Peugeot

Peugeot was a French bicycle maker in the 1800s and started making cars and motorcycles around the turn of the century. After quickly evolving from horseless buggies to more modern designs by midcentury, Peugeot launched the unibody 203 in 1948, a decade after Citroën innovated the unibody concept with its Traction Avant.

Peugeot vehicles can be easily recognized by their patented numeric model names that are three digits with a zero in the middle (Peugeot 206, 404, etc.) and lion logo on the grille. The Peugeot 205, introduced in 1985, is a small hatchback that was a bestseller in France and popular throughout the continent. Referred to as the “magic number”, the 205’s sales success is often credited for saving the Company from bankruptcy.

The 205 was succeeded by the Peugeot 206 and also proved to be a strong seller, selling over 7MM units. Peugeot’s larger 308 and 407 saloons and hatchbacks have also been met with reasonable sales successes. The Company, with its Citroën brand and Dongfeng Motors ownership is well-poised for future growth.