Ever since PEUGEOT won the world's first motorsport event, a reliability trial from Paris to Rouen in 1894, motorsport has been an intrinsic part of our DNA.
PEUGEOT shares some fundamental core values with the world of sport: dynamism, a sense of beauty and style, team spirit and endurance. All these values are exhibited perfectly and brilliantly in the various disciplines of motorsport, from rallies and rally-raids to circuits and endurance events. Its sporting exploits have not only won PEUGEOT wonderful trophies, but have also ensured that its cars are recognised for their reliability.
At PEUGEOT, we've been using motorsport as a development platform for our cars for over 120 years. After our famous first ever motorsport victory in 1894, we followed with another victory a year later in the world’s first speed race from Paris-Bordeaux-Paris. Since these very first days of motorsport, we have continued to demonstrate our success, winning across multiple disciplines and events. Below are some of our key motorsport successes.
The legendary Pikes Peak is America’s second oldest motorsport event but is better known for its danger and the fearlessness of the drivers who tackle it. The 405 T16 powered PEUGEOT to victory in 1988 and 1989, setting a new course record both times. The 1988 win by Ari Vatanen was the inspiration for the famous short film ‘Climb Dance.’ PEUGEOT returned to the Peak in 2013 where Sebastien Loeb smashed the previous year’s record time by 92 seconds in a 208 T16.
The Dakar Rally (formerly Paris-Dakar) is the toughest cross-country rally of all. After its successful stint in the World Rally Championship, PEUGEOT turned its attention to this famous event, winning four consecutive years from 1987-88 in the 205 T16 and 1989-90 in the 405 T16. Dakar has now traded the dunes of northwest Africa for the tracks and trails of Latin America which are every bit as punishing for competitors and their machines. 25 years after their last victory, PEUGEOT returned to Dakar in 2015, and followed up with back-to-back victories in 2016 and 2017.
PEUGEOT dominated the World Rally Championship in the mid-80s and again in the early 2000s. The 205 T16 won successive championships in 1985-86, and the 208 WRC won a hat-trick of championships in 2000-01-02. This rally success led to PEUGEOT’s legendary ride and handling in road cars such as the 205 GTi, 206 GTi, 207 GTi and now the 208 GTi and 308 GTi.
The 24 Hours of Le Mans is an iconic event. Despite being regarded as the toughest endurance test in the world, PEUGEOT has conquered this event numerous times. We first won the event in 1992 and again a year later with a historic 1-2-3. Our third victory came in 2009 in a diesel-powered 908.
The Indy 500 is one of the world’s most prestigious motorsport events. PEUGEOT marked its name firmly in motorsport history when we became the first non-American manufacturer to win the event in 1913. We followed this with two more victories in 1916 and 1919.
In 1953, a reliability trial around Australia, the Redex Trial, was held for the first time. It went down in the annals of automotive history, and the mythology of Australia, as one of the harshest long distance motoring events ever run. It had everything – controversy and crashes, heroism and hedonism, mechanical magic and mayhem. While most people thought you needed a big car to win in a big country, PEUGEOT defied the odds with a stunning victory in the 203. This cemented our reputation of reliability and made PEUGEOT a household name in Australia.
The latest PEUGEOT sporting news, from the Dakar through to Rally cross: follow the results and stay informed.
