ofHispano-Suiza), andGeorges Boillot (collectively calledLes Charlatans), with 26-year-old Swiss engineerErnest Henry to make their ideas reality. The company decidedvoiturette (light car) racing was not enough, and chose to trygrandes épreuves (grand touring). They did so with an engineeringtour de force: adual overhead camshaft (DOHC) 7.6-liter four-cylinder (110x200 mm) with four valves per cylinder.[24] It proved faster than other cars of its time, and Boillot won the 1912 French Grand Prix at an average of 68.45 mph (110.2 km/h), despite losing third gear and taking a 20-minute pit stop.[25] In May 1913, Goux took one toIndianapolis, and won at an average of 75.92 mph (122.2 km/h), recording straightaway speeds of 93.5 mph (150.5 km/h).[25] 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 99.5 mph (160.1 km/h), and Duray placed second (beaten by ex-Peugeot aceRené Thomas in a 6,235 cc (380 cu in)Delage).[26] Another (driven by Boillot's brother,André) placed in 1915; similar models won in 1916 (Dario Resta) and 1919 (Howdy Wilcox).
For the 1913French Grand Prix, an improved L5 (with 5,655 cc (345 cu in) engine) was produced with a pioneering ballbearingcrankshaft, gear-driven camshafts, anddry sump lubrication, all of which soon became standard on racing cars; Zuccarelli was killed during testing on public roads,[25] but Boillot easily won the event, making him (and Peugeot) the race's first double winner.[26] For the 1914 French GP, Peugeot was overmatched byMercedes, and despite a new innovation, four-wheel brakes (against the Mercedes' rear-only), Georges proved unable to match them and the car broke down.[26] (Surprisingly, a 1914 model turned a 103 mph (165.8 km/h) lap in practice at Indy in 1949, yet it failed to qualify.)[27] Peugeot was more fortunate in 1915, winning at the French GP andVanderbilt Cup.[27]
During theFirst World War, Peugeot turned largely to arms production, becoming a major manufacturer of arms and military vehicles, from armoured cars and bicycles to shells. Between 1917 and 1920 the company produced 4,084Type 1525 trucks.[28] Peugeot also manufacturedaircraft engines. The firm designed and built thePeugeot 8Aa engines, which equipped the 1,123Voisin VIIIbombers and cannonfighters used by theAéronautique Militaire.[29] Additionally, Peugeot was one of the major license producers of theHispano-Suiza 8 aero engines which powered many French and British fighter aircraft during the second half of the conflict.[30]
Paris-Rouen 1894. Albert Lemaître (pictured on left) was classified first in his Peugeot 3 hp. Bicycle manufacturerAdolphe Clément-Bayard was the front passenger.
After the war, car production resumed in earnest. Racing continued as well, with Boillot entering the 1919Targa Florio in a 2.5-liter (150-in3) car designed for an event pre-empted by World War I; the car had 200,000 km (120,000 mi) on it, yet Boillot won with an impressive drive (the best of his career)[27] Peugeots in his hands were third in the 1925 Targa, first in the 1922 and 1925Coppa Florios, first in the 1923 and 1925 Touring Car Grands Prix, and first at the 1926Spa 24 Hours.[27] Peugeot introduced a five-valve-per-cylinder, triple-overhead-cam engine for the Grand Prix, conceived byMarcel Gremillon (who had criticised the early DOHC), but the engine was a failure.[27]
The same year, Peugeot debuted 10 hp (7.5 kW) and 14 hp (10.4 kW) fours, the larger based on theType 153, and a 6-liter 25 hp (19 kW)sleeve valve six, as well as a newcyclecar,La Quadrilette.[27]
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 defunctBellanger andDe Dion companies in 1927.[27] In 1928, theType 183 was introduced.
Soon after the timely introduction of thePeugeot 201, theGreat Depression hit all the French auto-makers: Peugeot sales slumped, but the company survived.[31]
New for 1929 was thePeugeot 201, the cheapest car on the French market,[27] 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,[32] 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 the402 BL Éclipse Décapotable, the first convertible with aretractable hardtop[33][34][35] — an idea followed later by theFord Skyliner in the 1950s and revived in the modern era by theMitsubishi 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 thePeugeot 202,Peugeot 302, andPeugeot 402. These cars had curvaceous designs, with headlights behind sloping grille bars, evidently inspired by theChrysler Airflow.[33][36] The 2.1-liter[36] 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.[36] 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 behindCitroën.[37] Regular production began again in mid-1946, and lasted into 1949.
In 1946,[37] the company restarted car production with the 202, delivering 14,000 copies.[36] In 1947, Peugeot introduced thePeugeot 203, with coil springs, rack-and-pinion steering, and hydraulic brakes.[37] The 203 set new Peugeot sales records, remaining in production until 1960.[36]
Peugeot took overChenard-Walcker in 1950, having already been required to acquire a controlling interest inAutomobiles Hotchkiss in 1942.[37] A popular model introduced in 1955 was thePeugeot 403. With a 1.5-liter engine, it sold one million copies by the end of its production run in 1962.[citation needed]
The company began selling cars in the United States in 1958, and in 1960 introduced thePeugeot 404, which used a 1,618 cc (99 cu in) engine, tilted 45 degrees. The 404 proved rugged enough to win theEast African Safari Rally four times, in 1963, 1966, 1967, and 1968.
More models followed, many styled byPininfarina, such as the504, one of Peugeot's most distinctive models. Like many European manufacturers, collaboration with other firms increased; Peugeot worked withRenault from 1966 andVolvo from 1972. The results of this cooperation included the development of theV6 PRV engine, which was first manufactured in 1974.[38]
Several Peugeot models were assembled in Australia, commencing with the 203 in 1953.[39] These were followed by 403, 404 and 504 models with Australian assembly ending with the 505 in the early 1980s.[39]
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 itdeveloped too many radical new models for its financial resources. Some of them, notably theCitroën SM and theComotorWankel engine venture proved unprofitable. Others, theCitroën CX andCitroën GS for example, proved very successful in the marketplace.[40]
The joint parent company became thePSA Peugeot Citroën 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 ItalianMaserati marque, but disposed of it in May 1975.
The group then took overthe European division ofChrysler (which were formerlyRootes andSimca) in 1978 as the American auto manufacturer struggled to survive. Soon, the whole Chrysler/Simca range was sold under the revivedTalbot badge until the production of Talbot-branded passenger cars was shelved in 1987 and on commercial vehicles in 1992.[41]
In 1983, Peugeot launched the successfulPeugeot 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 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 the106 in 1991, and ceasing production at the launch of the206, the best-selling Peugeot model of all time, with 8,358,217 cars sold by 2012.[42]
By 1987, the company had dropped the Talbot brand for passenger cars when it ceased production of the Simca-basedHorizon,Alpine, andSolara models, as well as theTalbot Samba supermini which was based on thePeugeot 104. What was to be called the Talbot Arizona became thePeugeot 309, with the former Rootes plant inRyton and Simca plant inPoissy 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-badgedhatchback of its size, and sold well across Europe. The 309's successor, the 306, was also built at Ryton.
The405 saloon was launched in 1987 to compete with the likes of theFord Sierra, and was votedEuropean Car of the Year. This, too, was a popular car across Europe, and continued to be available in Africa and Asia after it was replaced by the406 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 thePeugeot 505 design aged. For a time, distribution in the Canadian market was handled byChrysler. 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 introduced405 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 theChile–Mexico Free Trade Agreement. However, Peugeot models (1997–present) are not to be bought or imported into the United States from Mexico.
On 18 April 2006, PSA Peugeot Citroën announced the closure of the Ryton manufacturing facility inCoventry, 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 lastPeugeot 206 on 12 December 2006, and finally closed down in January 2007.[43]
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 byPhilippe 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.[44]
Peugeot still plans on developing new models to compete in segments where it currently does not compete. Collin said 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-hybriddrivetrain, which might be key to its expansion.[45]
Peugeot's previous logo was introduced on 8 January 2010 and it was used around 11 years until 24 February 2021
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 atSanand,Gujarat.[46]
Peugeot re-entered the Philippines in 2012 after having a short presence in 2005 with distribution done by the Alvarez Group.[47]
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 andproduct development. In December 2013, GM sold its entire Peugeot stake, taking a loss of about 70 million euros.[48]
In October 2013, Peugeot closed their production plant atAulnay-sous-Bois as part of arestructuring plan to reduce overcapacity in the face of a shrinking domestic market.[49] By December 2013, Chinese investors were rumoured to be potential investors.[50] 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 and the French government were each to buy 14% stakes in the company, creating three partners with equal voting rights.[51][52][53] 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.[54] The French government took the view the deal did not require approval by Brussels asEU competition rules do not count public investment in a company on the same terms as a private investor as state aid.[55] 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 inChengdu, inSichuan Province, targeting the manufacture of 300,000sport-utility and multipurpose vehicles a year, starting towards the end of 2016.[56]In January 2015, Indian multinational automotive giantMahindra & Mahindra purchased a major stake of 51% of Peugeot Motocycles for a price of 28 million euro.[57]
In 2015, the SpanishNational Commission on Markets and Competition fined Peugeot España, S.A. with over 15 million euros because it operated acartel with other car builders and sellers controlling 91% of the Spanish market between 2006 and 2013. They shared information about sales and repairs anti-competitively.[58]
In 2020, it was announced that a merger ofFiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) and PSA is expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2021. The combined company will be calledStellantis.[59] 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.[60]
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 theEuropean Union, and sold between September and August the previous year.
Peugeot presented a new concepthybrid electric sports sedan at the 2008Paris Motor Show called thePeugeot RC HYmotion4. Similar to the drivetrain model used in the upcomingChevrolet 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.[80] The RC HYmotion4 includes a 70-kW electric motor at the front wheels.[81] The Peugeot Prologue HYmotion4[82] was also shown at the2008 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.[83]
By 2025, it is expected that 100% of Peugeot models would introduce an electrified variant.[86][87] It is estimated that by 2030, 100% of Peugeot sold in Europe would be electrified.[88][89] Along with adopting an all-electricity approach, Peugeot also aims to reduce its CO2 emissions.[87] Peugeot's aim is to implement its brand shift to sustainable and environmental-friendly transport solutions.[90]
Peugeot was involved in motorsport from the earliest days and entered five cars for theParis-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 untilWorld War I, but in 1912, Peugeot made its most notable contribution to motor sporting history when one of their cars, driven byGeorges Boillot, won theFrench Grand Prix at Dieppe. This revolutionary car was powered by astraight-4 engine designed by Ernest Henry under the guidance of the technically knowledgeable racing driversPaul Zuccarelli andGeorges Boillot. The design was very influential for racing engines as it featured for the first timeDOHC 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 atAmiens and theIndianapolis 500. 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, ownerBob Burman had it serviced in the shop ofHarry Miller by a young mechanic namedFred Offenhauser. Their familiarity with the Peugeot engine was the basis of the famed Miller racing engine, which later developed into theOffenhauser.
Peugeot'sEast African importers had an 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 lateBert 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 theSafari Rally in 1975 (Andersson in a 504 Injection sedan), then, in 1978 (Nicolas in a 504 Coupé V6), both cars being factory team entries.
Peugeot 206 WRC, winner of the World Rally Championship from 2000 to 2002
Peugeot's domination continued in the1985 season. Despite Vatanen's nearly fatal accident inArgentina, in the middle of the season, his teammate and compatriotTimo Salonen led Peugeot to its firstdrivers' andmanufacturers' world championship titles, well ahead ofAudi and theirAudi Sport Quattro. In the1986 season, Vatanen's young replacementJuha Kankkunen beatLancia'sMarkku Alén to the drivers' title and Peugeot took its second manufacturers' title ahead of Lancia. FollowingFIA's banning of Group B cars for1987, in May afterHenri Toivonen's fatal accident, Todt was outraged and even (unsuccessfully) pursued legal action against the federation.[91] Peugeot then switched torally raids. Using the 205 and a405, 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-championSébastien Loeb and 12-time Dakar winnerStéphane Peterhansel who managed to win the 2016 edition for the Peugeot factory team in thePeugeot 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 itsFIA World Rallycross Championship career. The 2018 event would see Peugeot win for the seventh straight time with ex-World Rally Championship driverCarlos Sainz.
Peugeot 3008 DKR, 2017 winner of the Dakar Rally
In1999, Peugeot returned to the World Rally Championship with the206 WRC. The car was immediately competitive against such opposition as theSubaru Impreza WRC, theFord Focus WRC, and theMitsubishi Lancer Evolution.Marcus Grönholm gave the car its first win at the 2000Swedish 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 in2001, Peugeot Sport dominated the2002 season, taking eight wins in the hands of Grönholm andGilles Panizzi. Grönholm also took the drivers' title. For the2004 season, Peugeot retired the 206 WRC in favour of the new307 WRC. The 307 WRC did not match its predecessor in success, but Grönholm took three wins with the car, one in 2004 and two in2005. PSA Peugeot Citroën withdrew Peugeot from the WRC after the 2005 season, whileCitroën 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 compatriotMikko Hirvonen atFord.
Throughout the mid-1990s, thePeugeot 406saloon (called a sedan in some countries) contestedtouring car championships across the world, enjoying success inFrance,Germany and Australia, yet failing to win a single race in theBritish Touring Car Championship despite a number of podium finishes under the command of 1992 British Touring Car ChampionTim 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 inCoventry under the direction of team manager Mick Linford in 1996, withTotal 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 theBTCC 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 sponsorEsso.
Initially, the 406's lack of success was blamed on suspension problems. During 1998 the 406 apparently lacked sufficienthorsepower 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 commentatorCharlie 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.[citation needed]
In 2001, Peugeot entered threeBTC-T Peugeot 406 Coupés into the British Touring Car Championship to compete with the dominantVauxhall Astra coupes. The 406 coupe was at the end of itsproduct 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 thePeugeot 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.
The company has also been involved in providing engines toFormula One teams, notably toMcLaren in1994, toJordan for the1995,1996 and1997 seasons, and toProst for the1998,1999 and2000 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 toAsiatech at the end of the 2000 season.
In April 2013, a 208 T16 was tested bySébastien Loeb atMont Ventoux.[96] Loosely based on the shape and design of the production 208, the T16 is a lightweight 875 kg (1,929 lb) vehicle that uses the rear wing from thePeugeot 908, and has a 3.2-litre, twin-turbo V6 engine, developing 875 bhp (652 kW; 887 PS) with the aim of competing at thePikes Peak International Hill Climb. 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.[97]
In the 2017 filmBlade Runner 2049, the main character'sflying car (known in-universe as a"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.[98]
Peugeot has flagship dealerships, named Peugeot Avenue, located on theChamps-Élysées inParis, and inBerlin. 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.[99]
Peugeot also produced bicycles starting in 1882 in Beaulieu, France (with tenTour 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.[102] The European rights were briefly sold toCycleurope S.A., returning to Peugeot in the 1990s.[103] Today, the Peugeot bicycle brand name remains within theCycleurope S.A. portfolio.[104]
As of 2021, the separate Peugeot-family-owned firm Peugeot Saveurs, previously named PSP Peugeot, continues to make and market peppergrinders, salt grinders,corkscrews for wine bottles,cutlery, tableware, and other kitchen- and table-service equipment.[105]
The company has produced household mills since the 19th century. Its first coffee mill, the R model, was launched in 1840, followed by large cast-iron grocers’ mills in 1855. Peugeot introduced the Z model table pepper mill in 1874, which remains in production. In the early 21st century, the firm developed patented mechanisms tailored to different spices, including a chilli pre-chopper and a grinder for moist Guérande salt (2003), the adjustable “u’Select” grind system (2004), and a ceramic mechanism to process wet sea salt without clogging (2014).[106]
The product range has expanded to include coffee grinders, nutmeg mills, chilli grinders, and spice mills for seeds such as flax or sesame, as well as wine accessories such as corkscrews, decanters, champagne coolers, and vacuum pumps. Peugeot Saveurs also manufactures glazed ceramic ovenware under the “Appolia” brand line.[107]
Production remains centered in Quingey, in the Franche-Comté region of France, where most of its mills are manufactured. The firm has been awarded the French Entreprise du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Company) label in recognition of its traditional expertise.[108] Peugeot Saveurs reports annual production of more than two million mills and exports to over 80 countries. The company employs around 185 people, most of them at the Quingey facility.[109] Its grinding mechanisms are typically covered by a lifetime guarantee, while the mill bodies carry multi-year warranties.[110]
^"Fahrbericht Peugeot 305" [Peugeot 305 test drive].Auto Motor und Sport (in German). No. 23. Stuttgart: Vereinigte Motor-Verlag GmbH & Co KG. 1977. pp. 70–78.
^Darke, Paul (1974). "Peugeot: The Oldest of Them All". In Innes, Brian; Northey, Tom; Ward, Ian (eds.).World of Automobiles. Vol. 15. London: Orbis Publishing. p. 1683.
^Georgano, G. N. (1985).Cars: Early and Vintage, 1886-1930. London: Grange-Universal. p. 22.
^Darke, Paul (1974). "Peugeot: The Oldest of Them All". In Innes, Brian; Northey, Tom; Ward, Ian (eds.).World of Automobiles. Vol. 15. London: Orbis Publishing. p. 1682.
^Musée de l'Aventure Peugeot. The exhibit label (2012) states: «Le site industriel de Sochaux fut créé en 1912 pour la production des poids lourds. Des différents types de camion Peugeot produits de 1913 à 1918 celui-ci fut les plus utilise par l’armée française. Au total 6,000 camions Peugeot ravitaillèrent le front de Verdun pendant la 1ère guerre mondiale. Le camion Type 1525 fut produit en 4,084 exemplaires de 1917 à 1920. Moteur 4 cylindres 4,712 cm3, puissance 22 ch., boite de vitesses a 4 rapports, transmission par arbre, roues en acier coule, jumelée à l’arrière, avec bandage caoutchoucs plein, charge utile 4,000 kg. Vitesse max 30 km/h». ("The Sochaux industrial site was created in 1912 for the production of heavy goods vehicles. Of the various types of Peugeot trucks produced from 1913 to 1918, this one was the most widely used by the French army. A total of 6,000 Peugeot trucks supplied the Verdun front during the First World War. The Type 1525 truck was produced in 4,084 units from 1917 to 1920. 4-cylinder 4,712 cm3 engine, 22 hp, 4-speed gearbox, shaft drive, cast steel wheels, twin at the rear, with solid rubber tires, payload 4,000 kg. Max speed 30 km/h.")
^Davilla, James J.; Soltan, Arthur M. (2002).French Aircraft of the First World War. Flying Machines Press. p. 559.ISBN978-1-89126-809-0.
^Marco, Manuel Lage (2003).Hispano Suiza in Aeronautics. United States: SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers). p. 70.ISBN978-0-76804-271-9.
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