L’Aventure Peugeot Museum opens design archives for special event

When is this Peugeot design event happening?

Peugeot will hold its ‘Weekend Design’ event on November 21 and 22, and it will be an opportunity for car fans to see original sketches, full-size and wind tunnel models, early prototypes, and final production cars, taking you on a journey through the whole history of car design. You can also talk to exterior and interior designers, colour and trim experts, and experts in digital modelling, clay modelling and model making, all of whom will be on hand to share their knowledge, their experience and, doubtless, a few tall tales.

What kind of tall tales?

Well, how about the story of the Peugeot 504 saloon, for which Pininfarina took most of the credit, but which Peugeot claims was largely done in-house. In fact, the two design teams — Italian and French — started arguing over which famous actress the famously feline lights were inspired by. The French said Catherine Deneuve; the Italians said Sophia Loren. Equally, the famous sloping rear boot lid of the 504 was apparently a rush job, as Pininfarina’s Aldo Brovarone thought he had hours to tweak a final clay model proposal, when actually the board of management was only moments away. A rapid-fire slice with a modelling knife was all he had time for… You can read our Peugeot 504 saloon review here.

So it’s worth going to, then?

Oh yes. According to Peugeot: “By bringing together its industrial heritage and the talents who imagine the vehicles of tomorrow, Peugeot and the L’Aventure Peugeot Museum offer a unique immersion into the world of automotive design and some of the most emblematic disciplines that embody its expertise. Beyond the opportunity to discover these professions, the event reflects Peugeot’s commitment to highlighting how the richness of its history continues to inspire a resolutely modern and passionate approach to design and creation.” Certainly, if you’re a budding car designer, this should be well worth a look.