Article

In the period between the two world wars, independent artists and coachbuilders contributed significantly to Peugeot designs. The Eclipse retractable hardtop system was the work of Georges Paulin, a dentist and automobile enthusiast. He also designed elegant coupés with elongated trunks, a milestone in the history of the marque, and the legendary 402 Darl-mat roadster that won the Le Mans 24 Hours in its category in 1938 and was manufactured in convertible and hardtop versions.

After World War II, master coachbuilder Sergio “Pinin” Farina of Turin supported the marque’s renewal with the creation of three flagship models: the 403 (introduced in 1955), the first Peugeot with a cambered windshield, the 404 (1960), the outgoing “trapezium look” car, and the 504 (1968), the first vehicle equipped with the marque’s distinctive almond-shaped headlights.

In the 1960s, under the impetus of Paul Bouvot, Peugeot’s head of styling, in-house designers adopted new working methods. In particular, they began making plaster models of their prototypes, using damp cloths to clear the air and absorb the dust in the studio. The 204 (1965) and the 304 (1969) display the elegance that was Bouvot’s hallmark.

- Peugeot Design Contest

[07/08/2002]