Peugeot 201 Berline
The 201 was Peugeot's practical four-seat answer to a hard question: how could a family car be simple, sturdy and affordable enough to build in real volume?
Oisterwijkste Stoomdagen 2015, 1929 Peugeot 201 foto 1.JPG · Alf van Beem · CC0 1.0
Research pending
A matching completed auction sale has not been verified for this exact year, body, trim, engine, transmission and market.
Joyride shows this gap instead of substituting an asking price, unsold bid or mismatched special vehicle.
More than a set of wheels.
Peugeot began studying the project in 1925, asked French motorists what they needed and tested at least 40 prototypes. The four-seat 201 Berline appeared at the 1929 Paris Motor Show just as an economic crisis made value especially important. It became the first big-volume Peugeot success: 5,000 orders had arrived by March 1930, and L'Aventure Peugeot records 142,309 cars across the 201 family by 1937.
Look a little closer.
The 201 was Peugeot's 201st project. Its name started the familiar three-digit Peugeot system; the tale that the middle zero was merely a hole for a starting crank is a myth.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Designed by asking drivers first
Peugeot's history says a 'Referendum Peugeot' asked motorists what their ideal car should be. Engineers then worked through at least 40 prototypes before the 201's 1929 debut. That is an early example of turning customer research into engineering choices rather than simply shrinking an existing car.
Source: Peugeot/Stellantis · 90 years of the three-digit name ↗Why this is not a 201 C
The launch car used the 1,122 cc, 23 PS engine and the original running gear. Peugeot introduced the 201 C with independent front suspension in 1931. That later system let each front wheel react more separately to bumps, but putting it on a 1929 launch Berline would mix two stages of the model's development.
Source: Peugeot/Stellantis · History of the 20 series ↗Where these facts come from
- L'Aventure Peugeot · 201 model record
- L'Aventure Peugeot · 201 and large-series Sochaux production
- Peugeot/Stellantis · The first mass-produced 201
- Peugeot/Stellantis · 90 years of the three-digit name
- Peugeot/Stellantis · History of the 20 series
- Guide des automobiles anciennes · Peugeot 201 technical sheet
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 1, 2026.