Thursday, July 26, 2007

Peugeot 4002


Peugeot’s second Design Competition, launched at the 2002 Paris Motor Show, invited online amateur car designers to revisit the Marque’s heritage and design their own retro futuristic Peugeot. Of the 2800 projects registered on the www.peugeot-concours-design.com site, the Peugeot 4002, a project by 32 year-old German graphic artist Stefan Schulze, received the most votes. At the 2003 Geneva Motor Show, Mr Saint-Geours handed him the 'La Griffe' trophy, together with a cheque for 5000 € , and announced that a full-scale model of his design would be built and exhibited at the 2003 Frankfurt Show.Peugeot’s second Design Competition, launched at the 2002 Paris Motor Show, attracted more entries than the first competition, with 2800 projects from 90 countries (compared to 2000 from 80 countries two years previously).Stefan Schulze satisfied each of Peugeot's three requirements with his Peugeot 4002. Identification with the Marque is immediately apparent. Indeed, the Peugeot 4002 is a Peugeot by hint of the design of its headlamps and its general character, which is resolutely dynamic. In addition, by adopting one of the Marque’s most characteristic stylistic features, namely the large radiator grille behind which are concealed two headlamps, the project by the young German graphic artist immediately reveals the source of its inspiration, the Peugeot 402 dating from 1936. Finally, the symmetry accorded to the front and rear, and its architecture, which assigns a very forward position to the passenger compartment, make the project particularly original. The overall effect is paradoxical: soft, elegant contours and seamless transition produce a highly resilient car, resting solidly on its 21 inch wheels.