World’s oldest car brand dates back to 1810 but didn’t originally produce vehicles – and it wasn’t even Ford
THE WORLD's oldest automaker had humble origins as a steelmaker for watchmakers before eventually turning to bicycles and cars.
Two brothers started the company in 1810 to manufacture springs and tools for other companies.
Jean-Frédéric and Jean-Pierre II Peugeot had no idea that their industrial beginnings as a steel mill would change the course of their family's history.
Their mill produced tools, springs, umbrella ribs, coffee mills, watch parts, bicycles, and corset frames for several years before eventually expanding to create a steam-driven three-wheeler in 1889.
Feeling inspired by Karl Benz's work with the world's first true car in 1866, Jean-Pierre II's grandson Armand unveiled the first Peugeot branded concept at the 1889 World Fair in Paris alongside esteemed engineer and designer Léon Serpollet.
Peugeot quickly gained traction as a budding automaker with the company's first four-wheeled Daimler-powered vehicle in 1890 - just a year after their prototype came to fruition.
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By 1895 the company shifted its focus from bicycles to car vans that could carry up to 1,100 pounds, taking the company from being a humble steel mill to a well-known family across Europe.
Then came the 203 - otherwise known as the first car produced after the Second World War, and was the first car made as a unibody.
The vehicle was the first to have hemispherical heads in 1948 and was the first to have V-shaped valves.
The company also broke records after producing more than 500,000 units - unheard of before mass production.
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By the 1960s, Peugeot had fully taken off in Europe with the 404.
The 404 could be bought as a sedan, a sporty convertible variation, or even a pickup truck - showing the company's engineering prowess and dedication to customer variety.
It was named the Car of the Year in 1969 and boasted huge production figures for the company with nearly four million made.
The 1970s proved to be profitable years for Peugeot too, as the 104 came to be named the "world's shortest saloon," or the smallest four-door on the planet.
It was also the era when Peugeot purchased another large French automaker, Citroën - expanding the company's resources and markets.
The company's 205 was produced in 1983 and was the chosen athlete in the World Rally Cross.
The world's oldest car companies
Many of the world's first automakers began as far back as 1810
Peugeot, known as one of the top five automakers in Europe, started as a company that manufactured steel goods for other companies before making bicycles and cars from a family-owned mill in 1810 - making it the oldest car company in the world.
Vauxhall is second with beginnings in 1857 - though the company no longer produces cars - focusing on making trucks used across Europe.
The third oldest company is Germany's Opel, which started out making sowing machines in 1862 before shifting its production focus to bicycles. By 1899, the company was making cars under the Opel name and became the largest automaker in the country by 1928.
Coming from England, Land Rover was founded in 1877 and was initially known for making bicycles before designing the Rover Safety Bicycle in 1885 - which stands as the current bicycle design used today. Land Rover became the country's biggest and most popular automaker in the 1930s.
Mercedez-Benz is one of the oldest luxury automakers in the world, having started in 1883. The company was founded by Gottlieb Daimler, who made the first high-speed internal combustion engine. Now, the company remains one of the most popular choices for luxury performance vehicles.
Source: Slash Gear
The vehicle's outstanding performance in the sport brought global fame to Peugeot, and it eventually broke records as both the best-selling car in France and the most exported French vehicle to date.
Currently, Peugeot is merged with Stellantis, who promised to bring the French company from humble beginnings to the American market in 2019.
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However, export plans were canceled when the company changed gears to build out the Alfa Romeo brand in Europe.
In 2022, the brand's 208 was recognized as the best-selling vehicle in 29 European countries, as well as the leading company for EVs - one of four EVs sold was found to be a Peugeot.
