Peugeot

France's second-largest car manufacturer, founded in 1885 when Armand Peugeot (1849-1915) began making bicycles; the company bought the rival firm Citroën in 1974 and the European operations of the American Chrysler Company in 1978.

In 1889 Armand Peugeot produced his first steam car and in 1890 his first petrol-driven car, with a Daimler engine. Peugeot's cars did well in races and were in demand from the public, and by 1900 he was producing a range of models. In the 1930s Peugeot sporting family cars sold widely. In 1978, after the acquisition of Chrysler in Europe, the Talbot marque was reintroduced.