Last Saturday, the 26th of September, French automaker PEUGEOT marked its 210th anniversary. The sheer number of years makes the occasion as impressive as the boldness, passion and innovation that has embodied the brand from its humble origins.
To celebrate this milestone, on Thursday October 1, a global social media campaign will launch across Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, which will run until the end of the month. This will include 13 short 30-second films that recount some of the best moments of PEUGEOT’s history, the oldest automotive brand in the world still in business. These will include:
1 The PEUGEOT 205
Production: 1983-1998 with over 5,275,000 units sold.
In 1983, PEUGEOT an idol was born: the legendary 205! An ultramodern and incomparable design, that boasted a GTi version as well as convertible and Roland-Garros editions, with16 victories in the World Rally Championship and two in the Dakar Rally. All of which contributed to its success, with more than five million sold in 15 years.
2 Le Mans 1993
In 1993, PEUGEOT entered three 905s on the start line of the legendary “24 Hours of Le Mans”. It was PEUGEOT’s last race before moving on to Formula 1. After a fierce battle against Toyota, the PEUGEOTs claimed victory. All three 905s swept to the podium and left no room for their opponents. After this historic victory, PEUGEOT ended its Le Mans journey.
3 The World Rally Championships
After winning the 1978 Safari Rally (Kenya) with the 504 Safari coupe, PEUGEOT won the manufacturers’ championship with the 205 T16 in its first attempt at the World Rally Championship in 1985. But it was only the first in a long list of victories. The Lion would roar to the top of the podium more than 48 times in total, showing the world the power, endurance and reliability of PEUGEOT cars on any terrain.
4 The PEUGEOT employees
If Armand Peugeot had still been with us, he would have seen that the adventure he embarked upon alone had grown to include countless associates. He would have seen that their talent, creativity and passion had conquered 160 countries by reinventing tomorrow’s mobility every day. Thanks to employees both past and present, PEUGEOT has become the first car manufacturer to have three “Car of the Year” winners in its range at the same time.
5 The e-Legend
At the Paris Motor Show in 2018, PEUGEOT unveiled the e-Legend, an electric concept car whose design pays homage to the famous 504 coupé. Just a few days after its release, an online petition asking it to go through the series stage collected more than 70,000 signatures. A world first.
6 Pikes Peak
In 1988 and 1989, the PEUGEOT 405 T16 won the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb twice in a row. It was then another 25 years before the Lion roared on the Pikes Peak podium again — and by Lion we mean Sebastien Loeb and his 208 T16 in 2013. Their mythical time of 8’13”878 broke the record and set new standards for the race.
7 The Indy 500
Three young men quite simply became the inventors of the modern racing car in the 1910s. Georges Boillot, Jules Goux and Paolo Zuccarelli, all drivers and mechanics at PEUGEOT, opposed the mentality of the “official PEUGEOT engineers” and created the L76, a revolutionary racing car. In 1913, Jules took his car to the Indianapolis 500, the fiercest and most prestigious race of the time, and became the first European to win it, beating the Americans on their home turf.
8 The PEUGEOT 404
Production: from 1960-1988 with over 2,885,000 units sold
The PEUGEOT 404 was created 60 years ago and quickly became an icon: elegant, modern and incredibly popular, it embodied the new generation of French sedans. Produced in Super Luxe, Station Wagon, Coupé and Cabriolet versions, it sold nearly three million units worldwide until 1988.
9 Armand Peugeot (1849-1915)
A curious, lively and forward-thinking spirit: PEUGEOT motorbikes? That was him. PEUGEOT cars? That was him, too. Armand Peugeot always believed in the future of the car, often against all odds. And thanks to his brilliant flair and perseverance, the PEUGEOT Lion’s roar can now be heard all over the world.
10 Type 1, 2 and 3
At the World Fair in Paris in 1889, PEUGEOT exhibited a prototype of a steam-powered tricycle. It was the Type 1, the first car model ever built and sold by Armand Peugeot. After this experience, Armand was convinced that petrol was the future of the car and created the Type 2 and Type 3. These were the first of their kind, and 64 of these were produced.
11 The Eclipse 401
In 1932, a man by the name of Georges Paulin dreamed of driving with the wind blowing through his hair, but without having to deal with the waterproofing problems of convertibles at the time. That’s why he invented the electric retractable hardtop. PEUGEOT bought the patent and tested it on the 301, 401 and 601. The result? A lot of modern updates and incredibly elegant lines, which directly testify to the worldwide success of the PEUGEOT 206 CC 60 years later!
12 Car of the Year
In 1969, 1988, 2002, 2014, 2017 and 2020, PEUGEOT won one of the most prestigious car awards in the world, the European Car of the Year! The 504, 405, 307, 308, 3008 SUV and all-new 208 climbed to the top of the podium, beating the fierce competition and making PEUGEOT the first and only car manufacturer to have the label three times in its range at the same time!
13 Dakar Rally
PEUGEOT celebrated its return to the most selective and prestigious rally-raid in the world: the Dakar, with three consecutive wins. In 2016 with the 2008 DKR, in 2017 with the 3008 DKR (taking the first three places on the podium!), and in 2018 with the brand new 3008 DKR Maxi, PEUGEOT has really left its mark on these 10,000 km of sand, dust and pure adventure.
