Peugeot 206
One of Peugeot’s most successful cars of the early millennium was the Peugeot 206 small hatchback. The car was initially launched in 1998, as a replacement for Peugeot’s iconic 205. The replacement was somewhat belated, with Peugeot initially deciding not to replace the 205, giving buyers the choice of the 106 supermini and mid-sized 306. However the plan backfired with buyers choosing to buy small family cars from rivals such as Ford, Renault and Vauxhall, leading to the development of the 206.
At the end of 2005, over 5 million 206 cars had been produced, with a wide range of bodystyles available including the standard hatchback, a coupe-cabriolet, and an estate version.
The 206 was a huge hit in world rallying, carrying Peugeot up to the heady heights they enjoyed during the 1980s in world rallying. The car first participated in the WRC in 1999, with French tarmac specialist Gilles Panizzi narrowly missing out on the drivers title. However in the following years Peugeot managed to break Mitsubishi’s stranglehold on the WRC, winning both the drivers and manufactures titles in 2000 with Marcus Gronholm taking the title. Peugeot went on to win the constructors title between 2000 and 2002, whilst Gronholm added another title for Peugeot in 2002.
For many years, the Peugeot 206 was made in Britain, at Peugeot’s Ryton plant near Coventry. However Peugeot controversially decided to close the plant in 2007, leading to many job losses.
The 206 was replaced by the 207 in late 2006, but the 206 still continues to be produced and sold in other areas of the world, with Peugeot intending to continue making the car until 2010. Currently, the 206 is Peugeot’s best selling car ever.
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