Noble Sisters: Peugeot 205

Last week, we introduced the topic of sporty or limited edition cars derived from mass-market models, analyzing the Morris MINI Cooper S, a small English car that has become highly sought after by collectors over the years. Today, we shift to France to explore a car that made Peugeot's fortune for 15 years, from 1983 to 1998, selling over 5.2 million units worldwide: the Peugeot 205. Like the MINI, it was motorsport, especially rally racing, that turned this popular vehicle into one of the most coveted sports cars by enthusiasts. It was a clever strategy for model positioning: at the same time as the 1983 Paris Motor Show debut of the street version, Peugeot launched a motorsport program in the World Rally Championship’s Group B with the 205 Turbo 16, a beast boasting over 550hp and weighing less than 1000kg. The car proved to be a real powerhouse, winning the Championship in 1984 and 1986, and even the Paris-Dakar rally.

The rally success of the Peugeot 205 translates into sporty versions that win over enthusiasts, like the GTI.

It would be too easy, however, to only focus on the 200 street versions of the T16, which were built for regulatory reasons and have now reached true supercar prices — over €250,000. Luckily, Peugeot capitalized on their motorsport successes by creating more accessible but still fascinating sporty and limited-edition versions of the 205. The first of these was the GTI, introduced in 1986 and highly appreciated, even as a cabriolet called the CTI, initially equipped with a 1.6-liter engine producing 115hp, later joined by a 1.9-liter version with 130hp. Today, a well-maintained model can be bought for around €15,000.

Presented at the 1986 Geneva Motor Show, the 205 CTI, the cabriolet version of the GTI, was created in collaboration with Pininfarina.

In 1987, the first restyling occurred, and the following year saw the release of the Rallye version, which became iconic thanks to its 1.3-liter engine with 105hp and its lightweight, minimalist design to save weight, not to mention the Peugeot Sport livery inspired by the racing T16. The Rallye became an excellent alternative to the GTI, being less expensive but just as fun. Here too, prices are around €15,000.

The Peugeot 205 Rallye expands the lineup of the little French car, featuring a spartan interior and a livery inspired by the racing T16.

Peugeot's collaborations with the world of tennis must also be remembered, first with the Lacoste version in 1984 and then five years later with the Roland Garros edition, marking the beginning of a partnership with the Paris Slam tournament. These collaborations demonstrate the 205's versatility, appealing to different markets, from sporty GTI and Rallye models for performance enthusiasts to the Lacoste or Roland Garros versions, perhaps in cabriolet form, aimed at a female audience or young couples.

Peugeot didn't just make sporty versions of the 205; the brand was also inspired by tennis, first with the Lacoste version and then with the Roland Garros edition.

Also noteworthy is the limited edition 205 GTI called Griffe, painted in metallic fluorite green and produced in just 3,000 units, as well as the even rarer 16V Gutmann, modified by German tuner Kurt Gutmann. This edition featured the 16-valve head from the Peugeot 309 GTI 16V, a sports air filter, and exhaust system, along with a specific ECU mapping. For those wanting to enter the world of classic car collecting, the Peugeot 205 is an ideal model to satisfy the needs and tastes of any enthusiast with its many available versions.

The 205 GTI was also produced in limited editions, such as the 16V Gutmann, modified by the German tuner and made in just 300 units.