DISRAELI GEARS

Peugeot

Peugeot Prestige derailleur (SX410) main image Peugeot Prestige derailleur (SX410) main image Peugeot Prestige derailleur (SX410) main image

The Peugeot story is one of the founding myths of French industrial history. In the late 18th century the Peugeot family were wealthy land owners in the town of Montbeliard, close to the German and Swiss borders with France. They had a notable interest in the agricultural machinery of the time such as wind and water mills, and in spinning and weaving, which were becoming mechanised.

In 1810 Jean-Pierre and Jean-Frédéric Peugeot, formed a company, Peugeot Fils, and founded an iron foundry. They started with basic objects such as saw blades and household utensils, moved on to simple machines such as pepper mills and coffee grinders and then graduated to precision engineering and sewing machines.

In 1885 Armand Peugeot opened a bicycle factory on the famous Beaulieu site. This was the birth of the Cycles Peugeot business. From here it was but a short step to motorcars and motorbikes. There follows a complex intertwining of different brothers, sometimes running different competing companies, sometimes merging the Peugeot group back together again.

However, throughout its whole, somewhat chaotic, history the Peugeot group has maintained what marketeers would call remarkably consistent positioning. Peugeot products have always had a certain engineering quality without ever quite becoming luxury or exotic items.

By the 1950s Automobiles Peugeot was a major car manufacturer, and Cycles Peugeot was one of the dominant forces in the French bicycle industry, although it must be said that neither company achieved the level of dominance of, say, General Motors in the US car market, or Raleigh in the UK bicycle market.

Around this time Cycles Peugeot started to use derailleurs made by Simplex, based in nearby Dijon, and the two developed a close working relationship. The legend goes that, by 1962, Peugeot engineers were instrumental in providing the technology that allowed Simplex to move its entire derailleur product line to being manufactured from Delrin plastic. This is now seen as the fatal move that destroyed Simplex - but at the time Simplex derailleurs were considered to be engineering marvels.

During the 1970s (and possibly the 1960s) Peugeot put its brand on a large number of different Simplex models, and, confusingly, also fitted derailleurs branded as Simplex. Bernard Thévenet won the Tour de France in 1975 and 1977 riding a Peugeot fitted with Simplex derailleurs.

With the meltdown of Simplex in the early 1980s Peugeot started to use more Huret (and Sachs-Huret) derailleurs, particularly their Eco model on its cheaper bicycles. However, I can’t remember if Peugeot ever used its own brand on these.


see also TCF Rev Mens 01/1891 - Peugeot ad

see also TCF Rev Mens 01/1891 - Peugeot ad

T.C.F. Revue Mensuelle January 1891 - Peugeot advert thumbnail


see also TCF Rev Mens 10/1891 - Peugeot ad

see also TCF Rev Mens 10/1891 - Peugeot ad

T.C.F. Revue Mensuelle October 1891 - Peugeot advert thumbnail


see also TCF Rev Mens 05/1892 - Peugeot ad

see also TCF Rev Mens 05/1892 - Peugeot ad

T.C.F. Revue Mensuelle May 1892 - Peugeot advert thumbnail


see also TCF Rev Mens 02/1898 - Machines et Modes nouvelles

see also TCF Rev Mens 02/1898 - Machines et Modes nouvelles

T.C.F. Revue Mensuelle February 1898 - Machines et Modes nouvelles scan 1 thumbnail



see also TCF Rev Mens 02/1901 - Le Cyclisme au Salon

see also TCF Rev Mens 02/1901 - Le Cyclisme au Salon

T.C.F. Revue Mensuelle February 1901 - Le Cyclisme au Salon scan 1 thumbnail





see also TCF Rev Mens 01/1905 - La Bicyclette au Salon

see also TCF Rev Mens 01/1905 - La Bicyclette au Salon

T.C.F. Revue Mensuelle January 1905 - La Bicyclette au Salon scan 1 thumbnail




see also TCF Rev Mens 12/1906 - Peugeot ad

see also TCF Rev Mens 12/1906 - Peugeot ad

T.C.F. Revue Mensuelle December 1906 - Peugeot advert thumbnail






see also TCF Rev Mens 01/1911 - La Bicyclette au Salon

see also TCF Rev Mens 01/1911 - La Bicyclette au Salon

T.C.F. Revue Mensuelle January 1911 - La Bicyclette au Salon scan 1 thumbnail


see also TCF Rev Mens 04/1911 - Un Nouveau Concours?

see also TCF Rev Mens 04/1911 - Un Nouveau Concours?

T.C.F. Revue Mensuelle April 1911 - Un Nouveau Concours? scan 1 thumbnail


see also TCF Rev Mens 03/1913 - La Bicyclette hors du Salon

see also TCF Rev Mens 03/1913 - La Bicyclette hors du Salon

T.C.F. Revue Mensuelle March 1913 - La Bicyclette hors du Salon scan 1 thumbnail



see also TCF Rev Mens - 06/1924 Le 6e Critérium de la Bicyclette polymultipliée

see also TCF Rev Mens - 06/1924 Le 6e Critérium de la Bicyclette polymultipliée

T.C.F. Revue Mensuelle June 1924 - Le 6e Criterium de la Bicyclette polymultipliee scan 1 thumbnail


see also TCF Rev Mens - 08/1924 La Semaine cycliste du Dauphiné

see also TCF Rev Mens - 08/1924 La Semaine cycliste du Dauphiné

T.C.F. Revue Mensuelle August 1924 - La Semaine cycliste du Dauphine scan 1 thumbnail



see also TCF Rev Mens - 12/1932 La bicyclette au Salon de 1932

see also TCF Rev Mens - 12/1932 La bicyclette au Salon de 1932

T.C.F. Revue Mensuelle December 1932 - La bicyclette au Salon de 1932 scan 1 thumbnail


see also TCF Rev Mens - 02/1934 Chronique cyclotouristique

see also TCF Rev Mens - 02/1934 Chronique cyclotouristique

T.C.F. Revue Mensuelle February 1934 - Chronique cyclotouristique scan 1 thumbnail



see also French Registered Design # 123328-004 - Simplex 1977

see also French Registered Design # 123328-004 - Simplex 1977

French Registered Design 123328-004 - Simplex SX410 T thumbnail


see also Bicycling 1978 - Peugeot ad

see also Bicycling 1978 - Peugeot ad

Bicycling 1978 - Peugeot advert thumbnail


see also Winning 1985 Oct - Peugeot ad

see also Winning 1985 Oct - Peugeot ad

  • Publisher: Winning
  • Date: October 1985
  • Derailleur brands: Simplex
  • Derailleurs: Simplex SLJ5500
Winning 1985-10 Peugeot advert thumbnail

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