| The Peugeot Company, started by the Peugeot family | | | | company is still proud of. During the war the company |
| originally began its life as an ironmonger. Instead of | | | | also produced an electric car named the VLV |
| cars the main items manufactured were coffee | | | | Electrique. After the war the company was also one |
| grinders and bicycles. It was not until 1876 that the | | | | of the first to re-establish production lines selling almost |
| company first started to make cars for the French | | | | fourteen thousand model 202's in 1946. During the |
| public. The first cars were steam driven although in | | | | fifties Peugeot still managed to dominate the European |
| later years, with the help of Daimler; the internal | | | | markets. In 1955 the model 403 was the first car ever |
| combustion engine was adopted as the preferred | | | | to break the one million units produced mark. Also |
| means of propulsion. | | | | during this decade the company entered the American |
| In 1891 the first of these petrol driven cars was driven | | | | car market. |
| from Beaulieu-Valentigney to Paris and then onto | | | | The sixties and seventies were a seminal period for |
| Brest. The acclaim gained for this amazing feat | | | | the company. The release of the Pininfarina designed |
| cemented the car in the hearts of the French public | | | | 404 dawned a period of success all over the world in |
| and as a result the company sold three hundred cars | | | | terms of sales as well as success in the Safari Rally. |
| in 1899, a marked improvement on the five sold in 1891. | | | | This period also saw Peugeot produce its five millionth |
| The range was further improved when the steering | | | | car. The company managers also decided to expand |
| tiller was replaced with the wheel and electric ignition | | | | in this period, taking over rival manufacturer Citroen in |
| systems were added in 1902. | | | | 1975 thanks to the financial assistance offered by the |
| Development naturally continued in the 1910's when | | | | French government. The new company was labelled |
| Peugeot once again entered the world of motor sport. | | | | PSA although this was purely a parent company as |
| With the help of Ettore Bugatti the cars were further | | | | both members of the group wanted to keep the |
| improved with stylistic design and an engine that | | | | identities of the two brands distinctly separate. The |
| produced an impressive ten horsepower. Examples of | | | | expansion however did not stop there; the company |
| these models can still be seen today in the French | | | | launched a successful bid to take over the European |
| National Automobile Museum located in the town of | | | | division of Chrysler in 1978. |
| Mulhouse. | | | | This expansion meant that the company has |
| After the First World War Peugeot steamed ahead | | | | overstretched itself and the early eighties were a time |
| with production, producing their one hundred thousandth | | | | of financial uncertainty for PSA. Thankfully, the release |
| car in 1925, the cars of this era predominantly had | | | | of the immensely popular 205 in 1983 meant that the |
| three cylinder engines although at this time the | | | | company was able to revive its fortunes and carry on |
| company were experimenting with two stroke diesel | | | | producing distinctly French cars. Today, despite having |
| models. Strangely in 1926 cars were produced for the | | | | to close the Coventry factory the company is still |
| first time with front brakes, previously cars had only | | | | striving to produce cars that have a French nature and |
| had braking systems in the rear. During the late | | | | are popular with drivers of all ages. The motoring giant |
| twenties Peugeot even released a sports car using a | | | | may be far removed from its humble coffee grinding |
| six cylinder Bugatti engine that had been supercharged. | | | | heritage, but the traditions of this family company have |
| The thirties saw Peugeot produce the first ever | | | | not been forgotten. |
| electrically retractable roof, a development that the | | | | |