VIN: the works Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 2 chassis C207
/ Ben Tyer
HISTORY OF CHASSIS C207
Unlike the majority of T16 Evolution 2s that generally only saw action in a couple of events, chassis C207 was campaigned in half a dozen rallies during the 1986 season.
It debuted as part of a three-car team on the 1986 Monte Carlo Rally (January 18th to 24th). The works trio ran in 450bhp tarmac trim with new underbody aerodynamics to increase downforce. C207 was allocated to Juha Kankkunen and Juha Piironen but in unpredictable conditions the Michelin-shod Peugeots were unable to keep up with the Lancias on Pirelli’s latest tyre compounds. Kankkunen ultimately placed fifth after suffering a variety of engine and fuel feed problems.
C207 next appeared at Peugeot’s home event: the Tour de Corse (May 1st to 3rd). On this occasion, Michelle Mouton took the wheel alongside Fabrizia Pons and C207 ran a trick head gasket that enabled turbo boost of up to 3 bar plus special ceramic manifold materials to allow greater engine temperatures. All three of the Peugeots had a new six-speed gearbox, new side skirts and hydraulic shock absorber attachments to reduce understeer around slow corners. Unfortunately, Mouton retired on stage nine after her car got stuck in gear and the starter motor broke.
More serious though was a crash that cost the lives of Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto whose Lancia Delta S4 flew off the road and into a ravine where it was consumed by an intense fire.
C207 returned for the gruelling Acropolis Rally (June 2nd to 4th) where things got off to a bad start when Kankkunen and Piironen rolled the car while testing locally 48 hours prior to start. However, the Peugeot crew carried out a complete rebuild of C207 before the start and Kankunnen (the points leader going into the event) led from one third distance to win despite having to drive the last few stages without power steering.
Kankkunen and Piironen were back in C207 for Rally Argentina (August 6th to 9th) with the car running in the same gravel trim as it appeared in Greece. Kankkunen was the only threat to the Lancias but he retired on stage 15 after his rear wheel came loose and the Finn arrived back at parc ferme an hour after the permitted time.
C207’s next outing was the Sanremo Rally where the four Peugeots in attendance initially dished out quite a hiding to Lancia on their home soil. However, the 205s were controversially excluded after 32 of the 41 stages when the Italian scrutineers deemed intakes on the undersills to be generating ground effect which had been outlawed since the Tour de Corse. Peugeot immediately took legal action and after the season concluded the FIA decided to wipe the Sanremo results from the championship and Lancia were stripped of their victory.
Prior to that decision, the teams headed to the RAC Rally (November 16th to 19th) not knowing what the outcome of Peugeot’s court case would be.
The three 205s appeared in Sanremo gravel trim, albeit with revised exhaust systems to cope with strict British noise legislation. C207 was allocated to ‘85 champions Timo Salonen and Seppo Harjanne who had an epic battle with Markku Alen’s Lancia that saw the great rivals head into the final stage just a few seconds apart.
Ultimately it was Salonen that emerged victorious to take his second win of the year and C207 was retired from works duty.
Notable History
Peugeot Talbot Sport
Registered 25 FGV 75
18/01/1986 WRC Monte Carlo Rally (J. Kankkunen / J. Piironen) 5th oa, 5th Gr.B class (#4)
Registered 244 FWH 75
01/05/1986 WRC Tour de Corse (M. Mouton / F. Pons) DNF (#10)
Registered 319 FPF 75
02/06/1986 WRC Acropolis Rally (J. Kankkunen / J. Piironen) 1st oa, 1st B12 class (#5)
06/08/1986 WRC Rally of Argentina (J. Kankkunen / J. Piironen) DNF (#1)
13/10/1986 WRC Rallye Sanremo (J. Kankkunen / J. Piironen) DSQ (#4)
16/11/1986 WRC RAC Rally (T. Salonen / S. Harjanne) 1st oa, 1st B12 class (#1)
Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com
As he had helped Peugeot develop the 205 T16 Evolution 2, French rally legend Bernard Darniche was able to acquire an Evolution 1 for the 1985 Tour de Corse. At the time, Evolution variants were…
After Volkswagen pioneered the hot hatch genre with its iconic Mk1 Golf GTi, Peugeot went on to perfect the formula eight years later. Launched at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1984, the 205 GTi…
While Audi temporarily gained an edge in top flight rallying thanks to the Quattro’s state-of-art four-wheel drive system, Lancia became the first manufacturer to exploit the sport’s new Group B…
When the 205 arrived in 1983, it quickly turned Peugeot’s fortunes around. Although the firm was not in a perilous financial state, it had acquired a somewhat stuffy image thanks to a back catalogue of…
The works Peugeot Talbot Sport squad took a pair of new T16 Evolution 2s to the 1986 Swedish Rally which was held over a 1670km route that comprised 557km of snowy special stages between…
Following its return to the World Rally Championship for the 1999 season, Peugeot quickly went on to break the stranglehold that Japanese manufacturers had imposed on the competition which…
Unlike the majority of T16 Evolution 2s that generally only saw action in a couple of events, chassis C207 was campaigned in half a dozen rallies during the 1986 season. It debuted as part of a three…
Chassis C205 was one of the 20 T16s built to Evolution 2 trim for use by the works Peugeot Talbot Sport operation. It debuted as part of an all-new two-car entry for Evolution 2’s third competitive…
Like every example of the 20 Evolution 2 T16s built, chassis C213 was reserved strictly for use by the works Peugeot Talbot Sport operation headed by Jean Todt. C213 made its competitive debut as part…
Like every T16 Evolution 2, chassis C203 was reserved for use by the works Peugeot Talbot Sport squad based on the outskirts of Paris. It appeared on the registration 709 EXC 75 which had…
Peugeot produced the 205 T16 with the sole intention of delivering Driver and Manufacturer titles in the World Rally Championship. At the time, rallying was even more popular than Formula 1 with huge…
When the FIA decided to ban the participation of Group B cars in the World Rally Championship from 1987 following one too many fatal accidents, Peugeot decided to withdraw from any further…
Chassis C211 was a 205 T16 Evolution 2 used by Peugeot’s works team at four rallies during the course of 1986. It was one of two new Evolution 2s that appeared for round four of the ‘86 season: the…
The original 106 Rallye Group A homologation special built between 1993 and 1995 proved such a hit that Peugeot decided to offer a Phase 2 version from March 1996. Based on the facelifted second…
Having achieved back-to-back Driver and Constructor titles at the height of the Group B era during 1985 and ‘86, Peugeot quit the World Rally Championship following the FIA’s decision to ban Group…
In terms of distance covered during competitive events, chassis C212 was probably the most extensively rallied 205 T16 Evolution 2 campaigned by the Peugeot Talbot Sport operation. C212…
In addition to the official works cars, Peugeot Talbot Sport also supplied a quintet of T16 Evolution 1s to trusted satellite operations for 1985. The Peugeot importers for Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK…
Although Lancia were first out of the blocks with a purpose-built Group B rally car, the Italian company’s failure to equip their Abarth-designed 037 with all-wheel drive for reasons of complexity…
Chassis C204 made its debut at the third event in which Peugeot campaigned the T16 Evolution 2: the 1985 Rallye Sanremo. It was one of 20 Evolution 2s built – the minimum number required by…
Following three wins from its final three WRC outings of 1984, Peugeot’s 205 T16 look the car to beat heading into the 1985 season; Lancia’s replacement for the ageing rear-drive 037 was not expected…
Peugeot’s Group B rally programme of 1984 to 1986 along with the firm’s class-leading 205 GTi hot hatch transformed the firm from maker of rather stuffy unexciting machinery to market leader. While…
Unlike the T16 Evolution 1 which was campaigned in a quasi-works capacity by some of Peugeot’s distributor teams, all 20 Evolution 2s were retained for the exclusive use of the works operation…
Peugeot’s 1984 World Rally Championship programme kicked off at the French manufacturer’s home event: the Tour de Corse in early May. Although the T16 had been homologated a month earlier (on…
A little over two-and-a-half years after Peugeot had launched arguably the greatest hot hatch of all time, a new 1.9-litre version was added to the range. Compared to the existing 1.6-litre model, the 1.9…
Chassis C201 was the first T16 Evolution 2 that Peugeot used in competition. 20 of these cars were built as per the Evolution regulations that permitted a host of upgrades every twelve months so long…
Although Bruno Saby had debuted the T16 Evolution 2 on the Tour de Corse back in May 1985, championship contenders Timo Salonen and Ari Vatanen stuck with the tried and tested Evolution 1…
Peugeot built 20 examples of the 205 T16 Evolution 2, all of which were reserved for works use. Chassis C206 was used in two events during the 1986 season. It debuted in that years’s opening…
Chassis C208 was one of 20 T16s built to Evolution 2 specification, all of which were reserved for use by the works team: Peugeot Talbot Sport (PTS). C208 made its debut in the opening round of the…
Although Peugeot decided to quit top flight rallying at the end of 1986 as a result of the FIA’s unilateral decision to ban Group B cars from 1987, the French company did subsequently introduce a…
Of the 20 T16 Evolution 1s built, Peugeot Talbot Sport (PTS) allocated four for domestic rally programmes: C13 ran under the PTS Deutschland banner, C14 PTS Espana, C15 PTS Italia and C20…