A 40-YEAR-OLD Peugeot 205 with a “quirky appeal” is set to sell for up to £300,000 at an auction this month.
The French motor was a staple of British roads in the 1980s and was once described as “a rare and sought after jewel for automotive collectors and enthusiasts”.
The virtually unused speedster is a ‘Turbo 16’ iteration launched for just £6,245 in 1984.
Built as an extra-special “homologation road car ” to match the French brand’s Group Rally championship machine, it was limited to just 200 production models.
Indeed, this particular Peugeot is number 176 from the production line – making it one of the final road-going examples produced.
Mechanically, the T16 is a different beast to the regular 205, boasting a tuned and turbocharged petrol engine mounted in the middle of the car with power sent to all four wheels.
Auction house Iconic Auctioneers say the motor has been “significantly de-tuned from competition specification” but the turbocharged, fuel-injected engine nevertheless produces 197bhp.
That gives the hot hatchback an acceleration of 0 to 60mph in just 6.6 seconds, as well as an eye-wateting top speed of 137mph.
In fact, the only components the T16 shares with the standard 205 is the windscreen, doors and headlamps.
This is a super example of perhaps the most accomplished and practical of all road-legal Group B designs
Iconic Auctioneers
It’s mammoth price-tag is not only reflected in its scarcity and awesome power, but it’s surprisingly low mileage, with fewer than 10,000 miles on the clock from new.
The car was imported from France in early 2021 and has been registered with the DVLA and is fully legal on UK roads.
The registration is backed by a letter of authenticity from the Peugeot Club UK, reports This is Money.
Experts at Iconic Auctioneers said: “This is a super example of perhaps the most accomplished and practical of all road-legal Group B designs.
“For this reason, not to mention its quirky appeal, dynamic capabilities or illustrious sporting heritage, the term ‘homologation special’ has never seemed more appropriate.”
The motor goes under the hammer at the much-anticipated Race Retro Collectors’ Car Sale at Stoneleigh Park, Coventry on Saturday February 24.
According to the guide price, the lowest it could sell for is a corking £235,000.
This comes as a grandma-of-six won a Lamborghini worth £190k through a prize draw.
Retired seamstress Wendy Bailey from Mexborough, Yorkshire, scooped the luxury SUV in the Best of the Best (BOTB) competition, as well as a huge cash prize.
Elsewhere, we reveal the most expensive cars ever sold at auction.
Or maybe you’d like to own what is thought to be the world’s fastest car – but you’ll need more than £2million to be able to afford it.
Meanwhile a Bugatti Chiron with a polished alloy finish is set to hit auction – for a staggering £3m.
