French registration papers (as a historic vehicle)

- Complete and in fine condition
- A historic model from the Lion-Peugeot marque
- Rarely offered for sale

Armand Peugeot, a visionary if ever there was, gave the Peugeot marque a clear sense of direction at the end of the 19th century. The manufacture of bicycles began in 1886 and that of cars in 1896. The second branch of the Peugeot family, which looked after the bicycle business, went into partnership with Armand to create – in return for financial compensation – the Lion-Peugeot cars.
In the mid-1880s, the firm produced different types of bicycle, first of all a penny-farthing, then tricycles and finally bicycles with both wheels of the same size and chain drive. In 1900, production reached 20,000 units.
In 1906, the company ‘Les Fils de Peugeot Frères’ put a new vehicle on sale under the Lion-Peugeot brand, the VC, intended to complement the Lion-Peugeot VA. With its wheelbase lengthened by nearly 5 in (12 cm), a second row of seats was fitted, turning it from a two-seater into a four-seater and transforming the car into a double phaeton. The engine was still a single-cylinder unit, in accordance with the agreement made with Armand Peugeot and his company ‘Automobiles Peugeot’ which assigned a licence to ‘Les Fils de Peugeot Frères’. The engine capacity grew from 785 to 1045 cc, allowing maximum power to increase from 5 to 8.5 bhp and the top speed to reach 19 or even 28 mph.
The Lion-Peugeots were light cars offering good performance and they excelled in competition, in particular in the ‘Coupe des Voiturettes’ and the ‘Grand Prix de l’ACF’.

The Lion-Peugeot presented here is a VC model, chassis number 1171, with a two-seat cabriolet body which left the factory for Paris on 9 December 1907, as the certificate from Peugeot’s archives confirms. The car was completely restored at the end of the 1990s by one of its former owners, a collector from the Var ‘département’, and was then sold to another collector in the Landes. The single-cylinder engine remains fitted, complete with its ignition system and carburettor. The leather upholstery is most attractive, as is the black canvas hood, which has no holes or tears.

The Lion-Peugeot cars bear testimony to their period and this model deserves a special place in a private collection.