Many people know Peugeot to be one of the most popular auto brands in the world today but only a few are aware that the French automaker was founded many years ago on the 2nd of April 1896.
As a matter of fact, the current Peugeot auto company was actually preceded by a family business that was founded in the year 1810 which deals in the manufacture of bicycles and coffee mills.
Believe it or not, the French automaker Peugeot has been around as far back as the 1800s
Peugeot made its first automobile in the year 1889 and during World War I, the company turned largely into producing arms and became one of the top manufacturers of military vehicles and arms that ranged from shells, bicycles all the way up to armoured cars.
Naijauto has compiled and shared a brief pictorial history of Peugeot automotive company below. Let’s take you down memory lane;
1. The first-ever Peugeot automobile
The first-ever Peugeot-branded automobile was showcased by Armand Peugeot in Paris at the 1889 World Fair. It was a non-commercialized steam-driven 3-wheeler that engineer Léon Serpollet co-designed hand-in-hand with Peugeot.
Armand Peugeot introduced his first steam-driven 3-wheeler in Paris in 1889
2. Peugeot 203: The first unibody Peugeot car
After World War I; in 1948, the Peugeot 203 became the first car to be produced by the French automaker. It was the first-ever unibody car model that has V-shaped valves and a hemispherical-shaped cylinder head. The 203 was also the first automobile that Peugeot made more than half-a-million units of.
A large quantity of more than 500,000 Peugeot 203s had been manufactured
3. The Peugeot 404
This car was designed by Pininfarina in 1960 such that it embraces more angular lines. It featured an increase in its glazed surfaces which rhymes with the elegance and modernism as well as contrasts most of the other 1950s car models greatly. In the year 1961, the first-ever direct-injection engine was added to the Peugeot 404 as an upgrade.
The Peugeot 404 car embraced angular lines with increased glazed surfaces
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4. The groundbreaking Peugeot 504
The Peugeot 504 was definitely groundbreaking in style and fittings as it was the longest commercialized car model from Peugeot with over 3,700,000 units rolled out by the French automaker since 1968 up until the year 2006.
This groundbreaking car was actually targeted at middle-class clientele but it went on to become ranked as No. 1 in South America and Africa because of its remarkable endurance.
This is the Peugeot 504 groundbreaking car that ranked No. 1 in South America and Africa
5. Peugeot 104: The small 4-door Saloon
The Peugeot 104 was the smallest 4-door Saloon car in the world in 1972 when it was rolled out. It even came with a popular slogan that emphasized its small size. The slogan says;
"All of Peugeot in 3.58"
Commercialized Peugeot 104 – the world's smallest 4-door saloon in 1972
6. The 6-cylinder Peugeot 604
The Peugeot 604 launched in 1979 had a unique style and stature that made it be adopted by only the highest-ranked government officials of those days.
It was also the first Peugeot car to be commercialized with a turbo diesel engine type.
The Peugeot 604 was the first 6-cylinder saloon car to be commercialized with a turbo diesel engine type
>>> Peugeot 508 is among the most popular Peugeot models in Nigeria, see Peugeot 508 prices in Nigeria: new, tokunbo & Nigerian used car prices
7. The Peugeot 205
The Peugeot 205 was rolled out in the year 1983 and in a short time, it became the most-exported and best-selling French car of its time.
Peugeot 205 – France’s best-selling and most-exported car in 1983
8. The Peugeot 405
The Peugeot 405 was launched in the year 1987 and it brought with quite a modern look that made it fit to compete in its segment of the auto market.
The Peugeot 405 was launched by the French automaker in 1987
9. The Pininfarina-designed Peugeot 406 coupé
The year 1997 saw the launch of the Pininfarina-designed Peugeot 406 coupé which came with a superb timeless design that makes it a real collector.
The Peugeot 406 is also the first coupé to be proposed with its own Diesel engine in the year 2001.
>>> For your reference: Peugeot 406 & 407 Prices in Nigeria (Update in 2019)
The Pininfarina-designed Peugeot 406 coupé isn’t going out of style anytime soon or is it?
10. The Peugeot 206
The Peugeot 206 was launched in the year 1998 with over 7,326,029 units made.
It’s a portable-looking car that would always catch the attention of the audience that is looking for a small car which wouldn’t need too much parking space.
>>> More information at: Peugeot 206 Prices in Nigeria (Update in 2019)
This is the portable-looking Peugeot 206 car that was launched in 1998
11. The Peugeot 3008 SUV
From the first car in the year 1889, Peugeot automotive company has evolved over the years to enter a new level now by launching its first-ever compact crossover SUV – the Peugeot 3008 in 2016.
Meet the Peugeot 3008 – first-ever compact crossover SUV from Peugeot
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