VIN: Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 1 chassis C16
History of chassis C16
Chassis C16 was used for just one event by the works Peugeot Talbot Squad.
It was wheeled out as part of a three-car team for the 1985 Tour de Corse which took place over 1122km of tarmac surface between May 2nd and 4th.
The Tour de Corse was round five of the ‘85 World Rally Championship and Peugeot’s home event. They had won the opening three contests of the year, after which they had a chastening trip to Africa for the gruelling Safari Rally.
Although the T16 Evolution 2 had been homologated in time for the Tour, just one of the new cars was entered (for crowd favourite and tarmac specialist, Bruno Saby). PTS regulars, Ari Vatanen and Timo Salonen, stuck with their proven Evolution 1s. However, all three cars ran the improved Evo 2 brakes plus new 15-inch wheels.
Neither Evo 1 had a trouble-free event.
Day one saw Salonen retire after an electrical failure took longer than the allotted time to fix.
Meanwhile, by the 15th stage (18.5km from Foleli to Sainte Lucia de Moriani), Vatanen had set ten fastest stage times but had also lost 23 minutes to leader Jean Ragnotti with a double puncture.
Frantically trying to make up for lost time, Vatanen clipped a kerb and lost control. C16 got airborne and violently barrel rolled three times before it ended up 15 metres off the road in a cluster of trees.
Vatanen said the crash was caused by navigator Terry Harryman reading the pace notes too late. Harryman claimed Vatanen was driving too fast.
Ultimately, Ragnotti led from start to finish in his Renault 5 Maxi Turbo while his compatriot, Saby, took second in the T16 Evolution 2.
As thrilled as the partisan crowd must have felt with two natives finishing first and second in two French cars, the event was overshadowed by the death of popular Lancia driver, Attilio Bettega. Bettega crashed fatally on the fourth stage. His co-driver, Maurizio Perissinot, survived uninjured. Lancia withdrew their remaining cars as a mark of respect.
Notable History
Peugeot Talbot Sport
Registered 26 FGV 75
02/05/1985 WRC Tour de Corse (A. Vatanen / T. Harryman) DNF (#2)
Wrecked in Vatanen’s Tour de Corse crash
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com
