FROM THE 301 TO THE NEW 308: 10 GENERATIONS OF THE MOST COMPREHENSIVE SERIES IN THE HISORY OF PEUGEOT

Modern and stylish, the new PEUGEOT 308 arrived on the French market in September 2021, the next vehicle in the "300 Series” line, which was inaugurated in 1932 with the PEUGEOT 301. From the PEUGEOT 301 to the new PEUGEOT 308, 10 generations and 90 years of automotive history and technical progress have unfolded.

PEUGEOT's 300 series models are compact cars located between the small saloon and the family car. At the beginning of the 1930s, in the midst of the economic crisis, PEUGEOT met the demands of customers by launching the PEUGEOT 301, which was sold from 1932 to 1936 as a saloon, limousine, coupé, cabriolet and roadster.

The PEUGEOT 302 succeeded it in 1936, and 25,100 examples were produced until 1938. With its integrated headlights located behind the radiator grille, the 302 had a streamlined front end, which carried on the style known as the 'Sochaux spindle', inaugurated with the PEUGEOT 402.

The war disrupted the course of the 300 Series, and the PEUGEOT 303 never came to be: this series was put on hold for three decades until the arrival of the PEUGEOT 304, presented in 1969 at the Paris Show. It was available as a saloon, coupé, cabriolet, estate and utility estate, and aimed to occupy medium-sized segment. It was impressively spacious, and between 1969 and 1979, almost 1,200,000 units of the 304 were produced.

The PEUGEOT 305 was launched in Europe in 1977 as the successor to the PEUGEOT 304. It stood out from its foreign competitors thanks to its front-wheel drive, crossways engine and its 4 independent wheels. With its benchmark road holding, its huge interior and its comfort worthy of the higher segments, the PEUGEOT 305 quickly gained a foothold on the market. More than 1.6 million units of all body styles were produced.

The PEUGEOT 305 saloon served as the basis for the VERA experimental programme, designed to improve the fuel efficiency of future generation cars. The first VERA 01 prototype unveiled in 1981 had a 20% reduction in mass and a 30% reduction in aerodynamic drag. Conducted over 5 years with work extended to engines, the VERA programme had a considerable influence on the development of the Brand’s 405 and then 605 models. 

Produced between 1985 and 1994 in Poissy, Spain and Great Britain, the PEUGEOT 309 was the first true "compact" car in the modern sense: it was no longer a classic 4-door notchback like the 304 and 305, but a hatchback. The 309 GTI, powered by the 1.9 litre 130 hp engine of the 205 GTI, was introduced, capable of accelerating 0-100km/h in 8 seconds, and with a top speed of 205km/h.

The Brand launched the PEUGEOT 306 in February 1993. It replaced both the top of the range PEUGEOT 205 and the PEUGEOT 309. It became a best-seller in its category and was produced and assembled at no less than 9 sites around the world until 2002. Available in 3 and 5-door versions from 1993, it was joined in the range by a 4-door and an attractive convertible in 1994. Designed and built by Pininfarina, the latter was voted Most Beautiful Convertible of the Year at the 1994 Geneva Motor Show, and Convertible of the Year in 1998. Once again, the PEUGEOT 308’s road holding set the standard; it was particularly highlighted on the sporty versions: PEUGEOT 306 XSI and PEUGEOT 306 S16. A spectacular and unforgettable 285 bhp MAXI version marked PEUGEOT's great return to rallying in 1996 after a 10-year hiatus.

Production of the 3 and 5-door versions of the 306 was stopped in 2001, when its replacement, the PEUGEOT 307, was presented. The convertible was still produced by Pininfarina until 2003.

Launched in 2001 and voted Car of the Year in 2002, the PEUGEOT 307 was a huge success, with over 3.5 million units produced worldwide. Available in 3-door, 5-door and estate versions, it received an additional silhouette in the summer of 2003: the Coupé Cabriolet (CC), which transferred the innovative concept successfully introduced on the 206 CC to the compact segment. With its retractable hardtop and its 4 comfortable seats, the 307 CC was one of the most spacious convertibles of the time. It was also the basis for the sports version that entered in the World Championship in 2004 and 2005, winning 3 times and appearing on the podium 26 times.

A first generation PEUGEOT 308 succeeded the PEUGEOT 307 in 2007. The PEUGEOT 308 I came in 3-door, 5-door and SW estate versions, supported from March 2009 by a new generation of the Coupé Cabriolet CC model. A 308 RCZ Coupé version was revealed at the 2007 Frankfurt Motor Show, and production was quickly confirmed, giving rise to the PEUGEOT RCZ, a handsome 2+2 coupé which offered 270 bhp and 0 to 100 km/h in 5.9 seconds.

The PEUGEOT 308 II was launched in 2013. Like the 307 12 years earlier, it was voted Car of the Year in 2014. It was praised for its elegant lines and driving pleasure, and featured a reduced size and weight (4.27 metres in length and a base version at 1,200 kg). The PEUGEOT i-Cockpit was also introduced on this model, and a GTi version further enhanced the driving qualities and dynamism of this 308.

7 million PEUGEOT 308s were sold over the first two generations, before the new PEUGEOT 308 III made its debut. Produced at the Mulhouse plant, it bears the new PEUGEOT logo, which was unveiled when the new brand identity was introduced in February 2021. Attractive, technological and efficient, it is one of the finalists in the election of the Car of the Year 2022, the result of which will be known at the end of February 2022.

CONTACT

Kerry Livesey

Head of Communications – Public Relations

Phone: 079 40078 848

Kerry.livesey@peugeot.com

Emma Gaffney

Senior Press Officer

Phone: 077 47898 130

emma.gaffney@peugeot.com

Michael Arnold

Press Fleet Manager

Phone: 078 3182 9410 

michael.arnold@stellantis.com

Jeremy Townsend

Director of Communications

Phone: 078 2789 6480

jeremy.townsend@stellantis.com

LINKS

PEUGEOT Press website

https://uk-media.peugeot.com/en

PEUGEOT UK

www.peugeot.co.uk

ABOUT PEUGEOT

PEUGEOT is a global, innovative and high-end generalist brand. Its values are Excellence, Allure and Emotion. Present in more than 160 countries with 10,000 retailers, PEUGEOT sold nearly 1,200,000 vehicles worldwide in 2020. Not long after celebrating its 210th anniversary, PEUGEOT is now ushering in its new identity with a coat of arms that emphasises its personality and timelessness. In addition to a full range of electrified passenger and commercial vehicles, PEUGEOT has developed a new concept of Neo Performance. The 508 PEUGEOT Sport Engineered is the first in this new line of efficient and high-performance vehicles.