Gentex Begins Shipping Automatic-Dimming Mirrors to Peugeot

Zeeland, Mich.-based Gentex Corp. has begun shipping interior automatic-dimming mirrors for the 2004 Peugeot 407. It's Gentex's first mirror program with Peugeot or any French automotive manufacturer.

Gentex mirrors automatically darken to reduce glare from the headlamps of vehicles approaching from the rear. The brighter the glare, the darker the mirrors become, in an effort to make nighttime driving safer.

For most of the European market, a Gentex interior mirror will be standard on the top trim level and will also be part of a telematics package, independent of the trim level. In some other markets, a Gentex interior mirror will also be standard on the medium trim level. The vehicles will be sold in Western and Eastern Europe, South America and Asia.

"Peugeot is the first French automaker to use a Gentex mirror, so this program opens the door to a whole new market," said Garth Deur, Gentex executive vice president. "We opened an office in France a couple of years ago in order to begin working with the French manufacturers, and now this investment is beginning to pay off. We look forward to expanding our share in that market by providing innovative and proprietary technology and solutions to the automakers in France."