Comments on: Blog : 30 years of the Peugeot 205…

By: Adrian

Adrian — Thu, 02 May 2013 13:21:19 +0000

http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/news/classics/2013-04/peugeot-205-ticks-past-338000-miles/

By: Keith Adams

Keith Adams — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 11:53:20 +0000

It’s coming!

By: Tony Evans

Tony Evans — Sat, 23 Feb 2013 11:47:25 +0000

#36 “PS wot no Nova, Vauxhall’s first supermini which came out in 1983, sold in shedloads and wasn’t bad actually?”

Back in 1987 I had a dolomite 1500HL that had given me a spot of bother and was only doing 30mpg so I went after a 205 5 door diesel. Unfortunately the dealer and I were a few £100s apart in terms of valuation on the Dolly so I walked away. I always thought the 5 door looked better balanced than the 3 door incidentally.

I ended up with a 2 year old Nova 1.2 2 door saloon that was brilliantly reliable and averaged over 40mpg even driven enthusiastically. It was also a doddle to work on. The saloon was not the best looking but it carried all my gear with no problems when I moved to Nottingham and gave great service.

The 205s either seemed very good or very bad, and I recall that quite a few GTis had very short lives having gone backwards through hedges and walls. The GTi was notorious for snap oversteer if you lifted off too quickly on a wet bend.

Perhaps time for a Nova feature?

By: stewart

stewart — Fri, 22 Feb 2013 08:30:25 +0000

I can tell you what that Mi16 engines 205 needs.. A BX..

By: Glenn Aylett

Glenn Aylett — Thu, 21 Feb 2013 21:11:15 +0000

Yorkie @ 47, the Micra deserves two mentions, firstly for a very long and successful 30 years, and also this is the 20th anniversary of the very successful and still seen mark 2 version from Sunderland. However, the newest one is vile and production has been moved to India.

By: bajan dave

bajan dave — Mon, 18 Feb 2013 15:40:22 +0000

Hard to believe that this car was launched 30 years ago (OMG I’m really getting old!), and all these years later it still looks better than the 206, 207 and 208. The GTi immediately became one of my favorite cars and to my knowledge, Peugeot still hasn’t topped it despite having released more powerful hot hatches since then.

By: David Dawson1

David Dawson1 — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 21:27:23 +0000

30 years ago?!! God, I am getting old!!!!!!!

By: David Dawson1

David Dawson1 — Sun, 17 Feb 2013 21:25:44 +0000

Magnus @ 6

I used to love my XS! 220k miles – amazing!!

By: mm

mm — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 18:41:12 +0000

Working in France (Paris) in about 1981/2the 205 was so visually appealing I was always looking out for them, hint, they were everywhere!

A friend converted a LHD 309 to RHD and installed the 205 16v engine, he claimed the combination of the chassis/engine combination was superior, he drove the UK 16V race series in the car, I will not dispute his opinion, he always knew what he was doing

By: Paul S

Paul S — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 16:58:55 +0000

Peugeot claimed that the 16 valve engine would fit under the 309 front but not the 205. Seems they told porkies….

By: Yorkie

Yorkie — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:54:21 +0000

Didn’t 83 also see the launch in the UK of the Datsun K-10 Micra?

By: Glenn Aylett

Glenn Aylett — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:42:29 +0000

1983 was a very significant year for new cars. Fiat had the Uno, which would stop its slide down the sales charts, Vauxhall brought out the Nova, which gained them a new market, Ford launched the Orion for buyers who wanted a saloon and were put off by the Sierra, Toyota launched a new fwd Corolla, which would sell and sell, and, of course, there was the Austin Maestro, the great white hope of British Leyland.

By: Richard Kilpatrick

Richard Kilpatrick — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 13:12:00 +0000

So, what does that Mi16 GTi need again?

(Offset pedals ruin 205s for me, but they’re undeniably fun).

By: Jeremy

Jeremy — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 09:49:07 +0000

Nice cars….

I got a Delta HF instead on a GTi 1.9 when I was young…

The 80s cars had so much personality

By: Keith Adams

Keith Adams — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 09:00:09 +0000

@JackHerer

It’s my son’s 205. He sold it as a project on eBay and the buyer STILL hasn’t collected it. If he doesn’t soon, I’ll recommissioned it and have it myself!

Truthfully, it’s an exciting and amazing hot hatch which is still genuinely quick – markedly so, as it’s on its original 1.6 gearbox…

By: Nate

Nate — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 07:48:03 +0000

An Aunt of mine has owned a pair of 205 1.6 5-door Automatics in the past (either in white or red), prior to switching to a more modern Hyundai i10 and has always commended how enthusiastic the 205s were to drive.

The only (minor) flaws in the 205 were no GTi 16 version (with 148-160 bhp) and the lack of a more powerful XUD diesel (such as the 90 bhp 1.8 XUD Turbo-Diesel that was later fitted to the Rover R8), with both engines also being available on the 309 (with the existing 309 GTi 16 being sold in the UK).

By: Robert Leitch

Robert Leitch — Sat, 16 Feb 2013 01:05:00 +0000

Mine arrived, after something of a wait, in November 1987. I ran it in with a 500 mile round trip on 5 November, it was downhill after that. Never let me down, but long journeys left me hard of hearing, and with nerves strained by the NVH. Build quality was strange – precisely but cheaply made. The doors felt as substantial as biscuit tin lids, the dashboard materials were like something from an East German suitcase.

Two years on, the lease was up and the Golf GTI arrived, the Peugeot instantly forgotten. Why did I ever part with the Golf?

By: Allen

Allen — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 23:38:41 +0000

One of the all-time great small hatch designs.

By: Martin

Martin — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 22:38:33 +0000

I had a new one of these on 1st August 1987 a 205 1.6 GTI finished in bright red. I had it almost 8 years and practically lived it it. I loved it to bits. I went everywhere in it. One summer I recall taking it down to the south of france and comming home drove from Cannes to Calais in 11 hours some 880 miles I recall, all in one day. It flew along the auto route. Why did I ever part with it, I ask myself.

Come back E144 XPP all is forgiven

By: WarrenL

WarrenL — Fri, 15 Feb 2013 21:51:02 +0000

As the old bull said to the young bull, looking at the paddock full of heifers, take it slowly and do ‘em one by one.