Peugeot 205
The Peugeot 205 is a small super-mini hatchback sold by Peugeot between 1983 and 1996, in 3 or 5-door bodies. Engines ranged from 950cc to 1905cc in Petrol and Diesel versions.
Widely regarded as a modern classic, the 205 is often credited as the car which turned Peugeot's fortunes around. Before the 205, Peugeot was considered the most conservative of France's "big three" car manufacturers, producing worthy but dull large sedans such as the 504 and 505. The genesis of the 205 lay within Peugeot's takeover in 1978 of Simca, which had the necessary expertise in making small, characterful cars. Early 205s used the "Douvrin" engine from the older Peugeot 104, although these were later replaced with the newer XU and TU-series engines, which were of PSA design.
The 205 was an instant hit, and the styling parameters that it set were echoed in every Peugeot model that was to follow. Incredibly, the styling was never facelifted or altered once in its 13-year production run.
205 production was gradually slowed down following the introduction of the joint replacement models, the 106, and 306, and eventually stopped in 1996, but amid pressure from the market, the company finally built a direct replacement in the 206, which was launched in 1998.
The 205 GTi
The GTi versions came in either 1.6 or 1.9 litre engines, and are considered to be among the most popular hot hatches of the era.
The 1.6GTi came with a XU5J engine, producing 105BHP, after 1988 these came with the XU5JA producing 115BHP. The 1.9GTi came with a XU9JA engine producing 130BHP, although later models with a catalytic converter produced 122BHP. The main differences between the 1.6GTi and the 1.9GTi are half leather seats (1.9GTi) vs. cloth seats (1.6GTi); and brakes with discs all round (1.9GTi) vs. discs at the front and drums at the back (1.6GTi).
The 205 took the crown away from Volkswagen for the king of GTis, and is still mentioned to this day in group car tests of the newest GTI models or equivalent. Peugeot itself has never truly recreated this success in future GTi models. A cabrio version, named the CTi, was designed by Pininfarina and was also available with the plastic arch kits as found on the GTi models.
The main aesthetic difference between the GTi/CTi versions and other 205 models were the plastic wheel arches and trim and a beefier rear bumper valance. The shell also underwent some changes, including larger wheel arches (to suit the larger wheels on the GTi and CTi).
