Le Mans Yesterday and Today: Peugeot

Today, we reach the ninth spot on the list of the most successful manufacturers in the 24 Hours of Le Mans, occupied by Peugeot, with three overall victories achieved in 1992, 1993, and 2009.

But let's take a step back. When did the French brand's story on the Circuit de la Sarthe begin? Their debut occurred in 1926, the fourth edition of the world's most famous and challenging endurance race. The 174 S, driven by André Boillot and Louis Rigal, came close to a great result, but was stopped only by disqualification due to a broken windshield pillar while in second place overall. The disappointment was immense, and Peugeot stayed away from Le Mans for more than ten years, returning in 1937, spurred by Parisian dealer Emile Darl’mat with three cars, the 302 DS, which, however, did not show much competitiveness.

Peugeot debuted at Le Mans in 1926, but bad luck struck with the disqualification of the 174 S, driven by André Boillot and Louis Rigal, which was in second place overall at the time.

It wasn't until the 1990s that Peugeot officially re-entered the 24 Hours of Le Mans. Before that, the Lion brand limited itself to supplying engines to Charles Deutsch and his CD cars in 1966 and 1967, and in the late '80s to the independent WM team created by two Peugeot engineers. In 1988, the 2.8-liter V6 Peugeot with twin turbochargers, mounted on the WM, showed promising results. The WM P88 Peugeot set a staggering speed record at Le Mans: 407 km/h. But the story doesn’t end there. In agreement with Peugeot's management, they decided to declare a speed of 405 km/h. Why? The year before, in 1987, Peugeot had launched the 405, a mid-range sedan aimed at restoring the French brand's prestige. What better opportunity to capitalize on the Le Mans feat to promote the new model?

The WM P88 powered by Peugeot set the speed record at Le Mans in 1988. In agreement with the Lion's management, 405 km/h was declared to promote the newly launched 405 sedan.

Peugeot had already found great success in rallying and the Paris-Dakar with the small 205 T16 and was looking for a new challenge to confirm its newfound sporting spirit. The competition manager, Jean Todt, announced a new program focused on Le Mans under the new Group C regulations: the 905. A naturally aspirated V10 engine of 3499 cc was chosen for a car weighing only 755 kg. After just one year of learning, in 1991, Peugeot triumphed with a deeply revised aerodynamic model, the 905 Evo 1 Bis, for two consecutive years: 1992 and 1993. Objective achieved, and a new pause ensued, prompting Jean Todt to pursue a new path with Ferrari.

The Peugeot 905 Evo 1 Bis won the 24 Hours of Le Mans for two consecutive years in 1992 and 1993. These were the first two victories for the French on the Circuit de la Sarthe.

The opportunity for a further return to Le Mans came in the mid-2000s when Peugeot focused on developing a diesel-powered prototype to challenge Audi, which had just introduced the R10 TDI, also running on diesel. Audi dominated the 2006, 2007, and 2008 editions. However, Peugeot became increasingly threatening and, in 2009, secured a remarkable one-two victory, breaking Audi’s dominance at that time. Today, Peugeot competes in the Hypercar category of the WEC with the 9X8, but the originality of the project doesn't seem able to carry the legacy of the past. However, don’t count the lions out too soon.

The diesel-powered Peugeot 908 HDI won in 2009, defeating the once-unbeatable Audi that had monopolized victories in those years.