Peugeot

Peugeot. (France) 1889 to date.
Armand Peugeot built his first steam car in 1889, and from 1891 made Daimler-engined cars with rear engines in tubular chassis; they sold very well for the era.

In 1896 Peugeot started to make his own engines. In 1902 the 758cc Bebe was presented, and, two years later, Peugeot offered cars from 1.7 litres to 7.1 litres. Their first six-cylinder, a 10.4-litre, appeared in 1908, followed the next year by a smaller six of 3317cc. In 1912, Bugatti designed a new 855cc four-cylinder Bebe, and the same year Peugeot also made a V-4 of 1725cc.

At that period, the dohc Peugeot racers designed by Ernest Henry were victorious in many events, including the French Grand Prix and the Indianapolis 500.

At the outbreak of the war, Peugeot's staple products were the model 153 12 cv of 2613, and the 7 cv of 1452cc. After the war, Peugeot resumed production with these two models, to which were added the 10 cv of 1525cc and the 25 cv six of 5954cc. The popular 667cc Quadrilette was introduced in 1920, giving way in 1923 to the 5 cv, this The Peugeot 201 team in the 1933 Tour de France model being enlarged in 1925 to 719cc. During the 1920s, there also was the sleeve-valve 18 cv of 3827cc, and in 1927 a 3.8 litre six. The basic model was the 201 of 1100cc: it lasted for 1O years before giving way to the 1500cc 301. The last of the pre-war Peugeot six-cylinders, the 601, appeared in 1936; a year later came the streamlined Peugeot 402 which lasted until the war, alongside the 302 and 202.

During the Occupation, Peugeot experimented with the electric-powered VLV.

After the war, production restarted with the 202, and in 1947 Peugeot presented the 1.3 litre 203. The next step was the 403 of 1955, with a 1500cc engine. The 404 came in 1960, with a 1600cc engine. All these cars were also available in diesel form. A smaller car, the 1100cc 204 was launched in 1965, to be replaced in 1969 by the 304 with a 1300cc engine. The 504 was born in 1968.

In the 1970s Peugeot took control first of Citroen then of Chrysler Europe. The most recent models are the V-6-engined 604 and the 104, a small car also sold with a Citroen engine as the Citroen LN.

(Vintage European Automobiles)

The first trade mark symbols for the "PEUGEOT FRERES" products were designed by Justin Blazer, a jeweller and engraver based in Montbeliard. In a letter written in 1847, an appeal was made to the "good taste" of the artist to create the best possible layout of the letters and ensure the longevity of the trade marks. They included an arrow that can be seen under the paws of the Lion, created in 1850.

The company filed three designs to distinguish between the different qualities in which its tools were available:
- A lion, with or without an arrow, for top of the range products
- A crescent moon for second category products
- A hand for third quality.

In 1932, the Lion graphic was modified to suit the advertising and exhibition needs of the time.

Variations.
Initially the new Cycle and Automobile companies continued to use the lion standing on an arrow. But, in order to personalise their trademarks, the different companies adopted individual graphics:
- The CYCLE company used a Lion in combat
- The AUTOMOBILE company used the famous shield-shaped badge, featuring the LION'S head, followed by the LION seen on the Arms of FRANCHE-COMTE, which also appear on the arms of the COMTE de MONTBELIARD.

The most recent heraldic Lion was designed in 1998.

Pub-quiz question:
What's the connection between Peugeot and the Statue of Liberty? One of the earliest Peugeot models was known as a Lion-Peugeot, which adopted the lion emblem of the city of Belfort, where it was made. Bartholdi, the sculptor responsible for the Statue of Liberty in New York, also takes credit for Belfort's Inn.

(source: July 1999. Written by Martin Buckley.)