Description
Produced in May 1999, this may well be the earliest existing 206 GTi. Early features include cable throttle, no rear headrests, grey carpet 15 Inch Wheels and no inclination that it is a GTi other than a small discreet badge on the tailgate. A true wolf in sheeps clothing.
Not shy of features, this came with from the factory with disc brakes all round with ABS, 6 CD Changer with Cassette Player, Air Conditioning with Auto Climate Control, Auto Wipers, Half Leather and Heated Mirrors. This feels like a truly modern car and a really acceptable daily with that old school feeling that the French nailed in the 90's. Being an early example, it's free from the complex multiplexed wiring which plagued the later cars with electrical issues; favoured instead by the more traditional hard wired and relayed connections.
It's very responsive, in a way an old French N/ A Hot Hatch should be. Performance is 'peppy' often surprising or showing up modern traffic. The handling is talkative, communicated through a fluid based power steering system. Suspension is compliant, the tyre sidewalls offering a lot of pliancy and giving an excellent ride down a B Road; while being able to attack it at full vigour thanks to the decent power to weight ratio. A true old school GTi. Not hard riding and overpowered like the new generation of 'hot hatches'.
The Engine pulls clean and hard, the Servicing is up to date with history of Timing Belt and Water Pump, Tyres, Brakes all round and other routine maintenance. It's very original with no modifications. Rust wise, there is none. It has been garaged its whole life including in our ownership and I'd guess it has never seen a winter. Modification wise it is absolutely standard and I have no doubts it is the best 206 GTi 140 on the market.
Plate shown in the pictures is my own. It will come with its original V Registered Plate. Mileage as it stands is just above 60K Miles. Will not be increasing as it is garaged and fully detailed ready for sale. I'm not in a rush to sell; in fact I've pondered keeping it another ten years and selling it for x3 the price. I wish I'd done so with previous GTi's.
The car was honestly bought as a stop gap as one of our cars, an Abarth 595; decided to drop a valve into Piston Number 4 at 40k Miles. It turned out to be a fantastic, reliable and fun car which given its relatively bad rep comparable to a 106 or 306; I think is rather undeserved. It's a true old school Peugeot GTi at a fraction of the price.
