VIN: the works Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 2 chassis C201

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HISTORY OF CHASSIS

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 as the aforementioned 20 cars were built for homologation.

C201 made its debut on the 1985 Tour de Corse which was the only WRC event to take place on French soil. It was held between May 2nd and 4th over a 1603km all-tarmac route of which 1122km was special stages.

Peugeot ran C201 as their solitary Evolution 2 for Bruno Saby / Jean-Francois Fauchille. Team-mates and championship contenders Timo Salonen and Ari Vatanen opted for Evolutions 1s. Saby was a tarmac specialist and not in the running for championship honours so a safe but to trial this latest T16.

The event saw Salonen excluded on the first day after an electrical fix in parc ferme went over the allotted time. Vatanen then crashed out on day two and wrecked his car.

Unfortunately, by this time the event had been overshadowed by a fatal accident that claimed the life of Lancia driver Attilio Bettega. Bettega had crashed his 037 into a tree which ruptured the driver’s seat and killed him instantly. Bettega’s co-driver, Maurizio Perissinot, was uninjured. Lancia withdrew from the event.

Somewhat disappointingly, Saby took just two fastest stage times in the brand new Evolution 2 (compared to Vatanen’s ten before he crashed). The other 17 were won by Jean Ragnotti in the new Renault 5 Maxi Turbo which was also making its competition debut.

Ragnotti and co-driver, Pierre Thimonier, led from start to finish and eventually finished nearly 13 minutes ahead of Saby / Fauchille who placed second.

Chassis C201 was next wheeled out for Timo Salonen to drive solo in the non-championship season-ending Bettega Memorial Rally which was organised as part of the Bologna Motor Show.

Held on a 1.3km circuit in the car park of the Bologna exhibition centre, huge crowds were treated to a spectacular knockout competition.

Salonen beat Stig Blomqvist’s Audi in round one, the Metro 6R4 of Marc Duez in round two and then Markku Alen’s Lancia Delta S4 to win the final.

Chassis C210 was subsequently retired from competition duty.

Notable History

Peugeot Talbot Sport

Registered 24 FGV 75

02/05/1985 WRC Tour de Corse (B. Saby / J.F. Fauchille) 2nd oa. 2nd Gr.B class (#11)
09/12/1985 IRC Bettega Memorial Rally (T. Salonen) 1st oa, 1st B12 class (#1)

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Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com

VIN: the works Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 2 chassis C202

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HISTORY OF CHASSIS C202

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 in Corsica and for the three World Rally Championship events that followed (Greece, New Zealand and Argentina).

The 1000 Lakes Rally which took place in Finland between August 23rd and 25th would be the first event that Salonen and Vatanen were expected to run the Evolution 2. However, Vatanen was ruled out of the event after a massive crash on Rally Argentina and although he went on to compete for Peugeot in the Paris-Dakar and at Pikes Peak, The Finn never completed another full WRC campaign. Vatanen’s navigator, Terry Harryman, miraculously escaped relatively unscathed, but was still out for several months.

Vatanen and Harryman were replaced by Kalle Grundel and Peter Diekmann who had achieved considerable success in Peugeot Talbot Sport Deutschland’s Evolution 1.

Two new cars were taken to Finland: chassis C202 for Salonen / Harjanne and C203 for Grundel / Diekmann. Both cars ran with 440bhp and weighed around 950kg. Attention to the Evolution 2 since its debut on the Tour de Corse had seen a significant improvement in its torque curve.

The 1000 Lakes was the Evolution 2’s first gravel event. It would be up against Audi’s latest Quattro Sport which had been introduced in Argentina.

Continuing their excellent 1985 form, Salonen / Harjanne had a relatively trouble free run in C202. They drove conservatively in the second half of the rally to maintain a healthy lead established early on. Salonen finished 48 seconds ahead of Blomqvist / Cederberg in the latest Quattro. Works Lancia 037s were third and fourth.

Grundel / Diekmann finished fifth in the sister car.

Chassis C202 did not appear for the works team again.

Notable History

Peugeot Talbot Sport

Registered 704 EXC 75

23/08/1985 WRC 1000 Lakes Rally (T. Salonen / S. Harjanne) 1st oa, 1st Gr.B class (#3)

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VIN: the works Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 2 chassis C206

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<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 2 PORTAL

HISTORY OF CHASSIS C206

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 World Championship event: the Monte Carlo Rally on January 18th.

Peugeot Talbot Sport (PTS) took a trio of Evolution 2s to Monaco; C206 was allocated to ‘85 champions Timo Salonen and Seppo Harjanne. All three cars were equipped with tarmac suspension, 450bhp engines and new underbody aerodynamics to increase downforce.

Rain before the event led to unpredictable conditions and the Michelin runners (such as Peugeot) couldn’t keep up with those on Pirelli’s latest compounds.

Tyre mix ups were the story of the event for most of the front runners. However, as conditions improved, so did Peugeot’s fortunes and the T16s charged back up the leader board.

Salonen couldn’t match Henri Toivonen in the Delta S4, but he did take second (finishing just over four minutes back). Team-mates Kankkunen and Saby placed fifth and sixth after comparatively troubled runs.

C206 was next wheeled out for the Acropolis Rally on June 2nd. The Greek event went ahead with the sport under a dark cloud following the deaths of several spectators at the Portuguese Rally back in March and the fatal accident of Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto at the Tour de Corse four weeks prior.

Nevertheless, there was still a championship to be decided and PTS took a full complement of three Evolution 2s to Greece. C206 was once again allocated to Salonen / Harjanne.

Salonen traded the rally lead with Kalle Grundel’s Ford RS200 early on, but after losing time with an electrical problem following a puncture, the Finn hit a ditch at 100mph that wasn’t marked on pace his notes. C206 sustained heavy damage to the suspension and steering that eventually forced it to retire.

Fellow Peugeot driver Kankunnen led from one third distance to take the win while Saby finished third.

C206 did not see any further competitive action.

Notable history

Peugeot Talbot Sport

Registered 24 FGV 75

18/01/1986 WRC Monte Carlo Rally (T. Salonen / S. Harjanne) 2nd oa, 2nd Gr.B class (#1)

Registered 311 FPF 75

02/06/1986 WRC Acropolis Rally (T. Salonen / S. Harjanne) DNF (#1)

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com

VIN: the works Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 2 chassis C208

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<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 2 PORTAL

HISTORY OF CHASSIS C208

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 1986 World Championship: the Monte Carlo Rally (January 18th to 24th). It was allocated to Bruno Saby and his co-driver, Jean-Francois Fauchille. PTS took a trio of Evolution 2s to the event (with sister cars for Salonen / Harjanne and Kankunnen / Piironen). They were equipped with tarmac suspension, 450bhp engines and new underbody aerodynamics to increase downforce.

Rain before the event led to unpredictable conditions and the Michelin runners (such as Peugeot) couldn’t keep up with those on Pirelli’s latest compounds.

Tyre mix ups were the story of the event for most of the front runners, but as conditions improved, so did Peugeot’s fortunes and the T16s charged back up the leader board.

Salonen couldn’t match Henri Toivonen in the Delta S4, but he did take second (finishing just over four minutes behind). Kankkunen placed fifth after suffering engine and fuel feed problems. Saby was sixth; C208 had required a new gearbox mid way through the event and also needed its back end rebuilt after a crash.

PTS then used the three week gap before the next event to try and address some of the niggling reliability issues that had so far afflicted the Evolution 2.

Two cars were subsequently on hand for Round 2: the Swedish Rally (February 14th to 16th). C208 was allocated to Juha Kankkunen / Juha Piironen and C209 to Timo Salonen / Seppo Harjanne. Both cars weighed in at 1000kg and ran 450bhp engines.

Salonen set the early pace, but having won the first six stages, his engine expired when the oil pressure dropped and a brief fire put him out of the event. Thereafter, fastest stage times were traded between Kankunnen in C208 plus Lancia drivers Toivonen and Alen along with Grundel in the brand new Ford RS200.

Having overhauled Toivonen to take the lead, Kankunnen then set about building a big gap with C208. The Finn led the entire second half of the event to secure his first WRC win for Peugeot.

C208’s final outing came at round three of the 1986 season, Rally Portugal (March 5th to 8th), which was a mix of gravel and tarmac.

For this event, the Evolution 2s ran with 460bhp and weight was reduced to 970kg. 16-inch wheels were used and PTS adopted the Tour de Corse spec. for the opening tarmac sections. They then raised the ride height for the gravel stages.

Two cars were entered: C208 for Kankkunen / Piironen and C210 for Salonen / Harjanne.

Crowd control in Portugal had often been worryingly slack with the organisers deaf to suggestions that may have improved safety. Trouble began early on when Salonen hit a cameraman on the second bend of stage one. However, worse was to come as the nightmare accident that had been predicted for so long finally occurred.

On stage three, the Ford RS200 of Portuguese privateer, Joaquim Santos, span off into the huge crowd killing three children and a woman and leaving a further 32 seriously injured.

All the major manufacturers withdrew their cars from the event.

C208 was subsequently retired from competition duty.

Notable History

Peugeot Talbot Sport

Registered 26 FHV 75

18/01/1986 WRC Monte Carlo Rally (B. Saby / J.F. Fauchille) 6th oa, 6th Gr.B class (#8)
21/02/1986 WRC Swedish Rally (J. Kankkunen / J. Piironen) 1st oa, 1st Gr.B class (#4)

Registered 319 FPF 75

05/03/1986 WRC Rally Portugal (J. Kankkunen / J. Piironen) Withdrawn (#7)

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com

Guide: Peugeot 106 Rallye Phase 1 - a Historical & Technical Appraisal

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BACKGROUND

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 production-based screamer for the under 1.3-litre Group A category: the 205 Rallye of 1988.

With its uprated mechanical specification and spartan equipment level, the 205 Rallye went on to become the entry level car of choice for several seasons.

Less expected was the level of commercial success achieved by the featherweight new model. Group A regulations dictated that Peugeot had to build 5000 Rallyes within a twelve month timeframe. Executives at the firm thought they would just about be able to shift that many cars, but demand far-exceeded all expectations and a little over 28,000 were ultimately built in less than two-and-a-half years.

The 205 remained in production in one shape or form until 1998, at which point it was replaced by the all-new 206. However, back in late 1991, Peugeot had introduced an even more compact entry level offering: the 106.

The 106 was another front-wheel drive Hatchback and initially came with a choice of four cylinder petrol engines ranging in size from 1 to 1.4-litres. A 1.4-litre diesel was also offered. Most exciting was the sporty 895kg 106 XSi which came with a peppy 94bhp single overhead cam eight valve motor (a 106 GTi did not appear until 1996, by which time the face-lifted Phase 2 variant was in production).

In early 1993, Peugeot decided to create a new 106-based challenger for the under 1.3-litre category to replace the ageing 205 Rallye.

The resultant 106 Rallye was launched at the Paris Motor Show in October 1993 and achieved homologation on January 2nd 1994. Based on the 1.4-litre XSi, it came with an uprated short-stroke engine, stiffer suspension, a simplified interior and a host of cosmetic enhancements.

Unsurprisingly, the cheap and cheerful 106 Rallye became an instant hit with road testers and customers alike. By the time production came to an end in late 1995, more than three times as many cars had been produced than was needed by the Group A homologation requirements.

CHASSIS

Aside from reinforced front suspension mounting points, the Rallye’s steel monocoque bodyshell was identical to any other three-door 106. At 2385mm, the wheelbase was 35mm shorter than a 205.

The front suspension comprised MacPherson struts with forged steel wishbones and coil sprung dampers. At the back was a trailing arm and torsion bar arrangement.

Springs and dampers were imported from the 106 XSi, but thicker front and anti-roll bars were unique to the Rallye.

The servo-assisted brakes were also XSi items: 247mm ventilated discs up front and 180mm drums at the rear.

Instead of the 5 x 13-inch five-spoke alloy wheels fitted to the XSi, the Rallye came with distinctive 5.5 x 14-inch Michelin Sport rims that, although manufactured from steel, were actually very light. The rims were originally painted white and shod with Pirelli P4000 tyres.

A 45-litre fuel tank from the standard 106 was mounted under the rear seat.

ENGINE / TRANSMISSION

To qualify for the under 1.3-litre rally class, Peugeot had to create a special version of the 106 XSi’s TU engine.

The new TU2J2 motor was effectively a short stroke high compression version of the XSi’s TU3J2 unit. It featured an uprated cylinder head with an aggressive TU3-sized camshaft, a special intake manifold with optimum 2.5-litre capacity and inlet branches with a 1.6-litre capacity.

A Magnetti Marelli 08P21 combined multi-point fuel-injection / ignition system was adopted instead of the usual Bosch Motronic MP 3.1 arrangement.

Compression was increased from 9.9:1 to 10.2:1.

A displacement of 1294cc was achieved by retaining the existing 75mm bore dimensions and implementing a 3.8mm stroke reduction (73.2mm instead of 77mm).

The rest of the specification was pretty much unchanged; the TU engine had an aluminium alloy block and head with single overhead camshaft, two valves per cylinder, wet-sump lubrication and three-way catalytic converter.

It was transversely mounted in the engine bay and produced a peak output of 100bhp at 7200rpm. The torque rating was 80lb-ft at 5400rpm.

For comparison, the 1.4-litre engine in the XSi developed 94bhp at 6600rom and 86lb-ft at 4200rpm.

Each 106 Rallye was also fitted with a close-ratio five-speed gearbox.

BODYWORK

Unlike the 205, which had been styled in Italy by Pininfarina, bodywork for the 106 was designed by Peugeot’s in-house team. The result was arguably the best looking supermini of the early 1990s.

Like its late eighties predecessor, the 106 Rallye came with a variety of special cosmetic additions that differentiated it from the rest of the range.

Instead of the dark grey plastic bumpers, rubbing strips and wheelarch extensions fitted to the XSi, these parts were body coloured on the 106 Rallye.

The wheelarch extensions themselves were unique to the 106 Rallye.

Coloured inserts were added to the bumpers: red for Bianca White and Black cars or black for Cherry red cars.

The XSi-style front bumper assembly came without the fog lights normally fitted. Instead, the Rallye came with intake grilles, behind which were removable blanking plates to enable extra brake cooling if required.

A handsome decal kit was also applied to every car. Red, dark blue and yellow Peugeot Talbot Sport stickers were fitted to the hood, tailgate and down each flank.

INTERIOR

To save weight, cockpits were equipped to a pretty basic specification.

Peugeot fitted every car with special thin red carpet, a simplified heating / ventilation system, an uncovered glovebox compartment and reduced sound insulation.

In the same vein, the XSi’s electric windows, power steering and central locking were deleted.

Lightweight door trim panels from the base 106 were also fitted instead of the XSi’s fully trimmed type.

Other special equipment included red seatbelts, Phoenix black fabric upholstery with red accents and a PTS-branded three spoke sports steering wheel in soft-touch plastic.

Instrumentation comprised large analogue dials for road and engine speed, in between which was a small fuel read out. Off to the sides were more small gauges for water temperature and battery condition.

OPTIONS

Customers could choose from one of three exterior colours: Bianca White, Cherry Red or Black.

The only optional extras were a radio cassette player, a glass sunroof and an anti-lock brake system (ABS).

WEIGHT / PERFORMANCE

At 825kg, the 106 Rallye was 70kg lighter than the 106 XSi.

Top speed was 113mph and 0-62mph required 9.6 seconds.

PRODUCTION

Peugeot produced the 106 Rallye from October 1993 until October 1995.

During this time, approximately 16,500 were built, most of which were destined for the European market.

1000 right-hand drive cars were officially imported to the UK, but the actual figure is thought to be slightly higher owing to much demand for the little pocket rocket.

A Phase 2 Rallye subsequently arrived in March 1996 (covered separately). Unlike the original variant, this later face-lifted iteration used a 1.6-litre version of the TU engine.

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
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VIN: the PTS Italia Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 1 chassis C15

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<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 PORTAL
<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 FOR SALE

HISTORY OF CHASSIS C15

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 PTS UK. A fifth car (numbered out of sequence) was supplied to Bernard Darniche after he helped PTS develop the T16 (M1).

The Italian-bound example, chassis C15, was prepared in the rally department of Enzo Osella’s engineering outfit under the watchful eye of Mariolino Cavagnero.

C15 was registered MI 64170X and, throughout 1985, was used exclusively by Giovanni del Zoppo and his navigator, Elisabetta Tognana.

Highlights of their eight-rally campaign were victory on the Rally Citta di Sassari and second on the Rally 1000 Miglia (C15’s debut event).

Unfortunately, the only other finish was a seventh on the season-ending Rallye Sanremo (round 10 of the ‘85 World Championship). C15’s other five outings all ended in retirement.

Osella was subsequently contracted to run C15 for the 1986 season when Andrea Zanussi and Paolo Amati took over driver and navigational duties respectively. This new pairing finished on the podium in four out of the five rallies they contested and won the Rally di Limone Piemonte.

After his impressive form in C15, Zanussi was given a works drive in a T16 Evolution 2 for the ‘86 Sanremo Rally (where the entire team were wrongly excluded). He also went on to become a key part of the PTS Pikes Peak and Grand Raid programme in 1987.

C15 was retired from frontline rally duty at the end of the 1986 season.

Notable History

Peugeot Talbot Sport Italia (Osella Squadra Corse), Verolengo

Registered MI 64170X

30/03/1985 ARC Rally 1000 Miglia (G. del Zoppo / E. Tognana) 2nd oa, 2nd in class (#??)
17/04/1985 ERC Rally Costa Smerala (G. del Zoppo / E. Tognana) DNF (#5)
23/05/1985 ERC Rallye dell'Isola d'Elba (G. del Zoppo / E. Tognana) DNF (#4)
22/06/1985 IRC Rally Citta di Sassari (G. del Zoppo / E. Tognana) 1st oa, 1st Gr.B class (#??)
03/07/1985 ERC Targa Florio Rally (G. del Zoppo / E. Tognana) DNF (#1)
25/07/1985 ERC Rally della Lana (G. del Zoppo / E. Tognana) DNF (#??)
30/08/1985 ERC Rally Piancavallo (G. del Zoppo / E. Tognana) DNF (#2)
29/09/1985 WRC Rallye Sanremo (G. del Zoppo / E. Tognana) 7th oa, 7th Gr.B class (#9)

20/03/1986 IRC Rally 1000 Miglia (A. Zanussi / P. Amati) 4th oa, 4th in class (#??)
16/04/1986 ERC Rally Costa Smerelda (A. Zanussi / P. Amati) 2nd oa, 2nd in Gr.B class (#3)
15/05/1986 ERC Rallye dell'Isola d'Elba (A. Zanussi / P. Amati) 3rd oa, 3rd Gr.B class (#2)
12/06/1986 ERC Targa Florio Rally (A. Zanussi / P. Amati) 2nd oa, 2nd B12 class (#??)
04/07/1986 ITA Rally di Limone Piemonte (A. Zanussi / P. Amati) 1st oa, 1st B4 class (#1)

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com

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VIN: the works Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 1 chassis C18

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<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 PORTAL
<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 FOR SALE

HISTORY OF CHASSIS C18

Although Peugeot had debuted the updated T16 Evolution 2 on the Tour de Corse at the beginning of May 1985, thereafter the firm continued to run the old Evolution 1 for reliability reasons until late August.

Chassis C18 was one of two brand new Evolution 1s wheeled out for Rally New Zealand which took place over 935km of gravel special stages between June 29th and July 2nd. Alongside C19, these were the last new Evo 1s to be used. They appeared in Acropolis-spec. gravel trim but with one-inch lower ride height plus thinner and lighter sump guards.

Despite having won seven of the eleven WRC events they had contested with the T16, Rally New Zealand marked Peugeot’s first one-two finish. Driving C18, Timo Salonen / Seppo Harjanne took the win by one minute 17 seconds from team-mates Ari Vatanen / Terry Harryman in C19.

After New Zealand, Salonen led the Driver standings with 68 points. Audi’s Stig Blomqvist was second on 60 and Vatanen was third on 55.

The next World Championship event, Rally Argentina, took place four weeks later from July 31st to August 3rd and comprised 957km of gravel stages.

It was the last event for the works Evo 1 and Peugeot took three cars to South America: C18 for Salonen, C19 for Vatanen and C17 for Carlos Reutemann who was making his first competitive appearance since abandoning Formula 1 in early 1982. The cars were as they had been in New Zealand albeit now running as much ground clearance as possible.

Perhaps mindful of the points gap to his team-mate, Vatanen was really pushing on the second stage when C19 hit a mudhole at 120mph and was launched into a series of violent rolls. Described at the time as the most serious survivable crash ever seen, Vatanen sustained major injuries and, although he went on to compete for Peugeot in the Paris-Dakar and at Pikes Peak, he never completed another full WRC campaign. Terry Harryman miraculously escaped relatively unscathed but was still out for several months.

After Vatanen had retired, Audi’s new Evo 2 Quattro followed on stage eight which left the Lancia-free event to Salonen who piloted C18 to victory by a massive 14 minutes from the Quattro A2 of Wiedner / Zehetner. Reutemann drove steadily to third and was only hampered by a two minute stop for a sodden plug lead after splashing over-enthusiastically through the many water crossings to thrill the spectators.

Chassis C18 was subsequently retired from front-line duty with an immaculate record of two wins from two events.

Notable History

Peugeot Talbot Sport

Registered 704 EXC 75

29/06/1985 WRC New Zealand Rally (T. Salonen / S. Harjanne) 1st oa, 1st Gr.B class (#5)
30/07/1985 WRC Rally Argentina (T. Salonen / S. Harjanne) 1st oa, 1st Gr.B class (#3)

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
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Guide: Peugeot 205 Rallye - a Historical & Technical Appraisal

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<<<205 RALLYE FOR SALE

BACKGROUND

Of all the manufacturers that created Group B specials between 1982 and 1986, none invested more than Peugeot.

In addition to the scratch-built 205 T16, a completely new competition department was established in the outskirts of Paris where a team of 90 personnel focused on developing the best rally car possible.

Under the direction of Jean Todt, Peugeot Talbot Sport (PTS) went on to win the 1985 Driver’s and Manufacturer’s crowns. The French outfit also won the ‘86 Manufacturer’s title although that year’s Driver’s championship fell to Lancia’s Juha Kankkunen. Kankkunen’s wickedly complex Delta S4 was introduced before the FIA opted to ban any new or updated Group B cars following a series of fatal accidents; the drastic ruling meant Peugeot were unable to introduce an Evolution 3 version of the 205 T16 with which to fight back.

Peugeot were just as infuriated about the FIA’s unilateral decision to outlaw Group B cars beyond the end of ‘86. As a consequence, PTS withdrew from rallying in favour of a Grand Raid and Pikes Peak programme where uprated derivatives of the T16 line were still permitted to compete.

Although Peugeot remained true to their world and played no part in the 1987 rally season, early in 1988 a decision was made to produce a Group A homologation special to contest the under 1300cc Group A category.

Unlike Group B (where just 200 cars had been required for homologation), Group A required a production run of 5000 cars.

The resultant 205 Rallye was a pared down and super lightweight iteration of Peugeot’s award-winning front-wheel drive entry-level hatchback. It was engineered and produced by PTS in time for homologation to be approved on July 2nd 1988.

In its original format, the left-hand drive-only 205 Rallye was offered throughout most of Europe. However, this did not include Germany and Switzerland (where it did not meet emissions standards) or the UK (owing to a lack of a right-hand drive derivative). These regions did subsequently get their own domestic specials (covered later) although both were to an inferior, less racey specification than the true Group A specials.

CHASSIS

The Rallye used the standard 205’s zinc galvanised steel bodyshell albeit stripped of almost all soundproofing to save weight.

As usual, suspension was independent all round. Up front was a MacPherson strut layout with coil springs and lower wishbones. The back end ran trailing arms fixed to a single beam, transverse torsion bars and telescopic shocks.

Like the 1.6-litre 205 GTi, Peugeot configured the Rallye with dropped ride height, stiffer shocks and springs and custom wishbones. Anti-roll bars were fitted at either end.

The Rallye’s dual circuit and servo-assisted brake set-up was also imported from the 1.6 GTi: 247mm ventilated discs with a single-piston caliper were installed up front along with 180mm drums at the rear.

Instead of the 1.6 GTi’s 14-inch diameter Speedline ‘pepper pot’ alloys, the Rallye came with cheaper 13-inch steel wheels. Rim width was an unchanged 5.5-inches at both ends.

Steering was un-assisted and a standard 50-litre fuel tank was located under the rear seat.

ENGINE / TRANSMISSION

Rather than use a reduced capacity version of the 1360cc XY7 engine found in the 205 XR, PTS created a specialised power unit derived from the 1124cc TU1/K unit in the 205 XR.

The Rallye’s 1294cc Type TU24 all-alloy motor was a transversely-mounted inline four with single overhead camshaft, two valves per cylinder and wet-sump lubrication.

Compared to the 1.1-litre XR, the cylinder bores were enlarged by 3mm (from 72mm to 75mm) and stroke was taken out by 4.2mm (from 69mm to 73.2mm).

Upgrades included a hot camshaft, beefier crankshaft and increased compression ratio (9.6:1 compared to 9.4:1). PTS also fitted two enormous Weber 40 DCOM sidedraught carburettors which resulted in little power or torque below 4500rpm. Rather, it was above 5000rpm that the 205 Rallye really came alive.

Peak output was 103bhp at 6800rpm and 89lb-ft at 5000rpm.

This was a dramatic increase over the 205 XR (53bhp at 5800rpm and 64lb-ft at 3200rpm).

Meanwhile, the 1.6-litre GTi developed 115bhp at 6250rpm and 99lb-ft at 4000rpm.

Transmission was through a close-ratio five-speed manual gearbox and single dry-plate clutch.

BODYWORK

Thanks to an array of special features, the Rallye was visually quite different to all other 205s.

PTS fitted lightweight bumpers, a redesigned front apron with gaping air intakes and re-shaped wheelarch extensions. All of this was fashioned from lightweight body coloured GRP.

At the back of the car was a body coloured lower tailgate panel complete with red ‘205 rallye’ decal.

The C-pillar trim panels were also body coloured and accessorised with red ‘1.3’ and ‘rallye’ decals.

Additional PTS decals were added to the front grille, along the swage lines, at the base of the A-pillar and on the tail panel.

An exterior mirror was only fitted on the driver’s side.

INTERIOR

Like the rest of the 205 range, the Rallye came with the updated interior Peugeot introduced from October 1987. This facelift had included a subtly redesigned dash, a neater centre console (with rotary instead of sliding ventilation controls), revamped switchgear and a three instead of two-spoke steering wheel.

To save as much weight as possible, PTS discarded most of the Rallye’s soundproofing, reduced the level of electrical equipment and installed a simplified heating / ventilation system.

The standard specification meant no stereo, manual windows and a pared down central control panel.

Well-bolstered sports seats sourced from the 205 GTi were trimmed in black fabric with red stitching. A PTS logo was embroidered into the front seat faces. Another PTS logo could be found on the steering wheel.

Red carpet and red seatbelts were standard.

The rectangular instrument binnacle housed a large speedometer and rev counter flanked on the outside by smaller read outs for oil pressure, fuel level, water temperature and oil temperature. The entire dash assembly was formed in grey plastic.

OPTIONS

Peugeot offered the 205 Rallye in just one colour: Meije White.

The only official options were a choice of audio systems, a passenger-side exterior mirror and a rear wiper.

However, customers could retro-fit a range of PTS upgrades to bring their car up to full Group A trim if required. Parts on offer included a roll cage, spot lights, racing seats and harnesses, uprated brakes with adjustable bias, competition shocks, bushes and dampers and a limited-slip differential.

WEIGHT / PERFORMANCE

At just 793kg, the 205 Rallye tipped the scale at 57kg less than a 1.6-litre GTi.

Top speed was 2mph slower (118mph as opposed to 120mph) and the 0-62mph time was 9.4 seconds (as opposed to 8.5).

PRODUCTION

Demand for the 205 Rallye far-exceeded Peugeot’s expectations; 28,281 were completed by the time production was discontinued in August 1990.

GERMAN / SWISS VERSION

In September 1990 (once production of the original 205 Rallye had stopped), Peugeot introduced a somewhat diluted iteration for the German and Swiss markets (where the 1.3-litre carb-fed engine had not met emissions regulations).

To make this latest iteration suitably eco-friendly, Peugeot took the Rallye bodyshell and fitted the iron block 1.9-litre Type XU9J1 engine which was both catalysed and fuel-injected (Bosch L-Jetronic).

These motors displaced 1905cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 83mm and 88mm respectively. With a compression ratio of 8.4:1, peak output was 105bhp at 6000rpm and 103lb-ft at 3000rpm.

Like the rest of the 1991 model year range, the German-market Rallye featured clear instead of amber front indicators and redesigned tail light clusters with the reverse light was moved down to the bumper.

As a consequence of its heavier engine, performance was not quite on a par with the original Rallye although the extra torque made the German / Swiss version easier to drive.

1000 examples were built by the time production ended in August 1992.

UK VERSION

Peugeot also went on to offer a limited run of right-hand drive 205 Rallyes for the UK market.

Produced between late 1993 and early 1994, the UK Rallye came with a 1.4-litre iron-block TU3.2 engine with a pair of twin-choke Solex carburettors. Displacement was 1360cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 75mm and 77mm respectively.

A compression ratio of 9.3:1 resulted in a peak output of 75bhp at 6200rpm and 80lb-ft at 4000rpm.

Unlike other 205 Rallye variants, the UK market special was offered in a choice of three colours: 500 were built in Bianco, 250 were built in Express Yellow and 80 were built in Blue. Other differences included dark grey seats and light grey carpet. An optional sunroof was also offered and a new set of exterior decals were fitted.

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com

VIN: the works Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 1 chassis C17

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<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 PORTAL
<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 FOR SALE

HISTORY OF CHASSIS C17

Chassis C17 was used in two events by the factory Peugeot Talbot Sport squad (PTS).

It debuted on the 1985 Acropolis Rally (May 27th to 30th) which was round six of that year’s World Championship.

Although Peugot had debuted the Evolution 2 version of the T16 at the preceding Tour de Cose, they reverted to the Evolution 1 for the next three events.

PTS entered a pair of Evo 1s for the Acropolis: C17 for Vatanen and C10 for Salonen. The cars were in gravel trim running as much ground clearance as possible.

Having won five consecutive events between the tail end of 1984 and early 1985, the rotten luck Vatanen had experienced since Rally Sweden back in February continued. He retired on the second stage; broken suspension had smashed his oil reservoir.

By contrast, Salonen led from start to finish driving the sister car (a first in the event’s history).

Rally Argentina (round eight: July 30th to August 3rd) was expected to be the last event for the works T16 Evo 1. Peugeot took three cars to South America; C18 for Salonen, C19 for Vatanen and C17 for Carlos Reutemann who was making his first competitive appearance since he abandoned Formula 1 in early 1982.

All three cars were in gravel trim running the tallest possible ride height.

Audi used the event to debut their wild new Quattro Sport Evolution 2.

Perhaps mindful of a points gap to his team-mate, Vatanen was really pushing during the second stage when he hit a mudhole at 120mph and launched his car into a series of violent rolls. Described at the time as the most serious survivable crash ever seen, Vatanen sustained major injuries and, although he went on to compete for Peugeot in the Paris-Dakar and at Pikes Peak, he never completed another full WRC campaign. Terry Harryman miraculously escaped relatively unscathed but was still out for several months.

After Vatanen had retired, the solitary Evo 2 Quattro followed on stage eight. This left the Lancia-free event to Salonen who won by 14 minutes from the Quattro A2 of Wiedner / Zehetner.

Meanwhile, Reutemann drove steadily in C17 to finish third. His only delay (a two minute stop for a sodden plug lead) was the result of splashing over-enthusiastically through the many water crossings to thrill his adoring home fans.

C17 was not rallied by the PTS squad again.

Notable History

Peugeot Talbot Sport

Registered 26 FGV 75

27/05/1985 WRC Acropolis Rally (A. Vatanen / T. Harryman) DNF (#2)

Registered 709 EXC 75

30/07/1985 WRC Rally Argentina (C. Reutemann / J.F. Fauchille) 3rd oa, 3rd Gr.B class (#1)

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com

VIN: the PTS Espana / Freddy Oguey Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 1 chassis C14

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<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 PORTAL
<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 FOR SALE

HISTORY OF CHASSIS C14

Chassis C14 was one of the four T16s allocated to Peugeot Talbot Sport’s factory-supported distributor teams for the 1985 season. This particular machine was campaigned under the PTS Spain banner while the others appeared for PTS Germany (C13), PTS Italy (C15) and PTS UK (C20).

The Peugeot Talbot Sport Espana operation was run by Jacques Almeras from his base in southern France.

C14 (registered 25 TC 34) was earmarked for Antonio Zanini and his navigator, Josep Autet, to contest the 1985 Spanish Rally Championship.

Unfortunately, the programme did not get off to a great start when Zanini and Autet had a spectacular debut crash on the Rally Costa Brava in February. C14 somersaulted down the road after hitting a bank, however, despite damage to the front and roof, the car was repaired in time to enter the Rally Costa Blanca four weeks later.

Zanini placed sixth on his second outing with C14, but then retired from the Rally Girona-Guilleries Cales de Palafrugell in mid April after another accident.

For C14’s final two appearances of 1985, Zanini and Autet were replaced by the experienced French pairing of Bruno Saby and Jean-Francois Fauchille. They drove C14 to victory on the Rallye Villa de Llanes at the beginning of June, then retired with low oil pressure on the Rallye El Corte Ingles two weeks later.

Saby and Fauchille were subsequently rewarded with a works drive for the 1985 Rallye Sanremo and picked up a full season contract with the factory squad for 1986.

Meanwhile, for the 1986 season C14 was sold to Swiss privateer, Freddy Oguey. That year, the car appeared in its original colour scheme under the Lugano Racing banner.

Oguey and his navigator, Michel Remy, finished every rally they started in 1986 and won the Rallye de Court outright. However, despite a strong campaign, they were ultimately pipped to the Swiss Rally Championship title by Jean-Pierre Balmer’s Lancia 037.

Notable History

Peaugeot Talbot Sport Espana (Almeras)

Registered 25 TC 34

23/02/1985 ERC Rally Costa Brava (A. Zanini / J. Autet) DNF (#5)
22/03/1985 ERC Rally Costa Blanca (A. Zanini / J. Autet) 6th oa, 6th Gr.B class (#4)
13/04/1985 SRC Rally Girona-Guilleries Cales de Palafrugell (A. Zanini / J. Autet) DNF (#2)
01/06/1985 SRC Rallye Villa de Llanes (B. Saby / J.F. Fauchille) 1st oa, 1st Gr. B (#1)
15/06/1985 ERC Rallye El Corte Ingles (B. Saby / J.F. Fauchille) DNF (#2)

Sold to Freddy Oguey, Switzerland (Lugano Racing)

Registered VD 700 004 (plus 025, 026 and 027)

15/03/1986 SWI Criterium Jurassien (F. Oguey / M. Remy) 4th oa, 4th B12 class (#??)
15/05/1986 ERC Rallye dell'Isola d'Elba (F. Oguey / M. Remy) 7th oa, 7th Gr.B class (#23)
07/06/1986 SWI Rallye de Lugano (F. Oguey / M. Remy) 3rd oa, 3rd B12 class (#??)
28/08/1986 SWI Rallye Baden-Wurttemberg (F. Oguey / M. Remy) 3rd oa, 3rd B12 class (#6)
04/10/1986 SWI Rallye de Court (F. Oguey / M. Remy) 1st oa, 1st B12 class (#??)
23/10/1986 ERC Rallye du Valais (F. Oguey / M. Remy) 2nd oa, 2nd B12 class (#??)

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com

VIN: the PTS Deutschland Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 1 chassis C13

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<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 PORTAL
<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 FOR SALE

HISTORY OF CHASSIS C13

In addition to those cars campaigned in a works capacity, four T16 Evolution 1s were allocated to Peugeot’s distributor teams for Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK. A variety of national and international events were usually undertaken by these cars and they appeared in the same colour schemes as the factory-owned examples.

Chassis C13 was the Evolution 1 run under the Peugeot Talbot Sport Deutschland banner (PTS Deutschland). Uniquely among the group of distributor team cars, it was prepared at the PTS headquarters in Paris.

C13 was registered S-BK 205. Throughout 1985 it was campaigned by Swede, Kalle Grundel, and his German navigator, Peter Diekmann.

Whereas the proper works T16s were normally used for no more than two or three events, the distributor team examples got a whole lot more use. Chassis C13 was arguably the most widely campaigned and successful of all.

In 1985, Grundel and Diekmann were entered for a combined ten European and German championship rallies in C13. Incredibly, they won nine of these and posted just one retirement all year.

For the 1986 season, Grundel and Diekmann were promoted to a works Ford drive. They were replaced in the PTS Deutschland car by Michele Mouton and Terry Harryman.

After a five year association with Audi, Mouton had split with the German team at the end of 1985. Terry Harryman had previously navigated for Peugeot driver, Ari Vatanen. Unfortunately, Vatanen had sustained terrible injuries following a crash on the 1985 Argentine Rally which took him 18 months to recuperate from.

In addition to the PTS Deutschland drive, Mouton also campaigned a works T16 on two occasions in 1986 (the Monte Carlo and Tour de Corse WRC events).

During their eight outings in chassis C13, Mouton / Harryman picked up five wins. Their most notable victory was on the Rallye Deutschland in August.

C13 was also used once in 1986 by factory pairing Bruno Saby and Jean-Francois Fauchille. They attended the Ypres 24 Hours event in June (under a Peugeot Team Belgium entry) but failed to finish.

Chassis C13 was retired from competition duty at the end of the 1986 season.

Notable History

Peugeot Talbot Deutschland

Registered S-BK 205

22/02/1985 ERC Sachs Winter Rally (K. Grundel / P. Diekmann) 1st oa, 1st Gr.B class (#1)
30/03/1985 GRC Saarland Rallye (K. Grundel / P. Diekmann) 1st oa, 1st B11 class (#1)
03/05/1985 GRC Metz Rallye (K. Grundel / P. Diekmann) DNF (#2)
18/05/1985 GRC Rallye Vorderpfalz (K. Grundel / P. Diekmann) 1st oa, 1st Gr.B class (#1)
06/06/1985 ERC Rallye Hessen (K. Grundel . P. Diekmann) 1st oa, 1st B2 class (#2)
11/07/1985 ERC Hunsruck Rallye (K. Grundel / P. Diekmann) 1st oa, 1st B12 class (#2)
27/07/1985 GRC Rallye Schloss Heidelberg (K. Grundel / P. Diekmann) 1st oa, 1st Gr.B class (#2)
05/09/1985 ERC Rally Deutschland (K. Grundel / P. Diekmann) 1st oa, 1st B1 class (#2)
04/10/1985 GRC Rallye Baltic (K. Grundel / P. Diekmann) 1st oa, 1st B10 class (#1)
18/10/1985 GRC 3-Stadte Rallye (K. Grundel / P. Diekmann) 1st oa, 1st B8 class (#2)

18/01/1986 WRC Monte Carlo Rally (M. Mouton / T. Harryman) DNF (#10)
28/02/1986 ERC Sachs Winter Rally (M. Mouton / T. Harryman ) DNF (#1)
21/03/1986 GER Rallye Kohle und Stahl (M. Mouton / T. Harryman) 1st of, 1st B9 class (#1)
25/04/1986 GER Rallye Vorderpfalz (M. Mouton / T. Harryman) 1st oa, 1st B8 class (#1)
27/06/1986 ERC Ypres 24 Hours Rally (B. Saby / J.F. Fauchille) DNF (#1)
25/07/1986 ERC Hunsruck Rally (M. Mouton / T. Harryman) DNF (#1)
07/08/1986 ERC Rallye Deutschland (M. Mouton / T. Harryman) 1st oa, 1st B12 class (#1)
05/10/1986 GER Baltic Rallye (M Mouton / T. Harryman) 1st oa, 1st B9 class (#1)
24/10/1986 GER 3-Stadte Rallye (M. Mouton / T. Harryman) 1st oa, 1st B9 class (#1)

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com

Guide: Peugeot Quasar - a Historical & Technical Appraisal

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BACKGROUND

In its many guises, the 205 was arguably the most important Peugeot of modern times. Prior to its arrival, the firm was teetering on the edge of bankruptcy owing to a combination of bad management, lacklustre products and poor trading conditions.

Following the 205’s arrival in February 1983, it scored rave reviews and customers flocked to buy what was routinely cited as the best supermini on the market.

Peugeot’s image and order book got another major boost when the era-defining 205 GTi came on stream in April 1984. The critically acclaimed sporty 205 usurped the Golf GTi as king of the hot hatches and added a touch of glamour to Peugeot’s line up.

However, Peugeot were not content to stop there; as part of the brand’s revival, it embarked on a high profile attack on the World Rally Championship with another iteration of the 205: the mid-engined four-wheel drive T16.

At the time, the premier rally category was Group B which required a production run of just 200 road cars to qualify. As a consequence, the Group B era produced the most extreme rally cars ever seen.

Peugeot invested heavily to create the T16. In addition to the road car programme, a brand new competition department was established on the outskirts of Paris staffed by 90 employees.

The 205 T16 made its competition debut on the Tour de Corse in May 1984. In its third, fourth and fifth WRC outings, it scored a hat-trick of wins and as a result went into the ‘85 season as hot favourite.

To enhance their revitalised image yet further, Peugeot decided to create a T16-based design concept for the Paris Motor Show in October 1984.

The resultant Quasar was the first concept car produced in-house by Peugeot. It was designed by Gerard Welter (exterior) and Paul Bracq (interior) at the Peugeot Styling Centre in La Garenne, Paris.

The futuristic two-seater was named after an astronomical phenomenon where accretion of matter into supermassive black holes creates the most luminous, powerful, and energetic objects known in the universe.

CHASSIS

Peugeot based the Quasar on the 205 T16’s central steel monocoque to which steel subframes were attached front and back. As per the T16, the wheelbase measured 2540mm and the central section was reinforced with an integrated roll cage.

Suspension was via double wishbones with a single coil spring and telescopic Bilstein damper at each corner. Anti-roll bars were fitted at either end.

Ventilated brake discs were installed all round; they were most likely the 300mm diameter front and 273mm diameter rears from the T16 Evolution 1. Four-piston AP calipers would also therefore have been used.

Instead of a four-stud fixing, the Quasar’s new 16-inch diameter turbine-style wheels came with a centre-lock attachment. The handsome body coloured rims were shod with the latest generation Michelin MXX tyres.

ENGINE / TRANSMISSION

Another unique feature of the Quasar was its twin instead of single turbo engine.

It was derived from the T16 Evolution 1’s all alloy water-cooled inline ‘four’. Displacement was an unchanged 1775cc thanks to a bore and stroke of 83mm and 82mm respectively.

Bosch K-Jetronic fuel injection was employed, but compression ratio and boost pressure figure were never published.

As per the Evolution 1, the Quasar’s engine was dry-sumped and fitted with reinforced pistons, heavy-duty sleeves, 30° intake valves, 50° exhaust valves and Champion BN 60 spark plugs. Two KKK K26 twin scroll turbochargers were installed, each with an air-to-air intercooler.

The Quasar also most likely came with Peugeot’s ‘Dispositif Pre-rotation Variable’ anti-lag system (DPV) similar to the type used on Renault’s Formula 1 engines.

A custom fabricated free-flow exhaust culminated in two massive centrally exiting megaphones.

Peak output was a claimed 600bhp and 360lb-ft.

Transmission was through a five-speed gearbox, Ferguson four-wheel drive system with fixed 40/60 torque split, ZF limited-slip differentials at both axles and a ventilated twin-plate clutch. A state-of-the-art traction control system was also reputedly employed.

BODYWORK

The Quasar was clothed in a tightly packaged body fabricated from a mixture of carbonfibre and Kevlar.

It featured a short plunging nose at the base of which was a body coloured front spoiler with a large central intake. Additional cooling slats were located between the slender single piece light units and up towards the windscreen

Thanks to the enormous windscreen, large side windows and a glass roof, the interior was flooded with natural light. Black A-pillars gave the cockpit canopy a seamless look.

Down each flank, Peugeot fitted deep side skirts and butterfly doors. Behind the doors were arced cooling scoops that ran from the roof down to the sills.

The Quasar’s back end was arguably its most radical feature. Behind the rear wheels, the bodywork was cutaway in a fashion reminiscent of the Porsche 917 Kurzheck. Flying buttresses swept down from behind the cockpit and culminated in a fixed rear spoiler.

Mechanical elements such as the engine and exhaust system were left exposed.

Enormous twin venturis sucked the car onto the ground.

The only visual link to the T16 was a pair of tail light clusters.

INTERIOR

The Quasar’s cockpit was loaded with advanced Clarion electronic systems.

Directly behind the three-spoke steering wheel was a sloping instrument binnacle with an array of digital LCD read outs that provided information on all the car’s systems and carried out safety checks.

Integrated in the centre of the dash was a CRT monitor for the navigation system. This enabled routes to be mapped and road condition warnings to be given. It could also play Videotex and Telex messages.

Underneath the CRT monitor were CD and cassette players surrounded by a natural alloy fascia. A matching fascia was also used for the control panel off to the right of the CRT monitor where an array of plugs-ins and audio controls were located.

Behind the gear lever was another bank of touch-sensitive switches.

Seats imported from the T16 were upholstered in bright red leather to match the dash surround, outer door panels, upper transmission tunnel, sills, rear bulkhead, cockpit pillars and roof.

The sills and rear bulkhead were given a diamond quilted pattern. A Peugeot lion was embossed into the faces of the seat backs.

WEIGHT / PERFORMANCE

Peugeot claimed the Quasar weighed in at 900kg.

With a power-to-weight ratio 666bhp per ton, performance was likely spectacular.

Depending on gearing, a top speed in the region of 200mph would have been possible along with a 0-62mph time of circa 4 seconds.

SUBSEQUENT HISTORY

Although the Quasar was never seriously considered for production, tentative assessments were reputedly made as to whether it would be a suitable platform for the Group S category that was set to replace Group B. However, like Group B, Group S was also cancelled in May 1986 after a number of high profile rally fatalities.

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com

VIN: the works Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 1 chassis C16

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<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 PORTAL
<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 FOR SALE

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

VIN: the PTS UK Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 1 chassis C20

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<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 PORTAL
<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 FOR SALE

HISTORY OF CHASSIS C20

Of the 20 cars built by Peugeot Talbot Sport (PTS) to Evolution 1 trim, four were allocated to the company’s distributor teams for Germany, Spain, Italy and the UK. These cars appeared in the works PTS colour scheme and generally undertook a mix of domestic and international events.

Whereas the works PTS squad had an abundance of cars at their disposal (which meant an individual chassis rarely did more than two or three rallies), the distributor outfits were given one car each.

Chassis C20 was the T16 destined for use by PTS UK.

The PTS UK operation was run by Des O’Dell who had famously masterminded the victorious 1981 World Rally Championship for Talbot (which was part of the Chrysler Europe assets purchased by PSA Group in 1979).

C20 was UK registered B555 SRW in June 1985. That year, it was driven by Mikael Sundstrom and navigated by Phil White.

Sundstrom and White contested four events in 1985; they crashed out of the Scottish Rally, finished third on the Ulster, were forced to retire with engine trouble on the Manx and then crashed again at the season-ending RAC (where C20 was rolled).

Navigational duties were mostly handled by Voitto Silander for 1986 (with the exception of a victorious outing at the Lurgan Park Rally where Sundstrom was co-driven by Richard Young).

After three DNFs were posted in the first three events of 1986, C20 finally began to realise its potential during the second half of the season. In addition to the Lurgan Park victory, Sundstrom won the Scottish Rally, after which he claimed third on the Ulster and fourth on the Manx.

Chassis C20 was subsequently retired from active duty.

It has not been taxed for road use since 1987 and has since spent much time in the Coventry Motor Museum.

Notable History

Peugeot Talbot Sport UK

06/1985 registered B555 SRW

08/06/1985 ERC Scottish Rally (M. Sundstrom / P. White) DNF (#7)
26/07/1985 GBR Ulster Rally (M. Sundstrom / P. White) 3rd oa, 3rd B12 class (#7)
11/09/1985 ERC Manx International Rally (M. Sundstrom / P. White) DNF (#7)
24/11/1985 WRC RAC Rally (M. Sundstrom / P. White) DNF (#15)

21/02/1986 GBR NationalBreakdown Rally (M. Sundstrom / V. Silander) DNF (#5)
28/03/1986 ERC Circuit of Ireland (M. Sundstrom / V. Silander) DNF (#6)
03/05/1986 GBR Welsh Rally (M. Sundstrom / V. Silander) DNF (#6)
07/06/1986 ERC Scottish Rally (M. Sundstom / V. Silander) 1st oa, 1st B12 class (#7)
26/07/1986 IND Lurgan Park Rally (M. Sundstrom / R. Young) 1st oa, 1st in class (#??)
08/08/1986 GBR Ulster Rally (M. Sundstrom / V. Silander) 3rd oa, 3rd B10 class (#3)
11/09/1986 ERC Manx Rally (M. Sundstom / V. Silander) 4th oa, 4th B12 class (#8)

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com

Guide: Peugeot 205 T16 'Pikes Peak' - a Historical & Technical Appraisal

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BACKGROUND

After several months of rally accidents, things came to a head with a grim burst of fatalities in the spring of 1986. As a result, the FIA announced Group B cars would be banned from the beginning of 1987.

The decision came suddenly and somewhat unexpectedly. It followed the deaths of Henri Toivonen and Sergio Cresto on the ‘86 Tour de Corse.

In the weeks prior, four spectators had been killed and 32 injured at Rally Portugal.

In a short space of time, Group B cars had become little more than Prototype racers with F1 rivalling power outputs. To exacerbate the problem, the enormous crowds that flocked to see these spectacular machines were often difficult to control.

The ban was ultimately the correct decision as things would almost certainly have got even further out of hand.

Unfortunately, Peugeot had invested as much as anyone in Group B; as well as the T16 programme, they had created the Peugeot Talbot Sport facility outside Paris that was staffed with around 100 employees.

The decision to outlaw Group B was made just as Peugeot would have been permitted to run an Evolution 3 variant of the 205 T16. However, the FIA prohibited the introduction of any further Evolution models for the remainder of the 1986 season.

Peugeot Talbot Sport boss, Jean Todt, was furious.

At the end of 1986, Peugeot quit the World Rally Championship in protest. The firm would play no meaningful part during the subsequent Group A era.

Meanwhile, Todt was left with how best to utilise the expensive T16 platform going forward.

For 1987, he decided to run a trio of Grand Raid T16s at the Paris-Dakar Rally (January 1st to 22nd) and three super lightweight specials at the Pikes Peak Hillclimb (July 11th).

Freed from the oversight of FIA regulations, both the Pikes Peak and Grand Raid T16s shared a new long wheelbase platform.

Backing for Peugeot’s 1987 activities was secured from Shell fuels and Camel tobacco. To reflect this, the cars ran a new yellow colour scheme.

At the time, Pikes Peak was regarded as arguably the world’s greatest hillclimb. It comprised a 12.42 mile course with 156 bends of smooth gravel. The track began at an elevation of 9402 feet and ultimately rose to 14,110 feet at the finish.

Participation by European crews began in earnest in 1984 when a factory Audi squad turned up with a works Quattro Sport for Michele Mouton and Fabrizia Pons. That year, they won the Open Rally category.

Mouton / Pons returned in 1985 and, on this occasion, secured outright victory with a new course record.

Pikes Peak specialist Bobby Unser was recruited by Audi for 1986. Unser broke Mouton’s record from the previous year driving an S1 Quattro.

CHASSIS

From a technical perspective, the Pikes Peak T16 incorporated a mix of the obsolete Evolution 3 upgrades and some of those that had tentatively been proposed for an even more extreme Group S iteration.

As there was no minimum weight limit specified by the regulations, these cars were stripped of every conceivable piece of unnecessary trim. Extensive use of Kevlar, titanium and magnesium further kept weight down.

As per the machines raced on the ‘87 Paris-Dakar back in January, the Pikes Peak T16s ran a long wheelbase version of the Evo 2 platform. This itself comprised a seam-welded pressed steel monocoque with a tubular spaceframe rear end and fully integrated roll cage.

The slightly longer wheelbase was brought in to improve high speed stability and make the handling more predictable. To this end, track was widened all around.

At Pikes Peak, 300mm diameter brake discs were used along with four piston magnesium alloy calipers.

Wheels were taller and wider than on the Evo 2.

As the three cars would only have to cover a little over twelve miles to complete the Pikes Peak course, dramatically smaller fuel tanks were fitted.

ENGINE / TRANSMISSION

For the WRC, the FIA implemented a 1.4 multiplier for turbocharged engines. The T16 had originally run engines of 1775cc to qualify for the under 2500cc class.

With no such rules at Pikes Peak, Peugeot fitted a long stroke 1905cc engine. As per the original, an 83mm bore diameter was employed. Stroke was stretched from 82mm to 88mm.

The compression ratio was kept at the same 7.0:1 used by all T16 Evolutions.

New equipment included a variable geometry Garrett T31 turbocharger, an air-to-water intercooler, water injectors for the front radiators, Marrelli Solex fuel-injection and Thomson ignition.

Owing to the less than ten-minute event duration, the rear mounted oil coolers and their associated ductwork were deleted.

Peugeot officially downplayed the car’s power output as 550bhp at 7600rpm. However, when running the full 3 bar of turbo pressure, more like 650bhp was available.

The torque rating was quoted as 362lb-ft at 5500rpm.

The four-wheel drive transmission incorporated the latest six-speed gearbox as introduced for the Evo 2 mid way through 1986.

BODYWORK

To increase downforce and cover the wider front wheels, PTS fitted extended wheelarches with an integrated canard. There was also a deep front spoiler that worked in conjunction with the ground effect skirts that had initially been outlawed from the WRC.

The rear spoiler was imported direct from the Evo 2.

Plastic side windows were fixed in place and left un-ventilated to avoid disrupting the airflow.

Other modifications included a single windscreen wiper and single door mirror.

INTERIOR

Inside, the Pikes Peak cars were stripped of every conceivable piece of superfluous equipment.

The regular dashboard and associated stage rally equipment was all removed. Instead, behind the three-spoke steering wheel was a tiny metal panel that housed two gauges and half a dozen flick switches.

The passenger seat, rear view mirror, spare wheel, tools and radio equipment were also deleted.

WEIGHT / PERFORMANCE

The lightest Evolution 2s had been trimmed down to 910kg. By comparison, the Pikes Peak cars tipped the scales at just 850kg.

With circa 650bhp on tap at full boost, acceleration figures were formidable, even on loose gravel. On tarmac, the Pikes Peak entries would most likely have hit 0-62mph in about 3 seconds. Top speed was probably around 130mph.

1987 PIKES PEAK HILLCLIMB

Peugeot announced they had applied for three Pikes Peak entries in the middle of April 1987. A trio of cars would be entered for the July 11th event with one apiece for Ari Vatanen, Andrea Zanussi and Shekhar Mehta, all of whom had contested the Paris-Dakar for Peugeot earlier in the year.

At the beginning of June, Audi confirmed they had entered an 800bhp Sport Quattro S1 for Walter Rohrl. Peugeot would also be up against Ford RS200s driven by Malcolm Wilson and Dan Ripley. Rod Millen’s four-wheel drive Mazda RX-7 would similarly be in contention for outright victory.

The event began with a week-long practice session where the hill was split into three sections. This meant the drivers would only get to experience the full course on race day.

Compared to Audi, Peugeot struggled to find enough downforce and many changes were made during the build up.

PTS added massive new spoilers with supplementary lips and endplates. To improve airflow, plastic panels were stuck over the headlights and holes were cut into the front panel.

Nevertheless, as the cars line up on race day, Audi and Walter Rohrl looked set for a comfortable victory.

First up the hill for Peugeot was Shekhar Mehta co-driven by his wife, Yvonne. They initially went fastest, only to be eclipsed by Andrea Zanussi who set a new course record en route to the summit.

Zanussi sliced 15.17 seconds off Bobby Unser’s 1986 time.

Next to run was Walter Rohrl.

Incredibly, the German went 8.2 seconds faster than Zanussi to head the field.

Vatanen was the last runner in the class. However, at around one third distance, a turbo pipe clip broke which dropped boost pressure from 3 to 2 bar. The Finn ended up 6.98 seconds slower than Rohrl who took Audi’s third outright win in as many years.

Vatanen placed second, Zanussi was third and Mehta took fourth.

Peugeot would be back for 1988 with an improved 405 T16.

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com

One to Buy: 1 of 1 ex-Jack Setton 1985 Peugeot 205 T16

<<<PEUGEOT PORTAL
<<<ONE TO BUY PORTAL
<<<ARTCURIAL PORTAL

As the most successful rally car of the Group B era, the Peugeot 205 T16 needs little introduction. Suffice to say, in the face of incredibly stiff opposition, it won back-to-back Driver and Constructor WRC titles in 1985 and ‘86 before this type of absurdly powerful machine was banned.

To qualify for Group B, a manufacturer had to produce 200 base cars within a twelve month timeframe. The road-going 205 T16 was built between late 1983 and early 1984. Homologation was duly approved on April 1st.

Officially, the T16 was only offered in one colour, Winchester Grey, however, a couple of VIP customers received cars in other liveries, one of which was the last example built, chassis 200, which is set to go under the hammer at Artcurial’s auction in Monaco on July 19th.

Chassis 200 was supplied to renowned French collector and motor racing fan, Jack Setton. Famously, Setton was the French distributor for high end Japanese audio system manufacturer Pioneer and at various times promoted the brand through title sponsorship of Ferrari and Peugeot motor sport programmes.

Between the late 1970s and late 1980s, Setton amassed an enormously impressive collection of vehicles. In 1981 he acquired the spectacular Chateau de Wideville 35km west of Paris and built a private circuit to enjoy his fleet.

T16 chassis 200 was gifted to Setton by Peugeot Talbot Sport boss, Jean Todt. Instead of standard grey, the car was finished in blue and white Pioneer livery.

Setton retained chassis 200 until 1992, at which point the car had covered around 16,000km, Since then it has resided with just one custodian who has increased the mileage to a little under 50,000km.

For more information visit the Artcurial website at: https://www.artcurial.com/en

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VIN: the works Peugeot 205 T16 Evolution 1 chassis C11

<<<PEUGEOT PORTAL
<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 PORTAL
<<<205 T16 EVOLUTION 1 FOR SALE

HISTORY OF CHASSIS C11

Chassis C11 was one of 20 T16 Evolution 1s built, nearly all of which were reserved for use by the factory Peugeot Talbot Sport team and its various satellite squads.

The Evolution 1 made its debut on the Tour de Corse in May 1984 and won three of the five WRC events contested during the rest of that season. It was also used for a large portion of the 1985 campaign.

C11 was one of three works cars that appeared at the 1985 season opener: the Monte Carl Rally. All three cars were in tarmac trim and weighed around 960kg.

C11 was allocated to Ari Vatanen and Terry Harryman who led from the start. However, their four-minute lead was reversed by an eight-minute penalty for arriving at parc ferme too early. With 394km of stage time remaining, Audi’s Walter Rohrl held a massive 4 minute 41 second advantage but this was sensationally overturned before the German lost time with electrical problems.

Vatanen / Harryman eventually won by over five minutes. The sister cars were third and fifth.

Vatanen / Harryman were back in C11 for the next round in Sweden three weeks later. The two cars entered ran increased ride height and new inner wings designed to reduce the accumulation of snow in the wheelarches. Michelin also had a new TRX tyre compound which had been developed specially for the fast snowy conditions.

Vatanen dominated proceedings. He won over half the timed stages and eventually finished nearly two minutes ahead of Stig Blomqvist’s Audi. Team-mate Salonen took third to give Peugeot a healthy lead in both the Driver and Manufacturer standings.

C11 was also entered for round three of the WRC in Portugal where it was once again allocated to Vatanen / Harryman. As was the case in Sweden, the pair of T16s on hand were in gravel trim. A thicker front skid plate was the only upgrade of note.

During the event, Vatanen’s rear wheel became detached 7km into stage four and, although he tried to persevere on three wheels, the engine soon stopped when a flywheel sensor ordered the electronics to shut down. It brought an end to the Finn’s run of five successive WRC victories.

C11 was subsequently retired from competition duty.

Notable History

Peugeot Talbot Sport

Registered 716 EXC 75

26/01/1985 WRC Monte Carlo Rallye (A. Vatanen / T. Harryman) 1st oa, 1st Gr.B class (#2)
15/02/1985 WRC Swedish Rally (A. Vatanen / T. Harryman) 1st oa, 1st Gr.B class (#2)
06/03/1985 WRC Rallye Portugal (A. Vatanen / T. Harryman) DNF (#2)

Guide: Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 - a Historical & Technical Appraisal

<<<PEUGEOT PORTAL
<<<205 GTI FOR SALE

BACKGROUND

When the 205 arrived in 1983, it quickly began to turn 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 unexciting models that stretched back many years.

It had not always been this way. In the late 19th century, Peugeot had pioneered a number of advanced technical features and, in 1894, won the world’s first motor race from Paris to Rouen.

In 1912, Peugeot moved up to Grand Prix racing with an engineering tour de force: a dual overhead camshaft 7.6-litre engine with four valves per cylinder. Much success followed before and after World War 1.

Since then, Peugeot had failed to produce a sporting model. Instead, the company churned out utilitarian automobiles that generally sold extremely well but failed to make the heart flutter.

The early 205 won plaudits for its styling, ride and handling. However, Peugeot’s image was really reinvigorated by some high performance road-going iterations of the 205 and a state-of-the-art Group B rally variant.

The Group B 205 T16 was unveiled in prototype for at the original 205 launch in February 1983. The mid-engined, four-wheel projectile quickly established itself as the dominant force in the World Rally Championship. However, as only 200 production car were required for homologation, the T16 was not going to directly affect the bottom line of Peugeot or its dealers.

Instead, to capitalise on the sporting prowess of its rally-winner, Peugeot created a hot version of the standard front-wheel drive 205 – something in a similar vein to Volkswagen’s all-conquering Golf GTi.

The 205 GTi was launched to critical acclaim in April 1984. With its sporty bodywork additions and uprated specification, the 205 GTi looked like a baby T16 but offered sizzling performance at a price that many people could afford.

In its original guise, the 205 GTi was offered with a 1.6-litre engine, close-ratio gearbox and 14-inch diameter wheels. Disc brakes were fitted at the front only, the suspension was fairly compliant and the interior specification was fairly basic.

In December 1986, all of these features were upgraded when a new 1.9-litre variant was added to the range.

CHASSIS

Like the 1.6, the 1.9-litre GTi was based around a three-door zinc galvanised steel bodyshell for which Peugeot offered a six-year anti-corrosion warranty. The wheelbase measured 2420mm and thanks to some innovative design, there was plenty of space for five adults.

Suspension was independent all round. At the front, Peugeot fitted MacPherson struts, coil springs and lower wishbones. The back end used trailing arms fixed to a single beam, transverse torsion bars and telescopic shocks absorbers.

For the original GTi, Peugeot had lowered the ride height, fitted stiffer shocks and springs and different wishbones. Anti-roll bars were installed at either end.

To reduce pitch and roll and tame the oversteer the 1.6 had become famous for, the 1.9 came with further stiffened suspension which resulted in a slightly harsher ride.

Whereas the 1.6 used a disc / drum brake arrangement at the front / rear, the 1.9 GTi ran discs all round. They were the same 247mm diameter type used on the 1.6 but the calipers and pads were new (albeit to effectively the same specification as the entry level model).

Perhaps the easiest way to identify the new variant was by its new 15-inch Speedline SL299 wheels. They replaced the 14-inch rims used on the 1.6 although the smaller ‘Pepperpot’ wheels were retained for certain export markets such as Australia, Japan, Sweden and Switzerland.

The same 50-litre fuel tank located under the rear seat was shared by both cars.

ENGINE / TRANSMISSION

Mounted transversely in the engine bay was a new XU9JA-D6B engine. As per the 1.6-litre variant, it was an all-alloy water-cooled Inline 4 with a belt-driven single overhead camshaft, two valve cylinder head and wet-sump lubrication.

To stretch the displacement from 1.6 to 1.9-litres, the stroke was extended from 73mm to 88mm. Bore remained at 83mm. This gave an overall capacity of 1905cc which was an increase of 325cc.

The compression ratio was reduced from 9.8:1 to 9.6:1.

Bosch LE2 Jetronic multipoint fuel-injection was retained.

Overall, the new engine produced more power and torque but, as a result of the longer stroke, its delivery was lazier than the revvy little 1.6.

Peak output was 130bhp at 6000rpm and 119lb-ft at 4750rpm. For comparison, the entry level variant produced 115bhp at 6250rpm and 99lb-ft at 4000rpm.

Unlike the 1.6, which could run on 95 RON fuel, 98 RON gas was required for the 1.9-litre engine.

The five-speed ‘box was fitted with longer ratios on first, second and fifth gears. A single-plate clutch was once again employed.

BODYWORK

Aside from 1.9 badges on the C-pillars and the aforementioned 15-inch Speedline wheels, the new flagship model looked identical to the 1.6.

Both cars shared the same dark grey plastic bumpers that were accessorised with bright red inserts. Matching dark grey and red mouldings were fitted down each flank along with dark grey plastic wheelarch extensions.

The same body coloured aprons were used along with Siem front spot lights.

Other special dark grey plastic body trim fitted to the GTi variants included unique exterior mirrors, special C-pillar badges, a horizontally fluted panel between the tail lights and a black rubber spoiler at the top of the rear windscreen.

INTERIOR

Inside, the 1.9-litre GTi was enhanced with electric windows and half leather trim as standard.

The grey leather upholstery featured red stitching on the bolsters and headrests. Quattro fabric seat centres incorporated a red stripe through the middle.

Otherwise, the specification was identical to the 1.6.

A chunky two-spoke sports steering wheel embossed with the GTi logo fronted a rectangular instrument binnacle. This housed a large speedometer and a rev counter that were flanked on the outside by smaller read outs for oil pressure, fuel level, water temperature and oil temperature. The entire dash assembly was formed in grey plastic.

The lever-type ventilation controls were located above the radio and below a bank of switches on the centre console.

Red carpet was used for the floor with red and dark grey fabric elsewhere.

OPTIONS

Options included fabric upholstery, a sunroof, rubber floor mats and a choice of five exterior colours (Alpine White, Cherry Red, Graphite Grey, Silver and Black). Audio systems were frequently installed by the supplying dealer as were the likes of mud flaps. Another dealer fit option was a red reflective tail panel to replace the original fluted grey tailgate trim.

WEIGHT / PERFORMANCE

At 875kg, the 1.9 weighed 25kg more than the 1.6. Top speed went from 120mph to 128mph and the 0-62mph time dropped from 8.5 seconds to 7.8 seconds.

PRODUCTION CHANGES

The first updates arrived in October 1987 when a series of changes were made to both the 1.6 and 1.9-litre models. Most significantly, the dash was subtly redesigned and a neat new central console panel was added. The centre console now featured rotary instead of sliding ventilation controls along with revamped switchgear. Externally, the original adhesive rear spoiler was changed to a simplified screw on type.

A new gearbox was phased in from August 1989. Whereas reverse gear had originally been off to the left on its own, it was now directly opposite fifth. A slightly bigger exhaust was added at the same time and the electric window switches became illuminated.

From October 1989, the 1.9-litre engine could be optionally specified with a catalytic converter. Catalysed cars came with a new XU9JA-Z-DKZ engine that featured Bosch Motronic M1.3 management and a lower compression ratio (9.2:1 instead of 9.6:1). Power dropped from 130bhp to 122bhp at an unchanged 6000rpm. The torque rating went from 111lb-ft at 4000rpm to 119lb-ft at 4750rpm.

At the same time, a power steering option was introduced.

Power steering was immediately bundled in as part of the Sorrento Green and Miami Blue special editions that were launched at the same time. These cars also came with a sliding sunroof, full grey leather, grey carpet and grey door cards. 600 of each variant were built. Production was split 50/50 between the 1.6 and 1.9-litre engine.

Another major development arrived in September 1990 when anti-lock brakes were introduced as an option. Cosmetically, things were freshened up too: the bumpers, wheelarch extensions and side mouldings were made blacker, clear front indicators were added, the tail light clusters were redesigned and the reverse light was moved to the bumper.

Around the same time, Topaz Blue was temporarily added to the list of exterior colour options.

Laser Green Metallic was the next new colour to arrive in October 1990. Upon introduction, Laser Green Metallic could be ordered as part of the very high specification Griffe special edition that was available exclusively with the 1.9-litre engine.

The Griffe was a European market variant sold in France, Germany and Holland. In addition to Laser Green Metallic paint, it came with full black leather upholstery, anti-lock brakes, power steering and a sunroof. The wheels were finished with dark grey anodised centres and silver rims. 3000 were built (1000 for each country).

In October 1991, air-conditioning was added to the options list. Remote central locking and a warning buzzer for the headlights became standard.

Production of the 1.6-litre 205 GTi was discontinued on emissions grounds in September 1992.

From October 1992, the 1.9 was only offered in catalysed trim and grey carpets became standard.

Soon after, a special 1FM edition was produced for the UK market.

Built to celebrate the 25th birthday of BBC Radio 1, 25 examples were made to an identical specification. Standard equipment included Black paint with Radio 1FM 25th decals on the tailgate and doors. Also bundled in were wheels with grey anodised centres, full leather upholstery, air-conditioning, power steering and a commemorative brass plaque. A special Clarion six-speaker stereo with remote control was fitted along with a trunk-mounted CD shuttle, an acoustic rear parcel shelf and body coloured lower tail panel instead of the fluted grey plastic trim fitted to the regular version.

Shortly before production ended in April 1994, a keypad immobiliser was introduced.

END OF PRODUCTION

By the time the last 205 GTi rolled off the production line, 61,653 had been completed in 1.6 and 1.9 trim.

Text copyright: Supercar Nostalgia
Photo copyright: Peugeot - http://www.peugeot.com