Peugeot is predominantly known for it's expertise in car manufacturing. The firm has been in business for over 200 years. In 1850 the firm introduced the lion as its trademark and presented its first automative vehicle at the World Fair in Paris - a steam driven three-wheeler designed with engineer Leon Serpollet. The Peugeot 203 was the first car produced after the Second World War - and was manufactured at over half a million units. Model after famous model rolled off the production platforms after that - the 404, 504, 104, 604 and the 'magic number' 205. Now the firm is adopting a different face for its big cat, which will become a fierce and roaring lion.
“This is a really exciting time for us because we are totally refurbishing the brand,” said a spokeswoman. “It is really significant for the brand and will become our corporate signature. “We are rejuvenating Peugeot Saveurs and this gives us a very dynamic link to the future.”
But Peugeot was not just a car brand - it was a company that thrived on invention. It all began in 1810 when the Peugeot brothers Emile and Armand converted the family flour mill to steel. They began making tools and mechanisms - which they still produce to this day. Around the turn of the 20th century, the family divided. One side felt that the company should continue to build tools while the other looked to the future of the automobile. In 1910 the company came back together to focus on manufacturing cars and bicycles. Yet it has continued to produce high-quality goods in a variety of different fields. Here are five things made by Peugeot that you never thought they would be involved with.
Peugeot started out making saws in 1812 - long before the company turned its attention to the automobile. In 1850 the Lion symbol appeared on all its saw blades to symbolise the quality of Peugeot's tools - including its teeth resistance, blade flexibility and fast cutting.
The company has been making salt and peppermills for longer than it has been making cars.
The classic wooden peppermill is regarded by many as the best in the world. It comes with a lifetime guarantee and the parts are reckoned to be impossible to wear out.
The knob on the top allows users to adjust the size of the pepper they wish to grind, from crushed corns for steak to finely ground ones for delicate sauces.
Nowadays both classic and contemporary salt and peppermills are made, including natural beechwood or acrylic and stainless steel and are a favourite with the top chefs.
Peugeot made its first coffee mill in 1940 and up to 1870 its most famous was called the 'Ordinary Model'. There was nothing ordinary about it. It came in 10 different sizes and became known as the R model. Its best loved are the Paris Press while antique versions are still very popular with coffee lovers.
Peugeot's famed precision engineering isn't just limited to the motor car. It's taken the corkscrew to new heights - single or double lever systems, worm, blades for fragile corks, waiter corkscrews for purists and electrical. The range is wide and the quality high.
The company was and is still well known for its kitchen knives - but perhaps its biggest kitchen innovation was the invention of the first food processor in the 1955 - the Peugimix.
Produced in its Audincourt factory, the mixer was constantly improved over its years and consisted of three models used to grind, mix, grate, chop or press fruit for multiple uses in the kitchen.