The blue Peugeot Bébé Type BP 1 from 1913

The blue Peugeot Bébé Type BP 1 (69) from 1913.

Designer: Ettore Bugatti (Type BP1)
Engine: 652 cc single-cylinder; 855 cc I4

The Peugeot Bébé or Baby was a small car nameplate from Peugeot made from 1905 to 1916. Vehicles under this name were known technically within Peugeot as the Type 69 and the Type BP1.

The Type BP1 Bébé was a design by Ettore Bugatti, initially for the German car firm Wanderer, then also built under license by Peugeot for the French market. Peugeot displayed it under their marque at the Paris Motor Show in 1912. Production began in 1913 following discontinuation of the Type 69.

Wanderer built their car with Bugatti’s own four-speed transmission, but in order to keep production costs down for the French version, Peugeot fitted a 2-speed gearbox initially, which was then replaced by their own three-speed.

The engine was also Peugeot’s own, a tiny straight-four engine that produced 10 PS (7 kW) at 2000 rpm, which gave the small car a top speed of 60 kilometres per hour (37 mph). Weight was again below 350 kilograms (770 lb), though the track was wide enough for two to sit abreast. Bébé scored some racing success among small car classes, notably at Mont Ventoux in 1913, where it won in its class.

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