NOREV Catalogue 2019 | Page 87

Peugeot is a French car manufacturer and part of the PSA Group. The "PSA Peugeot Citroën" group was created in 1976 with the merger of Citroën S.A. and Peugeot S.A. "PSA Peugeot Citroën" became "Groupe PSA" in 2016 to fully integrate the young DS brand. In 2017, Opel and Vauxhall joined the group. What are the origins of the brand ? In 1810, Jean-Frédéric and Jean-Pierre Peugeot transform the family's grain mill into a steel mill, mostly to supply parts for saw blades and watchmaking. The Peugeot family’s first cubic wooden coffee mill - with internal steel mechanism- is made available in 1840. This iconic activity lasts until 1960. With time, the Peugeot family diversifies its activities  : steel tools, umbrella ribbs, steel frames for crinolines, bicycles and finally motorcycles. In 1889, at the World's Fair in Paris, Armand Peugeot presents the Type 1 steam tricycle and meets Gottlieb Daimler, the German inventor who is exhibiting his revolutionary gasoline engine. The two men work together on a chassis for a quadricycle that leads to the Type 2 & Type 3  : the first car in the world to be mass-produced (64 pieces). Why the Lion ? In 1847, to create a logo representing the quality of tools and blades they produce, Jules and Emile Peugeot approach Justin Blazer, an engraver in Montbéliard. The drawing of a lion is chosen because it symbolizes the three qualities of a blade  : - hardness of the teeth like the resistance of a lion - speed of cut like the speed of a leaping lion, - flexibility of the blade like that of a lion's spine In 1905, a Lion on an arrow appears at the front of the grille on the cars of the Peugeot Lion brand. What is the meaning of the numbers ? The first models have a rather simple name  : the very first one in 1889 is called Type 1, the second Type 2...up until Type 190 in 1928. In 1929, on the new Peugeot 201, the name is at the front of the hood and a hole in the central 0 allows to place the crank starter. Ever since, the rule is simple, the first number indicates the family of the vehicle, the central zero represents the identity of the mark and the last indicates the generation of the model according to when it first came out. However, in 2005, with the widening of the range, a central double zero is introduced for models with "specific architecture" such as SUVs, crossovers or minivans. Finally, in 2013, when renewing the 308, Peugeot decides to freeze the last figure  : now all models end with the number 8. 85