Peugeot 1007
In the mid-2000s, before the rise of the crossover, people-carriers were all the rage and small people carriers, mini MPVs, a growing force – all the space mum (or dad) needed for the school run in a compact package. And so in 2005 Peugeot launched the 1007 (“It’s one thousand and seven” we journos were told repeatedly, to stop us making James Bond references…).
In truth, the 1007 was not a bad car. It was based on the same platform as the Peugeot 206 and Citroën C3, and with the same respectable build quality. It had a major flaw, however, the usual side doors replaced by a pair of big, electric sliding jobs with the idea of making extricating kids from within really easy for harassed parents.
Peugeot insisted that the electric mechanism was totally safe, and would be stopped by the slightest obstruction. So journos on the launch tried it out – and found it didn’t stop. Several pinched fingers later, they launched into Peugeot’s press team, and slammed the car in their copy. Parents conjured up images of their offspring being mutilated by a car door and that ensured the 1007 would never trouble the sales charts. It lasted just four years on sale.
Next page: An ill wind blows for Renault
