1991 Peugeot 205 GTi – Auction Car of the Week

You can’t mention the Peugeot 205 GTi without feeling the need to throw out words like ‘legend’ or ‘icon’ or ‘greatest’. The wonderful thing about this car is that while all those words do indeed apply, it wasn’t entirely deliberate on the part of Peugeot. It knew it had to build something that could enter the hot hatch race, but it had no idea just how good its offering would be. The 205 in standard guise was a great little car, even on its comically tall suspension it was still fun to throw around. But then, it was French, and small French cars always are. The GTi version was not the product of considered, drawn out meetings in which the engineers strived to make something iconic. It’s just a lower, tighter, faster version of an already fun car. And that, history tells us, was the perfect combination. And it was one that hasn’t been repeated, not even by Peugeot itself. Not for want of trying.

It might be a bit heavy handed to say it, but with French cars it’s all down to that je ne sais quoi. A term that translates to ‘a quality that cannot be described or named easily.’ The GTi’s brilliance was desired, but it wasn’t exactly planned. But maybe that’s why the car is, today, such an automotive legend. So long as you buy the 1.9 version, right? Right?

Well, no actually. People who wear automotive branded clothing without the slightest hint of irony will tell you – whether you ask or not – that the 1.9 Peugeot 205 GTi is the best, is the fastest, is the blah… blah… blah. These people are to be ignored, because they have obviously never driven a 205 of any sort, let alone a GTi. Yes, it was eventually offered with two engines – a 1.6 and a 1.9 four-cylinder petrol – and yes, the 1.9 is more powerful, but does more power mean more better? No, it does not, because each engine brings something different to the table. That is why we’re bringing this glorious, recently restored 1991 Peugeot 205 GTi 1.6 to your attention.

The 1.6 started as the XU5J engine, but in 1987 was given a better cylinder head with larger valves, evolving it into the XU5JA. That meant it had 115bhp over the early 1.6’s 104bhp. The 1.9 had more, but the 1.9 was a gruntier engine with more torque low down. The 1.6 however was and still is an engine that loves to be thrashed, it comes alive when it’s high in the rev range, and it gets to those high revs in a snappy, sharp way. It’s not lazy or recalcitrant, it is instead a giddy Jack Russell of an engine. And is that not what a hot hatch should have? An urgent, excited, shouty little heart? Exactly. And that’s why only a fool overlooks the 1.6 Peugeot 205 GTi. Add in the smaller Speedline alloy wheels that result in more tyre sidewall to play with, and you have a riotous little car to drive.

All this positive prose should have you reaching for the bid button. If, however, you’re not yet frantically clicking on the listing for this Miami Blue motor, let us tease you some more. It’s been restored, the car is in show condition, it’s only done 67,792 miles, the clutch is new, the timing belt is new, the tyres are new and, oh, it’s no reserve. Get yourself into the enviable slot of ‘highest bidder’ and this 1991 Peugeot 205 GTi could be yours. Go on, buy a legend, you know you want to.