Peugeot 205 - History of the Peugeot 205

Peugeot 205

When it comes to hot hatch cars, many will agree that today they are not even close to those of the golden 1970s and 1980s.

Peugeot 205

While today this class is dominated by powerful engines, but also high weight to meet the latest NCAP safety standards, many nostalgics still remember periods from 30 or 40 years ago when such cars provided under-ton weight and simple mechanics where only driving capabilities decided on car performance. The Peugeot 205 GTi is one of the most famous hot hatch cars precisely because it appeared on sale at a time when electricity did not take control of the entire car, but the GTi is only part of the 205 offering. The Peugeot 205 became a big hit among customers. achieved in the World Rally Championship (WRC), which is definitely one of the legends of the French vehicle manufacturer. Peugeot is one of the founders of the modern class of supermini vehicles on the European market. This class originated after the Second World War, when the public was looking for small, cheap and economical cars, and when the oil crisis followed in the early 1970s, the first modern supermines began to appear on the market.

Peugeot's first attempt was the Model 104, introduced in 1972, and although it was very small in size, it was able to comfortably accommodate five adults and provide low consumption thanks to a small 954 cc engine. However, the advent of the Renault 5 caught the competition asleep. The French rival was one of the first truly sporty small cars to become a big hit overnight. Although the 104 sold more than well and later served as a base for more modern vehicles, its main customers were older, while the aforementioned Renault 5 attracted mostly younger customers as well as women. For this reason, Peugeot began working on a new car in the late 1970s that would fill the gap between the 104 and 305 models, and in addition to the Renault 5, the new and very popular Ford Escort was the main competition. Work on the new car began in 1978 under Project M24 designation, and the goal was to connect a large space Peugeot 104 with the driving characteristics and design of the Renault 5. In order for the car to succeed in such an attempt, it had to provide a hatch design, but also many sports lines along which customers would be mostly younger.

Peugeot 205

The famous Italian design house Pininfarina was invited to help, and although many think that Italians are the most deserving of the final lines, this is not true and the credit should be attributed to the domestic designer Gerard Welter. The development of the early prototype was very fast and without major changes, and the company was supported by the takeover of the stumbled French vehicle manufacturer Simca, which had a long history of small car production. The first prototype was ready in the early 1980s, and the early reactions were very positive. The official presentation of the Peugeot 205 followed in February 1983, when the audience was amazed. Until that moment, Peugeot was perhaps the "most traditional" of all French manufacturers and became famous with large sedans, such as the 504 and 505, but the audience mostly got "already seen" models. Unlike Citroen, which liked to experiment with design and technology, Peugeot mostly went for safe moves, so the Peugeot 205 was a big surprise. In front of the audience was a modern hatchback, in three- and five-door versions, and a choice of four petrol and one diesel engines.

Peugeot 205

To save on costs, the Peugeot 205 used many parts with other company models, and the engines were borrowed directly from the Peugeot 104. Similar to the Renault 5, the Peugeot 205 offered a long list of standard and optional equipment and became very popular among overnight customers of all years. Although it failed to win the car of the year title (that honor went to the Fiat Uno by just a few more votes), the Peugeot 205 soon became very popular and even threatened to dethrone the aforementioned Renault 5. Knowing that the big reason lies in the sporty image, Peugeot decides to present its hot hatch version with the GTi label. Introduced in April 1984, the Peugeot 205 GTi provided a standard 1.6 engine with 105 hp and thanks to a low weight of less than 900 kg could accelerate to 100 km / h in 8.7 seconds with a top speed of 186 km / h. In the middle of the year, Peugeot decides to try out in the World Rally Championship (WRC). At a time when the Audi Quattro and Lancia 037 were fighting for the championship title, the French team made a big surprise. The Peugeot Talbot Sport manages to win three of the last four rallies thanks to as much as 450 hp on wheels and acceleration to 100 km / h in just 3.3 seconds.

To meet WRC approval, Peugeot had to make 200 copies in series production, and apart from a few design lines, they didn’t share much with the series models. Known as the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, all 200 units sold out quickly, and they had a centrally mounted engine with 197 hp and all-wheel drive. The next season started great for the French team. Ari Vatanen and Timo Salonen tied three consecutive victories, and Peugeot had seven victories from 12 rallies at the end of the season. In addition to the title in the constructor class, Salonen won the championship title with as much as a 52-point advantage over his closest companion. The 1986 season was equally successful with six wins in 13 rallies, and after a great fight with Lancia, the Peugeot Talbot Sport regained the titles of driver and constructor. During the same period, Group B began to receive widespread criticism for being dangerous. At the Portuguese Rally, a lot has changed that will play a key role in the decision to shut down Group B.

Portuguese driver Joaquim Santos behind the wheel of a Ford RS200 lost control of the vehicle in one turn and hit an audience watching the race. Three people were killed and 31 more injured, and after that rally all the best teams withdrew and the future of Group B was considered. Shortly thereafter, a crucial detail in Group B history at the Italian Rally occurs. Henry Toivonen led the championship in Lancia and when the Rally in Corsica began, Toivonen stood out among the favorites to win. In 18 stages Toivonen crashed and his Lancia burst. Smoke could be seen at the finish and the organizers immediately realized that something was wrong. Half an hour later, when the rescue crew arrived at the scene of the collision, they found only the burned car and the charred bodies of the Finnish driver and his co-driver Sergio Cresto. There was no witness so it is only to this day that one can speculate exactly what happened. Some say Toivenenen was sick, others that the cause of the collision was a mechanical problem, and there are some who claim to be a driver's fault, since Toivonen has had strange collisions throughout his career at a time when he had high leadership.

At the Italian Rally, Toivonen had a great lead and it was hard to expect anyone to have a better time. This collision came a year after Attilio Bettega, behind the wheel of a Lancia 037, also died in this same rally. The rough terrain was regarded as his death as an accident, as his co-driver Maurizio Perissinot went unharmed. After the Korsica rally, Audi automatically exited Group B, and after another crash of F1 driver Marc Surer in the RS200 in which his passenger died, the FIA ​​automatically suspended Group B. This also marked the end of Peugeot 205 in the rally and The French team did not return after the 1986 season, but still won an impressive 16 races in just three years. In terms of series models, the biggest news mentioned in 1986 was the new 1.9 engine in the Peugeot 205 GTi, which developed 130 hp, and reduced acceleration to 100 km / h in 7.8 seconds with a top speed of 200 km / h. In the same year, Peugeot expanded its offerings with the 205 convertible, made by Pininfarina, which never made high sales, but certainly improved the image of this small car.

Until the late 1980s, the Peugeot 205 survived without major changes, with the exception of the rally version, which was largely reminiscent of racers from the WRC championship, but with mechanics from the rest of the 205 range. During this period, Peugeot began working on a pair of new cars, the Peugeot 106 and Peugeot 306, which were eventually to replace the Peugeot 205, and the French vehicle manufacturer decided that this giant would go in style. For 1991, the DTurbo was added to the line, which combined mechanics with the GTi, but also a powerful 1.8 diesel engine and largely became a big hit. Peugeot hoped to take over the market controlled by the Volkswagen Golf GTD and largely succeeded in that attempt. However, by the mid-1990s, the Peugeot 205 was no longer able to hide its age, and although Peugeot made an effort to maintain media attention by introducing limited versions, it was clear that the end had come. In 1998, the new 206 debuted, and the Peugeot 205 retired after 15 years and 5.3 million units sold.

During its long history, the Peugeot 205 was mostly produced without major changes, but also remained the most popular car in its class. The arrival of modern competition, such as the Ford Fiesta and Volkswagen Polo, has not changed the situation much, so it certainly deserves its name in history. The successor to the 206 continued to sell high, but never managed to provide the charm of the Peugeot 205, while its GTi version is only a shadow of its predecessor. As we mentioned at the beginning of the text, today's cars definitely don't have a soul like they used to…

Author: Talladega
Pictures: Peugeot
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Mladen

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