Peugeot
Company History
Peugeot History: Founding, Growth & Key Milestones
Founded 1810 in Sochaux, Doubs, France
When was Peugeot founded?
Peugeot was founded in 1810 in Sochaux, Doubs, France by Armand Peugeot, making it 216 years old.
- Founded
- 1810
- Founding place
- Sochaux, Doubs, France
- Founders
- Armand Peugeot
- Headquarters today
- Poissy, France
- Milestones documented
- 12 (1810–2025)
- Current CEO
- Alain Favey
- Acquisitions
- 3
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1810 | Peugeot Brothers Found Steel Foundry in Sous-Cratet: Jean-Pierre and Jean-Frédéric Peugeot convert a grain mill into a steel foundry, manufacturing saw blades, watch springs, and coffee grinders with the well-known lion emblem. |
| 1889 | First Automobile Produced by Armand Peugeot: Armand Peugeot exhibits the Serpollet-Peugeot Type 1 steam tricycle at the 1889 Paris Exposition, transitioning the company permanently to motorized transport. |
| 1976 | Acquisition of Citroën & Formation of PSA Group: Peugeot takes over Citroën to form PSA Peugeot Citroën, creating the unified industrial champion of the French automotive industry. |
| 1978 | Chrysler Europe Acquired |
| 1983 | Launch of the Legendary Peugeot 205 & 205 GTI: Releases the 205 supermini, a runaway design and commercial triumph that saves Peugeot from bankruptcy and becomes a hot-hatch rallying legend. |
| 1998 | Debut of the Peugeot 206: Launches the 206 hatchback, which sells over 10 million units to become the best-selling French automobile of all time. |
| 2012 | Invention of the Peugeot i-Cockpit: Debuts the influential i-Cockpit interior architecture on the 208, featuring a compact sports steering wheel, elevated head-up instrumentation, and piano toggle keys. |
| 2014 | Dongfeng and French State Take Stakes |
| 2017 | Peugeot 3008 Wins European Car of the Year: The second-generation 3008 SUV wins European Car of the Year 2017, igniting an upscale design renaissance across all Peugeot model lines. |
| 2021 | Merger into Stellantis N.V.: PSA Group merges with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to create Stellantis N.V., establishing Peugeot as a central core brand in a global 14-brand conglomerate. |
| 2021 | Linda Jackson becomes CEO |
| 2025 | Alain Favey becomes CEO |
- Where was Peugeot founded?
- Peugeot was founded in Sochaux, Doubs, France in 1810.
- Who founded Peugeot?
- Peugeot was founded by Armand Peugeot.
- When did Peugeot start?
- Peugeot was founded in 1810.
- How old is Peugeot?
- Peugeot is 216 years old as of 2026.
Founding Story
In 1810 brothers Jean-Pierre and Jean-Frédéric Peugeot turned a family mill in eastern France into a steel works. The business adopted its lion trademark in 1858 for saw blades. Armand Peugeot, from a later generation, saw the potential of motor vehicles, showed a steam tricycle in 1889, used Daimler-licensed petrol engines from 1890 and founded the Société des Automobiles Peugeot in 1896.
Founders
Armand Peugeot
Armand Peugeot (1849-1915) was the member of the Peugeot industrial family who took the business into motor vehicles. He showed a steam tricycle built with Léon Serpollet at the 1889 Paris Exposition, switched to Daimler-licensed petrol engines in 1890, and in 1896 founded the Société des Automobiles Peugeot as a company separate from the family hardware and bicycle firm. Education: École Centrale Paris. Peugeot was born on February 18, 1849 and died on February 4, 1915. He was inducted into the Automotive Hall of Fame in 1999. Armand Peugeot was born in 1849.
Key Milestones
Peugeot Brothers Found Steel Foundry in Sous-Cratet: Jean-Pierre and Jean-Frédéric Peugeot convert a grain mill into a steel foundry, manufacturing saw blades, watch springs, and coffee grinders with the well-known lion emblem.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgFirst Automobile Produced by Armand Peugeot: Armand Peugeot exhibits the Serpollet-Peugeot Type 1 steam tricycle at the 1889 Paris Exposition, transitioning the company permanently to motorized transport.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAcquisition of Citroën & Formation of PSA Group: Peugeot takes over Citroën to form PSA Peugeot Citroën, creating the unified industrial champion of the French automotive industry.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgChrysler Europe Acquired
PSA bought the European operations of Chrysler in 1978.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgLaunch of the Legendary Peugeot 205 & 205 GTI: Releases the 205 supermini, a runaway design and commercial triumph that saves Peugeot from bankruptcy and becomes a hot-hatch rallying legend.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgDebut of the Peugeot 206: Launches the 206 hatchback, which sells over 10 million units to become the best-selling French automobile of all time.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgInvention of the Peugeot i-Cockpit: Debuts the influential i-Cockpit interior architecture on the 208, featuring a compact sports steering wheel, elevated head-up instrumentation, and piano toggle keys.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgDongfeng and French State Take Stakes
Dongfeng Motor and the French state each took a 14 percent stake in PSA in 2014 in a rescue recapitalisation.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgPeugeot 3008 Wins European Car of the Year: The second-generation 3008 SUV wins European Car of the Year 2017, igniting an upscale design renaissance across all Peugeot model lines.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgMerger into Stellantis N.V.: PSA Group merges with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to create Stellantis N.V., establishing Peugeot as a central core brand in a global 14-brand conglomerate.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgLinda Jackson becomes CEO
Linda Jackson became CEO of Peugeot in 2021. The Peugeot 208 was Europe's best-selling car in 2022 during her tenure.
Source: en.wikipedia.orgAlain Favey becomes CEO
Alain Favey became CEO of Peugeot in 2025. Former Europcar Mobility Group CEO; succeeded Linda Jackson on February 3, 2025.
Source: media.stellantis.comMajor Acquisitions
Citroën (Formation of PSA Group)
1976Peugeot acquired bankrupt French rival Citroën from Michelin at the urging of the French government, establishing the combined holding corporation PSA Peugeot Citroën.
Opel and Vauxhall Motors
2017PSA Group under CEO Carlos Tavares bought German automaker Opel and British sister brand Vauxhall from General Motors for €2.2 billion (about $2.3 billion).
Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (50:50 merger)
2021PSA Group and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles completed a 50:50 merger on January 16, 2021, creating Stellantis N.V. It was a merger of equals rather than a cash acquisition.
Keep researching Peugeot
Peugeot Company History FAQ
What are the major historical milestones of Peugeot across its 210+ year history?
Key milestones: 1810 Peugeot family steel works founded; 1889 first steam tricycle; 1890 first petrol car; 1912 Sochaux plant opened; 1929 the 201 introduced the central-zero names; 1976 Citroën takeover creates PSA; 1983 the 205; 2012 the i-Cockpit; 2017 Opel/Vauxhall purchase; 2021 Stellantis formed; 2025 Alain Favey named CEO; 2026 Dongfeng deal to build Peugeots in China.
What is the origin of Peugeot's famous 'Central Zero' three-digit naming convention?
In 1929, Peugeot introduced the Peugeot 201, establishing a trademarked three-digit naming system with a central zero (e.g., 205, 308, 508), where the first digit indicates vehicle size class and the last digit indicates model generation. Peugeot famously defended this patent in the 1960s when Porsche was forced to rename the '901' to the '911'.
How did the well-known Peugeot 205 save the company in the 1980s?
Launched in 1983, the Peugeot 205 became a monumental global success, selling over 5.3 million units. Its well-known hot-hatch variant, the 205 GTI, defined a generation of driving enthusiasm, while the 205 Turbo 16 dominated the World Rally Championship, rescuing Peugeot from severe financial crisis.
What was the historic Peugeot 504 and its well-known reputation in Africa?
Introduced in 1968 and winning European Car of the Year in 1969, the Peugeot 504 (sedan, wagon, and pickup) earned well-known status for indestructible suspension and rugged durability across Africa and South America ('The King of the African Road'), remaining in assembly production in Nigeria until 2006.
When did Peugeot introduce the first production particle filter (FAP) for diesels?
In 2000, Peugeot made automotive history by introducing the world's first production diesel particulate filter (FAP - Filtre à Particules) on the Peugeot 607 HDi, eliminating over 99% of soot particles and setting the global benchmark for European clean diesel technology.
How did the launch of the second-generation Peugeot 3008 in 2016 transform the brand?
In 2016, Peugeot reinvented the 3008 from a generic MPV into a dramatic compact SUV with the new i-Cockpit. It won the prestigious 2017 European Car of the Year award, sold over 1.3 million units, and triggered a large brand resurgence across Europe.
What awards has Peugeot won in European Car of the Year history?
Peugeot is one of the most decorated manufacturers in the European Car of the Year competition, winning six historic titles: Peugeot 504 (1969), Peugeot 405 (1988), Peugeot 307 (2002), Peugeot 308 (2014), Peugeot 3008 (2017), and Peugeot 208 (2020).
What is Peugeot's long-term vision for sustainable French mobility?
Peugeot's vision is to lead European sustainable mobility by crafting alluring, intuitive electric vehicles manufactured with circular economy recycled materials, powered by European battery gigafactories, and delivering pure emotional driving pleasure.
When did Peugeot start making cars?
While the Peugeot family business was founded in 1810 as an industrial steelmaker, Armand Peugeot built the company's first automobile in 1889, a steam-powered three-wheeler developed with Léon Serpollet, followed by petrol-powered four-wheelers in 1890 using Daimler engines.
Why does Peugeot use three digits with a zero in the middle for car names?
Peugeot introduced the central-zero three-digit nomenclature in 1929 with the Peugeot 201. The first digit signifies the vehicle size or class, the central zero was originally the hole for the engine hand-crank starter, and the third digit represents the generation of the model.
How did Peugeot become part of Stellantis?
In January 2021, Peugeot's parent company, PSA Group (which already owned Peugeot, Citroën, Opel, Vauxhall, and DS), completed a 50-50 equal merger with Fiat Chrysler Automobiles (FCA) to create Stellantis N.V., the world's fourth-largest automaker.
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