Peugeot Type 2

Peugeot Type 2
Manufacturer	Peugeot
Production	1890-1891
Class	small car
Layout	RR layout

The Peugeot Type 2 is the first petrol/gasoline powered motor vehicle produced between 1890 and 1891 by the French auto-maker Peugeot at their Valentigney plant. The car was presented just two years after Armand Peugeot had split away from the Peugeot family business in order to concentrate on cars, with a separate Peugeot Automobiles business.

In 1889 Peugeot attended that year's Paris Universal Exhibition, where he was demonstrating four of his Peugeot Type 1 prototypes, which were powered by steam engines (from Léon Serpollet). The Type 1 received a tepid reception, and Peugeot was already aware of the limitations arising from the vibration profile and sheer weight of a steam engine in this type of car-sized powered vehicle.

The visit to the exhibition was not wasted, however, as he also came across the revolutionary invention of Gottlieb Daimler, a reciprocating combustion engine powered by petrol/gasoline. As soon as the exhibition was over Daimler arranged for his engine to be assembled in France by Panhard et Levassor of Paris and came to an agreement with Peugeot for the construction of a quadricycle to take the revolutionary power unit. Peugeot was also able to negotiate with the widow of Edouard Sarazin. Sarazin's acquisition, before he died, of the rights to manufacture the Daimler combustion engine in France, made his widow, Louise, a key figure in the early life of the motor industry in France, which would be the world's top auto producing nation till out-produced by the USA in 1906.^[1]

Approximately a year after Armand Peugeot's eventful visit top Paris, the Peugeot Type 2 appeared, to be followed by the Type 3, which events together marked the inauguration of the Peugeot automobile business.

The Peugeot Type 2 was powered by a two cylinder four stroke V-format petrol/gasoline engine, assembled under licence from Daimler. The engine was mounted underneath the seat, above and slightly ahead of the rear axle to which it was linked by a chain-drive. 2 hp of power was provided from the 565 cm³ unit. A maximum speed of 18 km/h (11 mph) was recorded. Cooling being then as now a challenge in a combustion engine, the Type 2's engine incorporated tubes filled with water, adumbrating the radiator that would be an essential feature of many combustion engines in the ensuing centuries.

A wheelbase of 1400mm supported a vehicle length of 2300 mm. The width and height were respectively 1350 mm and 1450 mm. A rudimentary suspension system pointed the way ahead regarding what would become another main-stream, feature of the motor car.

The main Peugeot business was, at this time, expanding rapidly its bicycle production, and the Type 2’s light weight may have incorporated lessons learned from cycle production. Four Type 2s were produced. Three were quadricycles while the fourth was a tricycle. They all had space for two on the bench above the engine.

Marketing

In 1891 Armand Peugeot personally participated with a Peugeot Type 2 in the first Paris–Brest–Paris cycle marathon which had been organised by Pierre Giffard, editor of the Paris daily newspaper, Le Petit Journal. Peugeot was keen to attract media coverage for his creation and Giffard was already established as an effective media advocate for wheeled transport.

Peugeot covered a distance of 2,045 km (1,271 mi), following first the course of the race and then a run from Valentigney (near Sochaux) to Brest via Paris. His speed, achieved long before the creation of a national network of tailored motor roads, average 14 km/h (9 mph).

External links

Picture

Sources and further reading

Wolfgang Schmarbeck: Alle Peugeot Automobile 1890-1990. Motorbuch-Verlag. Stuttgart 1990. ISBN 3-613-01351-7

This article incorporates information from the equivalent article on the German Wikipedia.

This article incorporates information from the revision as of 2011-14-06 of the equivalent article on the Italian Wikipedia.

^ (French) S. Bellu (1998), L'éveil d'une industrie, p.18


Type	1880s	1890s										1900s										1910s										1920s										1930s										1940s
Type	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	0	1	2	3	4
Supermini	1	2	3 / 4			5 / 6/7 / 8				21 / 24 / 30 / 31				37	54	57	69 "Bébé"								B P1/ B3/P1 "Bébé"¹								161/172 "Quadrilette"				5CV			190
Supermini											26 / 27 / 28				48							126																			201									202
Small family car									14 / 15 / 25						56	58	68	VA/VC/VY¹				V2C/V2Y¹			VD/VD2¹						159	163												301				302
Small family car													33 / 36			63			99	108	118	125													173 / 177/ 181/ 183
Family car						9 / 10 / 11 / 12				16 / 17 / 19 / 32				49/50		65/67	77	78	88			127		143		153						153 B/BR					176									401		402
Family car								18						39		61	71	81	96	106	116	126	138												175
Large family car										23					42/43/44	62	72	82	92	104	112/117/ 122/130/134		139		145/146/148										174 / 184											601
Large family car																66	76	83	93				135									156
Executive car																		80	103		113		141			147/150
Executive car																		85	95	105
Cabriolet / Spider																		91		101/120		133 / 111/129/131	136			144
Panel van							13			22			34/35
Minibus									20 / 29											107
1: These cars were marketed as "Lion-Peugeots", produced by what was till 1910 a separate Peugeot company, run by cousins of Armand Peugeot, then in charge of the principal automobile business. In 1910, Armand having no sons of his own, it was agreed that the two branches of the Peugeot business be reunited.