Peugeot Type 6 Phaeton With Capote

It is not surprising that the first automobiles resemble carriages. After all, the carriage design already existed; the horse was replaced as the power source by an engine, which used chains or belts to drive the wheels.

It is not surprising that the first automobiles resemble carriages. After all, the carriage form already exists; the horse as a source of power is replaced by an engine that uses chains or belts to transmit the drive to the wheels. This never-restored early Peugeot is still a typical example of a horseless carriage. Even the brackets for the horses reins are still attached, as well as the mounting points for the pole. Apparently it was taken into account that in emergencies the car could still be towed by horses. This car was delivered to a Parisian customer on 8 June 1894 and is therefore one of the oldest cars from a still existing car manufacturer. The first Peugeot car was presented in 1889 and was steam powered. As early as the following year the choice was made for the petrol engine; initially of Daimler manufacture, but from 1896 Peugeot produced its own engines. In this Type 6, which was produced only in the year 1894 in a series of seven units, there is still a two-cylinder Daimler power unit. The family firm Peugeot Freres was founded as early as 1810 and at that time made steel tools, clocks and kitchen equipment such as coffee and pepper mills, later bicycles and sewing machines. Car production was the initiative of two cousins, Armand and Eugene Peugeot, although the latter ultimately did not see much future in automobiles and left the company shortly afterwards.