Identifying Cycles Peugeot factory codes
In the 1970s and 1980s, Cycles Peugeot had two bicycle production factories in France. The long time factory in Beaulieu which was closed in 1988 and the factory at Romilly-sur-Seine which was purchased in 1972.
It is sometime possible to find a factory code on Peugeot bicycles from these factories.
For the Beaulieu factory the code letter is “B”.
In the mid-1970s some bicycles with the frame number stamped into the dropout have the letter “B” at the end of the seven digit number. For these bicycles I presume the B stands for Beaulieu. These frame numbers did not have date of manufacture information within them.
In 1976 Cycles Peugeot introduced a new frame number system which included date of manufacture information. These frame numbers were stamped into the bottom bracket of the dropout.
The factory code was usually the first character in the frame number. From 1976 to 1979 some frame numbers did not include a factory code letter. The letter “B” at the start I presume is for the Beaulieu factory. After 1988 I have not seen frame numbers with the letter B prefix.
For the Romilly-sur-Seine factory the codes used where “RY” and “Y”.
From 1974 and into 1976 some Peugeot bicycles had a four character code on the bottom bracket.
The first two letters were “RY”, followed by a character for the month and a character for the year.
The “RY” was for Romilly.
In 1976, when the new frame number system was introduced, the “Y” first character is for Romilly.
Why “Y” for Romilly? Why not “R”?
The single letter “B” was already being used for Beaulieu on some frame numbers. “B” and “R” look very similar when stamped into a metal frame. I presume that to avoid confusion when reading the frame number “B” and “R” would not be a good combination. “Y” was already part of the previous code for Romilly and is not easily confused with “B”.
The frame numbers without a factory code letter between 1976 to 1979, where were they produced? Most of these bicycles were model PX/PY/PV/PS/PR/PA10. My guess is that these frame numbers are from the Beaulieu factory. Why? The model types with these numbers were previously being manufactured at Beaulieu.
There are some models in the 1980s where the frame number did not include a factory code.
Some Peugeot models where the factory code was not included:
- PRO-10 Prestige 1980, 1981, 1982.
- PSV10 1983.
- many aluminum and carbon frame models.
- Custom built racing frames.