A brief history of Peugeot

France’s PSA Group, long an outsider to the United States, has become increasingly tied to the U.S. industry in recent years.

In 2017, it bought the European operations of General Motors. That same year, PSA established PSA North America and said it plans to sell vehicles again in the U.S. And this week, PSA agreed to a merger with Italian-American automaker Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.

Here’s a history, published by Automotive News in March after PSA North America said its return to the U.S. would be led by the Peugeot brand.

1810: Brothers Jean-Frederic Peugeot and Jean-Pierre Peugeot II turn their family-run grain mill into a steel foundry that makes saws, springs, coffee grinders and umbrella frames.

1889: Peugeot shows its first automobile, a steam-powered three-wheeler designed by engineer Leon Serpollet. Just four were made.

1890: Peugeot's first four-wheel, gasoline-powered car debuts. It had a Daimler engine.

1896: The world records its first auto theft, a Peugeot in Paris.

1913: Jules Goux, driving a car owned and manufactured by Peugeot, wins the Indianapolis 500, becoming the race's first non-American champion.

1941: Peugeot introduces a small electric vehicle, the VLV, to address wartime fuel restrictions. Powered by four 12-volt batteries, the VLV had a top speed of 22 mph and a range of 50 miles.

1948: The 203 debuts. The engine of Peugeot's first unibody model had a hemispherical cylinder head and V-shaped valves.

1958: Peugeot begins U.S. sales.

1959: The 403 becomes the world's first car to be equipped with an electromagnetic fan clutch.

1968: Peugeot introduces one of the world's smallest aluminum diesel engines, a 1.2-liter four-cylinder.

1972: The 104 is introduced, labeled the world's shortest four-door sedan. It was advertised with the slogan "All of Peugeot in 3.58m."

1991: Peugeot pulls out of the U.S. after selling 4,292 cars in 1990, 79 percent below its 1984 peak.

About the logo: Peugeot has been recognized by the lion logo since the mid-19th century. It originally appeared on the company's saw blades, symbolizing the toughness of the teeth, the strength of the steel, the flexibility of the blade and the speed of the cut. The logo appeared on the hoods of Peugeot cars starting in 1948.