Everything you need to know about Peugeot

Inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1999, Armand Peugeot was an industrialist in France, pioneer of the automobile industry an...

Inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1999, Armand Peugeot was an industrialist in France, pioneer of the automobile industry and the man who transformed Peugeot into a manufacturer of bicycles and later, automobiles.

It started out as a coffee mill maker.

Peugeot didn’t start out making cars. It was founded as a coffee mill maker in 1810. French brothers, Jean Pierre and Jean Pierre II converted their father’s old grain mill into a steel foundry which produced items ranging from coffee, salt and pepper grinders to springs, saws and umbrella frames.

Car with three wheels.

Designed by Leon Serpollet in 1886, the steam-operated vehicle had three wheels; due to the weight of the steam-powered engine, warming up the car was a long process. Subsequently, improvements were made with the company’s first four-wheeled petrol vehicle in 1890.

World War 1 military vehicle.

When WW1 broke out, the company had to take time off from manufacturing commercial cars and started producing military vehicles. Peugeot was one of the main manufacturers of arms, bicycles, military tanks and shells. They went back to making cars once WW1 ended.

Electric car.
In 1941, Peugeot introduced a small electric vehicle known as the VLV to help solve fuel restrictions before they were abruptly halted by the World War II.

After the war ended, the Peugeot 203 was born, setting new record in sales and lasting till the 1960s when the last of it was produced.

Peugeot 203 Limousine (1948 – 1960)

International Awards.

Received the coveted European Car of the Year award on numerous occasion. First won by Peugeot 504 in 1969, followed by Peugeot 405 in 1988 and Peugeot 307 in 2002.