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• 120 historic Peugeots gather in UK
• Owners reveal their passion with old cars
• Xavier Peugeot declares value of heritage
LONDON, England - In June 2014, more than 120 classic Peugeots met up for the annual International Peugeot Meeting, held in the UK, near Southampton with a theme of ‘Best of British’.
The cars all belonged to members of l’Aventure Peugeot, the brand’s heritage arm with a museum in Sochaux near Mulhouse, France. Owners and vehicles came from Britain, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Italy.
After gathering at the Macdonald Botley Park Hotel, Southampton, the owners drove through the scenic New Forest to the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu the next day.
RARE VARIETY
Peugeot product director and adventure club president Xavier Peugeot believes classic models are a vital part of ensuring the brand remains true to its heritage. He said: “I like looking backwards but only if we can use it for the future.
“The 402 Eclipse is a good example. It was very innovative when it was launched. It proved that Peugeot had a vision for the future very early on. I don’t know why it took us such a long time between doing the 402 Eclipse and the 206 CoupeCabriolet! What I do know is that looking at our heritage can make us more credible and stronger.”
The huge variety of cars included some real rarities, says Peugeot. The oldest was a 1922 Peugeot Type 173S. Owner Christian Bottero said: “This is a unique model with roadster bodywork by a coachbuilder in Marseille. Even so I still do around 800km a year in it. It would be impossible to restore if it got damaged but I like driving it because it puts a smile on people’s faces.”
As with many of the owners, Christian has several Peugeots in his stable. It was the same with Piet Kostelijk, the 80-year-old from Amsterdam, Holland, who had brought his rare 1934 601 Roadster to the UK. He also owns a 202 Cabriolet, 302, 304, 404 and 504 Cabriolet.
CLASSIC PUGS ON SHOW
Kostelijk said: “Only 109 of the 601 Roadsters were built and there are just five left in the world. When I got mine 17 years ago, it wasn’t a runner. But this was always my dream car so there was never any question whether I would get it working again.”
Ken Broughton has owned his 403 since 1964. “I’ve never seen so many 403s in one place,” he said. “I don’t have a problem finding parts for my car because whenever I heard that a Peugeot dealer had any parts, I would buy them for my car. I’ve still got a garage full!”
Philippe Boulay spent two years restoring his rare 402 Darl’Mat. He explained: “It was taken to the US by an American soldier after the war. When I bought it in 1989 in Seattle it was complete but in very poor condition. I brought it back to France, restored it and now drive around 2100km a year. It’s got cable brakes and very heavy steering but they’re worth putting up with for such a beautiful car.”
Club Peugeot UK Chairman Ian Kirkwood, who helped organise the event, said: “It was fantastic bringing together so many people who have such a vast knowledge of the product. I was talking to a guy from France I’d never met before and we quickly established that we were looking at the same cars for sale on the Internet and even had bought vehicles from the same guy in France! It really is an incredibly close-knit community.”
• Owners reveal their passion with old cars
• Xavier Peugeot declares value of heritage
LONDON, England - In June 2014, more than 120 classic Peugeots met up for the annual International Peugeot Meeting, held in the UK, near Southampton with a theme of ‘Best of British’.
The cars all belonged to members of l’Aventure Peugeot, the brand’s heritage arm with a museum in Sochaux near Mulhouse, France. Owners and vehicles came from Britain, France, Belgium, Holland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Luxembourg and Italy.
After gathering at the Macdonald Botley Park Hotel, Southampton, the owners drove through the scenic New Forest to the National Motor Museum at Beaulieu the next day.
RARE VARIETY
Peugeot product director and adventure club president Xavier Peugeot believes classic models are a vital part of ensuring the brand remains true to its heritage. He said: “I like looking backwards but only if we can use it for the future.
“The 402 Eclipse is a good example. It was very innovative when it was launched. It proved that Peugeot had a vision for the future very early on. I don’t know why it took us such a long time between doing the 402 Eclipse and the 206 CoupeCabriolet! What I do know is that looking at our heritage can make us more credible and stronger.”
The huge variety of cars included some real rarities, says Peugeot. The oldest was a 1922 Peugeot Type 173S. Owner Christian Bottero said: “This is a unique model with roadster bodywork by a coachbuilder in Marseille. Even so I still do around 800km a year in it. It would be impossible to restore if it got damaged but I like driving it because it puts a smile on people’s faces.”
As with many of the owners, Christian has several Peugeots in his stable. It was the same with Piet Kostelijk, the 80-year-old from Amsterdam, Holland, who had brought his rare 1934 601 Roadster to the UK. He also owns a 202 Cabriolet, 302, 304, 404 and 504 Cabriolet.
CLASSIC PUGS ON SHOW
Kostelijk said: “Only 109 of the 601 Roadsters were built and there are just five left in the world. When I got mine 17 years ago, it wasn’t a runner. But this was always my dream car so there was never any question whether I would get it working again.”
Ken Broughton has owned his 403 since 1964. “I’ve never seen so many 403s in one place,” he said. “I don’t have a problem finding parts for my car because whenever I heard that a Peugeot dealer had any parts, I would buy them for my car. I’ve still got a garage full!”
Philippe Boulay spent two years restoring his rare 402 Darl’Mat. He explained: “It was taken to the US by an American soldier after the war. When I bought it in 1989 in Seattle it was complete but in very poor condition. I brought it back to France, restored it and now drive around 2100km a year. It’s got cable brakes and very heavy steering but they’re worth putting up with for such a beautiful car.”
Club Peugeot UK Chairman Ian Kirkwood, who helped organise the event, said: “It was fantastic bringing together so many people who have such a vast knowledge of the product. I was talking to a guy from France I’d never met before and we quickly established that we were looking at the same cars for sale on the Internet and even had bought vehicles from the same guy in France! It really is an incredibly close-knit community.”
