PGO Automobiles In Detail

Press Release

Page 1 - Background
Page 2 - Nostalgia
Page 3 - Acceleration
Page 4 - 3 questions
Page 5 - Speedster II
Page 6 - Cévennes

Background

PGO Automobiles first took to the road a little over twenty years ago, with a few automobile enthusiasts behind the wheel. The company's growth meant it had to call upon funds from the public. In February 2002, the company was floated on the Open market at the Paris Stock Exchange. But the real start was given by the Speedster II, which launched PGO as a fully fledged manufacturer. This model, which received type approval in 2003, was already a star at the 2004 Mondial de l'Automobile. With it, the company is building a reputable image for itself and is acquiring recognition for its know-how.

Hailed by the press at the time for both its technical qualities and its aesthetics, the Speedster II was chosen the same year to illustrate the 15th edition of the Salon du Cabriolet et du Coupé on the event's official poster.

In passing, the company picked up the 4th prize in the French private vehicle manufacturers competition.

The craftsman spirit surrounding the piece-by-piece "work of art" continues but now needs to integrate into the semi-industrial process required by the manufacture of small production runs. This was to cause a few problems in adapting to these new production conditions. The arrival in June 2005 of new investors and a new management, opened up the horizon for the Cevennes company. And this is not merely a metaphor, since its main shareholders come from the Middle East and its customers are increasingly beyond national borders, both North and South, and East and West. Decidedly, PGO is right on course…

Page 1 - Background
Page 2 - Nostalgia
Page 3 - Acceleration
Page 4 - 3 questions
Page 5 - Speedster II
Page 6 - Cévennes

Between nostalgia and modernity

A timeless jewel

The Speedster II – PGO Automobiles' flagship vehicle – is a neo-retro style roadster. For its designers, their brief was to build a vehicle which induces both emotion and pleasure.

The dream becomes a reality when you slip into the Speedster II interior. Everything here breathes sterling luxury. But not only. The sensual tradition of leather trim and the modern door sills, pedal box or aluminium gear lever knob create a unique harmony. This is continued in the styling of the dashboard or the steering wheel. Air conditioning, electric windows and mirrors and radio-CD are also part of its basic equipment. A real jewel built by craftsmen within a strict industrial organisation.

As for driving, the sensations felt are also the result of the harmonious combination between a recomposed past and taking on modernity. The close to the road position affords all of the pleasure we had thought had become inaccessible to the non-professional driver. Being at one with the tarmac is one of the Speedster II's prime qualities.

Into its home-grown chassis, PGO has fitted a proven engine in the central transverse position. The 4-cylinder, 2.0-litre, 138 bhp engine which is fitted to Peugeot vehicles, World Rally Champions, is reliable beyond a shadow of doubt. It powers the 980 kg of the Speedster II beyond the 200 km/h mark (on the track) and propels it from 0 to 100 km in under 7 seconds. And for those who want even more, next year will see an automatic gearbox version, a hardtop option, and a new engine putting out 180 bhp for the Cévennes, the sportier version of the marque.

Covering these brilliant mechanicals, is the composite materials body with its flowing lines. An outer skin full of curves to dress both the Speedster II and the Cévennes, devoid of harsh angles, and with the assurance and distinction of haute couture. In short, attention is paid to every detail to give the greatest of pleasure to those seated in a PGO… and for the regrettable admiration of those who have to content themselves with just seeing it drive by.

Finally, in spite of its retro look, the PGO is in fact what could be defined as an avant-garde motor car: a car designed fully with its users in mind.

Page 1 - Background
Page 2 - Nostalgia
Page 3 - Acceleration
Page 4 - 3 questions
Page 5 - Speedster II
Page 6 - Cévennes

Acceleration and Takeover

A group of three companies in Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates, who have half a century of experience in the automobile industry, have become the 51% majority shareholder in PGO Automobiles and since June 2005, have provided a new financial cornerstone for the French company. Since their arrival at PGO, the new shareholders have expressed a two-fold desire:

• long-term investment in the manufacturer in order to help the business develop internationally;

• provide PGO with the financial, technical and human resources to fulfil this ambition.

After a transition period of 12 months, a new, recently appointed board of management, has drawn up a continuation and development plan, which provides PGO with an international strategy designed to widen its market and intensify its distribution network. Today, there are PGO distributors in France, the Benelux, Germany, and the Middle East. Negotiations are under way to extend the network to all European countries, to the Mediterranean and the Middle East, not forgetting on-going discussions in Asia and, notably, South Korea.

Through the programmed expansion of its sales network, PGO wants to reach out and meet its customers throughout the world. Because its vehicles are for an international clientele avid for distinctive and quite out of the ordinary products.

And all these are good reasons for making the takeover the prelude for a new start… with plenty of wheel-spin.

Page 1 - Background
Page 2 - Nostalgia
Page 3 - Acceleration
Page 4 - 3 questions
Page 5 - Speedster II
Page 6 - Cévennes

3 questions to…Mohamed Zouhir BOUDEMAGH

Chairman of the PGO Board

Q – The automobile industry is becoming increasingly standardised. Is there a place for PGO in this internationalisation which is often a synonym for uniformisation?

R – Paradoxically, internationalisation is a good opportunity for us. Our highly unique products can now find beyond the national borders, a clientele which appreciates them.

We have customers living in both Europe and the Middle East. They are international customers who have the same quality demands, the same desire to drive differently, to find a really distinctive vehicle. In a word, drivers who are as exclusive as our cars. But on a world scale, this constitutes an appreciable niche market although, and fortunately, it will never be a mass market.

Q – PGO has had difficult times. Can you reassure all those who are devoted to the French production of a top-class automobile?

R – The company was confronted with what can be qualified as a stumbling block along the way. PGO has been in existence for twenty years. Today, the company is far removed from its heroic origins. Our models are excellent original products for which, I repeat, there is a market. But we needed to leave behind a purely craftsman-based production, and our predecessors did not have the management, technical and financial tools which we possess today and which are enabling us to relaunch production under excellent conditions.

Moreover, a capital increase of ten million euros has just been voted. So you can see we are re-starting flat out and are envisaging the future with serenity.

Q – In effect, how do you see this future, in concrete terms, for PGO in the short or longer term?

R – Our development strategy is based on our fundamentals. It means first of all setting up a quality policy in order to obtain ISO certification in the short term. This will be both the recognition of our know-how and a continuing incentive to keep standards up to the best. Financially, our objective is to multiply our turnover in 2007 by four. This means producing two cars a day and four a day in the medium term. This ambition is quite realistic as we are making changes to our models to reach a wider clientele. This is, for example, with the automatic gearbox option, a hardtop, more powerful engines, etc. All this will involve a change in the production scale, but I would like PGO to continue its development in the same region. We know that the future hangs on the design of a new model. It is already on the drawing board. We shall come back to this later, in due time.

Page 1 - Background
Page 2 - Nostalgia
Page 3 - Acceleration
Page 4 - 3 questions
Page 5 - Speedster II
Page 6 - Cévennes

Speedster II

Technical specifications

Engine
Engine position: transverse mid engine
Number of cylinders / disposition: 4 aligned
Cubic capacity (bore x stroke): 1997 cm3 (85 x 88 mm)
Number of valves: 16 (twin overhead camshaft)
Maximum power: 99 Kw (138 ch DIN) to 6000 tr/mn
Maximum torque: 190 Nm to 4100 tr/mn
Compression level: 10.8: 1
Depollution system: catalytic converter, 2 lambda sensors, charcoal active filter

Transmission
Gear box: manual, 5 speed + reverse

Frame/steering
Frame: multi-tubular and crash test structure
Body: composite moulded body shell
Suspension: independent, Mc Pherson system with lower triangulated arm, transversal sway bar
Brakes: 4 ventilated discs, dual circuit
Wheels: 7x16 alloy wheels
Tyres size: 205/45 ZR 16
Steering: rack-and-pinion
Turning circle between kerbs: 9,40 m

Weight, volumes and dimensions
Kerb weight: 980 Kg
Fuel tank capacity: 42 liters
Trunk capacity: 110 dm3
Length: 3846 mm - Width: 1675 mm - Height: 1200 mm
Wheelbase: 2261 mm - Front / rear track: 1440 mm / 1430 mm

Performance and consumption
Maximum speed on track: around 200 Km/h
Acceleration 0-100 Km/h: about 7s
Fuel consumption, in liters (unleaded 95RON),
Urban/extra urban/combined drive cycle: 12,1/6,6/8,7 (according to EEC directive 80/1268)

The manufacturer has the right to modify characteristics, equipments, options and prices without warning in advance. Characteristics, equipments, options and prices can differ from one country to another. For more information, please contact your nearest PGO Automobiles dealer.

Equipment

- Leather interior trim: seats, inside of doors, dash-board and control lever.
(Colour included in the colour chart)
- Air conditioning
- Electrically operated side windows
- 16'' Alloy wheels
- Radio CD /MP3, 2 loudspeakers
- Analogical instrumentation, retro enlightened, 8 meters (speedometer, RPM indicator, fuel gauge, water temperature gauge, oil pressure gauge, oil temperature gauge, voltmeter, clock)
- Remote control central locking
- Electrically operated outside mirrors
- Paint included in the colour chart
- Black alpaca hood
- Leather trimmed steering wheel
- Height adjustable steering column
- Aluminium trimmed gear knob and pedals
- Aluminium thresholds doors
- Matched front carpets
- Interior lighting dimmer
- Digital trip recorder
- 3 points embarked seat belts
- Rolling code transponder immobiliser
- Fitted carpet trunk

Options

- Two-tone leather interior trim
- 17'' Alloy wheels
- 17'' chrome alloy wheels
- Double exhaust
- Alpaca hood, beige or two-tone
- Specific paint (except colour chart)
- 6 CD auto changer
- Rear parking aid
- Alarm

Accessories

“Club� exhaust (not for highway use)
Cover of protection

Page 1 - Background
Page 2 - Nostalgia
Page 3 - Acceleration
Page 4 - 3 questions
Page 5 - Speedster II
Page 6 - Cévennes

Cévennes

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine position: transverse mid engine
Number of cylinders / disposition: 4 aligned
Cubic capacity (bore x stroke): 1997 cm3 (85 x 88 mm)
Number of valves: 16 (twin overhead camshaft)
Maximum power: 99 Kw (138 ch DIN) to 6000 tr/mn
Maximum torque: 190 Nm to 4100 tr/mn
Compression level: 10.8:1
Depollution system: catalytic converter, 2 lambda sensors, charcoal active filter

Transmission
Gear box: manual, 5 speed + reverse

Frame/steering
Frame: multi-tubular and crash test structure
Body: composite moulded body shell
Suspension: independent, Mc Pherson system with lower triangulated arm, transversal sway bar
Brakes: 4 ventilated discs, dual circuit
Wheels: 7x17 alloy wheels
Tyres size: 205/40 ZR 17
Steering: rack-and-pinion
Turning circle between kerbs: 9,40 m

Weight, volumes and dimensions
Kerb weight: 980 Kg
Fuel tank capacity: 42 litres - Trunk capacity: 110 dm3
Length: 3700 mm - Width: 1675 mm - Height: 1200 mm
Wheelbase: 2261 mm - Front / rear track: 1440 mm / 1430 mm

Performance and consumption
Maximum speed on track: around 200 Km/h
Acceleration 0-100 Km/h: about 7s
Fuel consumption, in liters (unleaded 95RON),
Urban/extra urban/combined drive cycle: 12,1/6,6/8,7 (according to EEC directive 80/1268)

The manufacturer has the right to modify characteristics, equipments, options and prices without warning in advance. Characteristics, equipments, options and prices can differ from one country to another. For more information, please contact your nearest PGO Automobiles dealer.

Equipment

- Leather interior trim: seats, inside of doors, dash-board and control lever.
(Colour included in the colour chart)
- Air conditioning
- Electrically operated side windows
- 17'' Alloy wheels
- Radio CD /MP3, 2 loudspeakers
- Analogical instrumentation, retro enlightened, 8 meters (speedometer, RPM indicator, fuel gauge, water temperature gauge, oil pressure gauge, oil temperature gauge, voltmeter, clock)
- Remote control central locking
- Electrically operated outside mirrors
- Paint included in the colour chart
- Black alpaca hood,
- Leather trimmed steering wheel
- Height adjustable steering column
- Aluminium trimmed gear knob and pedals
- Double exhaust
- Aluminium thresholds doors
- Matched front carpets
- Interior lighting dimmer
- Digital trip recorder
- 3 points embarked seat belts
- Rolling code transponder immobiliser
- Fitted carpet trunk

Options

- Two-tone leather interior trim
- 17'' chromed alloy wheels
- Alpaca hood, beige or two-tone
- Specific paint (except colour chart)
- 6 CD auto-changer
- Alarm

Accessories
“Club� exhaust (not for highway use))
Cover of protection

Equipment Speedster II and Cévennes

OPTIONS	Speedster II	Cévennes
Two-tone leather interior trim	O	O
17'' alloy wheels	O
17'' chromed alloy wheels	O	O
Double exhaust	O
Alpaca hood, beige or two-tone	O	O
Specific paint (except colour chart)	O	O
6 CD auto-changer	O	O
Rear parking aid	O	O
Alarm	O	O