One of the world's oldest car companies - Peugeot - was formed in 1889 as a partnership between Armand Peugeot and Gottlieb Daimler. Armand was initially responsible for constructing the body and chassis, while Gottlieb was the engine man. Their first consumer vehicle used a rear-mounted 565cc V2 and sold quite well during that early era. Within two years, the all-new and larger Type 4 vls-a-vls had been born. This vehicle went on to win the world's very first motor race - the 1894 Paris to Rouen race. It was around 1902 that Armand decided he'd start building his own engines. The very first vehicle to be powered by his all-new 758cc V4 engine was the Bebe - an affordable 'baby' car. Designed by the now famous Ettore Bugatti, the Bebe sold well until 1912 - and it represented a major leap forward in establishing a brand name.
Unfortunately for Peugeot, the Great War cost him nearly everything. Due to political pressure, Peugeot's factories were called upon to construct vital bombs and shells. Its tooling was also heavily revamped to make heavy duty cars and trucks - along with 10,000 aircraft engines! After the war production resumed, and 1929 saw the launch of the new 201 - which later proved to be the car that helped the company survive the Great Depression. A total of 150,00 of these 50 mph vehicles were produced. It also represented the first in a very long line of Peugeots to carry the "0" middle digit. The larger bodied 301 model carried over much of the 201's mechanicals - but, most relevantly, it was the first mass-produced car to be equipped with an independent front suspension. Peugeot had really started to blossom.
In the Forties, war again proved to be the next major hurdle in establishing the company. With the invasion of German soldiers, Peugeot's Sochaux factory was forced to build none other than BMW engines. In response to this, Peugeot management conspired to sabotage its own assembly lines to hinder German production. Truly amazing stuff, looking back! In the aftermath, the French returned to their once thriving factory to find it barren. Most of their tools, materials and other vital equipment had been taken back to Germany. The company had to start all over again.
After finding new financial backing, in 1953 Peugeot's all-new design - the 203 - was born. It was also the first Peugeot to come to Australia, where it started the company's local reputation of toughness - proven by conquering virtually all the endurance motoring events it was entered into.
Next the larger-bodied 403 appeared in 1955, followed by the 404 of 1960. These were powered by 1.5 and 1.6 litre engines respectively - and a diesel was also made available in each. On a smaller scale, the 1.1 litre 204 was released in 1965 and was soon replaced by the slightly bigger 304 in 1969. Filling the small car niche during the 70s decade was Peugeot's highly efficient 104 compact hatch. And by the end of the 70s, the company was looking to design an all-new vehicle.
It was in 1983 when we saw the release of what is arguably Peugeot's most popular vehicle ever - the front wheel drive 205. With its contemporary looks, fuel economy, efficient packaging and competent handling, it became an instant success. It was initially available with a choice of four small capacity engines - including Peugeot's 1.8 litre diesel - and it came in 3 or 5 door hatchback forms. Having established a positive following, it wasn't long (early 1984) before the sporty GTi model splashed onto the scene.
Unfortunately, at the time the Peugeot 205 GTi became available in Australia, it was tagged with a high price - more than twice the price of the competing Nissan Pulsar ET Turbo hatch and a full $12,000 richer than the Suzuki Swift GTi! Nevertheless, the 205 GTi was a European sports car, which helped to put it into another perceived league.
The first incarnation of the 205 GTi was equipped with a highly developed atmo 1.6-litre SOHC 8 valve engine - similar to that used in the 305 GTi. This power plant worked on the principle of effortless torque to rival its twincam or turbocharged Japanese rivals. It sported a reasonably high compression ratio as well as Bosch L-Jetronic injection to help it produce up to 115hp at 6250 rpm - together with 134Nm of torque at 4000 rpm. That was enough to power the 850kg small wonder to 100km/h in between 8.7 and 9.1 seconds and gave it a top speed just a few km/h shy of 200.
Most importantly, it was (and still is) noted as one of the all-time best handling front wheel drives. The basic chassis layout remained nearly stock 205 - with MacPherson struts at the front and a trailing arm/coil spring rear. But that set up was heavily revised from a performance point of view.The front spring rates were beefed up dramatically (as were the rears to a lesser extent) and this was complemented by accordingly uprated dampers. Interestingly, a smaller front swaybar was bolted up, while a larger rear bar served to reduce understeer. A set of 14 inch alloys in 185/60 rubber was standard GTi issue.
With these changes, the car rode much more firmly, but it shone with its agility, precise handling and excellent driver feedback. However, its moderate lift off oversteer was a trait that caught some drivers by surprise. Early models came void of a power steering system; without assistance, the rack and pinion steering was very heavy at parking speeds and was prone to loading up chronically through tight corners. Braking performance from the GTi was adequate though, with front wheel disc brakes and rear drums.
The GTi was identifiable over its lesser brethren thanks to its stylish fog light equipped front spoiler, roof spoiler and 14 inch rims, along with 'GTi' and '1.6' decals. The body was credited with a Cd of 0.34, but more importantly to most buyers, it had the right styling of the time. The choice of colours for the GTi was limited to anthracite grey, red, white and metallic blue. Inside, it showed flair in abundance. A combination of a black/red fabric interior sure gave the car a lively feeling, even from the passenger's seat! Many of the interior components, such as the controls and steering column, were carried over from the big 505 Peugeot.
But with the hot hatch scene hotting up even more in about 1987, Peugeot was beginning to struggle with the 1.6 GTi. That's when the (pictured) 1.9 litre version was introduced. This engine gave up to 130bhp (in some countries) mainly due to its larger swept volume. Peak power was achieved at 6000 rpm and 150Nm came at a lowly 3000 rpm. Due to the new torque curve, the 1.9 litre also received a revised set of ratios inside the standard 5 speed manual gearbox.
With the 1.9-litre engine (as also used in the Peugeot 405 and Citroen BX), the lightweight 205 GTi had some real grunt and now - even more - it relied on its effortless torque. Full throttle acceleration matched that of the highly tuned Japanese models, but the 1.9 litre 205 always felt more at ease as it didn't need to be revved as hard. Performance was impressive by contemporary hot hatch standards - 7.8-8.5 seconds 0-100 and a top end over 200 km/h. Incidentally, both the 1.6 and 1.9 litre GTis consumed about 8 litres of fuel per 100km and they drank from a slightly larger tank than the other 205s. The 1.9 car's braking package was also beefed up with disc brakes at each corner (ABS was an option in some countries), and its wheel size grew to 15 inch (wearing 185/55s). The 1.9 litre was also 30 kilograms heavier than the 1.6.
Even with all its appeal, the Pug 205 GTi's position in the Australian car market was something of a problem. While the cute car was appealing to a dedicated band of followers, its price tag was a severe limiting factor in its success. Another problem was that its finish was only average - especially when considering the price. To help remedy this, the interior was greatly improved for 1990. The dashboard and console were restyled and a completely new style of cloth trim went in. A three spoked leather steering wheel and a full-with reflective panel between the tail lights also distinguished this late model. More changes came in 1991 - new 15-inch alloy wheels, power steering and remote control central locking. Combined, these revisions made the original 1.6 model look under-equipped for the money, so many owners of these traded up to the late model car. Externally, the car was identical and was available in the same choice of colours as before - plus a dark metallic green.
After what could only be called limited sales success in Australia (but huge success throughout Europe), the 205 is today recognised as one of the all-time great FWD hi-po hatches. It was available new right through until 1996 (in the Australian market), and its replacements are the current model 206 and the larger 306. In rally competition, the 306 is now the sole Peugeot representative.
The Ultimate 205...
The truly awesome mid-engined 205T16 was the bad boy of the 205 range and was designed foremost for rally duties. With its KKK turbocharged 1775cc four cylinder that could muster 200hp at 6750 rpm (up to 650hp in racing versions!) it performed on whole new level. Equally impressive, the limited production 205T16 scored a viscous coupled 4WD system to help it put all its power to the ground. To do this, the original 205 base had to be stretched out to 3820mm and its width increased slightly to 1700mm. A monocoque body also went on top of the chassis, which was now made up of a tubular rear section. The total weight went up dramatically to 1225 kilograms. Zero to 100 was quoted at a conservative 7.9 seconds (3.3 seconds for the race cars!) and a 213 km/h top speed was attainable. These lethal cars carried on to win the WRC, Paris-Dakar, Pikes Peak, Redex Trials and the World Sportscar Championship. The 205 GTi lover's dream!
|