Peugeot 601 - World Of Classic Cars - Rank 192

Peugeot 601 Roadster 1934

The Peugeot 601 was a range-topping car produced between 1934 and 1935 by Peugeot. It had its formal launch on 5 May 1934 and marked a return by the manufacturer to six-cylinder power units.

The engine and running gear

The car was equipped with a straight 6-cylinder 2148 cc engine developing 60 hp at 3500 rpm. With limited power and relatively high weight the car came with a listed top speed of only 105 kilometres per hour (65 mph) or 110 kilometres per hour (68 mph). The actual top speed will have varied according to the body fitted: the weight, including the car body, was given in 1934 as between 1,180 kg (2,600 lb) and 1,250 kg (2,760 lb) (or 1,400 kg (3,100 lb) for some long wheelbase versions).

Peugeot 601 Roadster 1934

A feature of the engine that attracted comment was the thermostatically controlled temperature regulator for the engine oil, which worked with an oil pump by redirecting the oil through, or away from, what was in effect a heat exchanger in a chamber filled with water from the radiator.
Like the other Peugeots of the era, the 601 was equipped with independent front suspension.

The bodies

The 601 was closely based on the manufacturer's recently rebodied 201 and 301 models, but the longer six cylinder engine of the 601 enforced a longer wheelbase. As launched the 601 came with two different wheel base lengths, being 2,980 mm (117 in) for the 601 "Normale" and 3,200 mm (126 in) for the 601 "Longue".

Peugeot 601 Roadster 1934

There were three standard bodies offered for the "Normale" wheelbase cars: there was a four-door "Berline" (sedan/saloon) priced in Spring 1934 at 28,500 francs, a "Coach dėcapotable" with two doors, four seats and a cabriolet roof, priced at 34,000 francs of which only a hanful were sold, and a two-seater "Roadster" which became a frequent prize winner at "concours d'ėlėgance" enthusiasts' meetings.
Four standard bodies were listed for the "Longue" wheelbase cars. The least costly, listed at 31,000 francs, was a six-light "limousine familiale" with four doors and a deep bench seat combined with huge amounts of leg room in the back. There was also a "Berline aėrodynamique" with four doors and a streamlined body with a steeply raked tail and an overall length above 5,000 mm (197 in), as well as a "Coach Sport" with two doors and four seats which exploited the longer wheel-base to support a low streamlined look. From the summer of 1934 there was another long elegant two door four seater version listed, called the "Coach Profilė".

Peugeot 601 Roadster 1934

There was in addition a special Eclipse body with electrical folding metal roof. The Eclipse was made by designer Georges Paulin, Emile Darl'mat and the coachbuilder Pourtout. This car gained renewed attention courtesy of the Peugeot publicity department in 1996 with the launch of the Mercedes-Benz SLK: the Mercedes featured a hinged steel roof that automatically folded into the boot/trunk at the press of a button which was briefly claimed as a world first, until Peugeot pointed out that the 601 Eclipse had used the same arrangement (albeit with more bulky mechanical components) sixty years earlier.
The 601 underwent a small face-lift for the 1935 model year was announced during the summer of 1934, only months after the car's launch: the most visible change was a lowering of the headlights.

Commercial

Peugeot 601 Roadster 1934

The sales figures of the 601 were affected by the underwhelming performance of the engine. Nevertheless, given the large number of manufacturers jostling for sales in the higher reaches of the French car market, a total of 3,999 Peugeot 601s produced during just eighteen months was a reasonable production volume for a 6-cylinder car.

The end

The 601 was taken out of production in 1935 after a production run lasting approximately eighteen months, leaving a gap at the higher end of Peugeot's range, which would be filled only 40 years later with the arrival of the Peugeot 604. The 604 was also the next Peugeot car with an engine having more than four cylinders; the 601 was the final straight-6-engined Peugeot, as the 604 was powered with a V6.

Peugeot 304 1974 - World Of Classic Cars -

Peugeot 304 1974

Based on the Peugeot 204 with which it shared many components, the Peugeot 304 was a small family car introduced to the public at the Paris Motor Show in September 1969. The 304 was a success for Peugeot and was noted for several advanced features under its Pininfarina-styled exterior, with its independent suspended front-wheel-drive drivetrain and disc brakes. It rode and handled better than most of its contemporaries, including some cars in higher price brackets. There was a distinct upmarket feel to the 304; its handsome lines were well suited to postwar Europe's newly affluent middle classes who desired roomy, advanced and stylish cars to park in their driveways.

Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Le Mans Prototype 2008 - World Of Classic Cars -

Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Le Mans Prototype 2008

Few prototype race cars in recent memory have achieved their mission statement as emphatically as Peugeot’s 908 HDi FAP. The sleek prototype emerged from the manufacturer’s plans to return to endurance racing after a 13-year layoff that followed its two-time Le Mans-winning 905 model of 1992 and 1993. But from its initial conceptual presentation in 2005, it was quite clear that not only was the 908 HDi FAP engineered to win, it was to do so in dramatic, technological fashion, with a cutting-edge, environmentally sound, diesel-powered V-12 that employed an exhaust particulate filter for remarkably clean emissions. Although such a concept seems obligatory in today’s eco-savvy consumer market, this was quite a ground-breaking approach to racing even just 10 years ago.

Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Le Mans Prototype 2008

Following a static introduction at the 2006 Paris Motor Show, the 908 HDi FAP was a winner from the get-go, as it took the chequered flag in its debut at Monza in April 2007. In June, two cars (chassis numbers 02 and 03) were entered at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, with chassis number 03 taking 2nd overall. By the time the season wrapped up at Interlagos in November, the 908 HDi FAP had won the Le Mans Series of endurance racing events. When plans commenced the following year for the 2008 season, the priority on winning at La Sarthe in June was even higher, as it was one of the few season events that the 908 had not won outright.

Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Le Mans Prototype 2008

The monocoque for chassis number 05 was built in late 2007, and it appeared as a complete race car at the 2008 Le Mans for the first official test session on 11 June. It was there in replacement of chassis 04, which was destroyed after a remarkable accident at a Le Mans test day 10 days earlier. Chassis 05 was the only new chassis raced at Le Mans that year alongside the 2007 chassis 02 and 03.
Chassis number 05, decorated with #07 and being driven for Team Peugeot Total by Nicolas Minassian, Marc Gene, and 1997 Formula One champion Jacques Villeneuve, came in 2nd overall, bested only by Audi’s dominant R10 TDI. At the Nürburgring 1000 KM in August, this 908 was again piloted by Gene and Minassian, with the former driver setting the pole time and the latter establishing a fastest lap. There, the car again came in 2nd place, this time following the 1st place finish of chassis number 03. At Silverstone a month later, chassis number 05 was unfortunately forced to retire early, after 45 laps, due to an entanglement with a Porsche GT3 RSR whilst Minassian was behind the wheel.

Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Le Mans Prototype 2008

The following season would prove to be even more significant for this 908, even though it was only raced twice, as two newer chassis had been built that would field a majority of the season’s duties. Starting with the season opener at Sebring in March 2009, chassis number 05, still dressed as #07 and being driven by Christian Klien, Pedro Lamy, and Minassian, placed 5th. In September, changing to #08, the car then took the chequered flag at the Petit Le Mans, with Franck Montagny and Stephane Sarrazin behind the wheel.
In 2010, chassis 05 was entrusted to Oreca to compete in the LMS Championship. At the time, Team Peugeot Total was focusing on the new Intercontinental Le Mans Cup (ILMC). Oreca had started the season racing chassis 02, but it finished the last three races of the season in this chassis 05, finishing 1st overall at the Algarve 1000 KM at Portimao in July, this time wearing #04 and being piloted by Nicolas Lapierre, Olivier Panis, and Sarrazin. Following a disappointing 31st place showing at the Hungaroring 1000 KM in August, which was due to a faulty bevel gear, chassis number 05 bounced back in September 2010 with a 2nd place finish at Silverstone, where it was once again driven by Lapierre and Sarrazin.

Peugeot 908 HDi FAP Le Mans Prototype 2008

This marked the conclusion of the car’s racing career, as the factory withdrew from campaigning the successful 908 HDi FAP following the 2010 season. Without a doubt, chassis number 05 was a strong contributor to the 908’s overall record of victory, as it helped Peugeot win three team championships, three Constructors’ Championships, and two Drivers’ Championships in a span of just four years.
In addition to its outrageous performance on the track, this car also boasts a certain rarity, as it is one of only nine chassis that were actively campaigned by the factory team between 2007 and 2010. Claiming two overall victories, three 2nd place finishes, three pole positions, and four fastest laps, this sensational and technologically innovative piece of racing history represents an important chapter in Peugeot’s considerable competition pedigree.