The 205 GTi's Baby Brother
Although it was never sold in America, the Peugeot 205 is a car that resonates with many car enthusiasts around the world. It's often credited as the one that pulled Peugeot from financial troubles in the '80s, and the hot versions have well and truly established themselves as icons.
There was the mighty T-16 model that saw much success in rallying, and the GTi that gave the Golf GTi a good scare back in the day. What isn't mentioned as often is the 205 Rallye, but that model deserves a heap of credit as a junior hot hatch.
You Could've Brought This One Stateside
By the time you read this, you just missed your chance to bring this one over stateside. Still, what we have here is a mechanically restored example of the Rallye. Presented in "well-loved and enjoyed condition," this 1989 model easily passes the 25-year rule and can be imported stateside for any hot hatch fan or Francophile car lover. Over $6,000 was spent on a mechanical refresh and overhaul to ensure more fun miles down the road.
Per the Pistonheads listing, that car has only travelled about 700 miles since 2023, and the odometer shows just under 40,000 miles...or kilometers. Admittedly, mileage is hard to verify as the speedometer has been swapped to imperial from metric. Still, if that's under 40,000 kilometers, you're looking at one of the lowest mileage examples out there.
Finding a Rallye in a fresh state is incredibly difficult, as most have been, er, thoroughly enjoyed during their heyday. These cars were often used in amateur rally events back in the day, although this one doesn't show signs of competition use. At the time of writing, this '80s French GT3 RS of sorts sold for £12,495 or about $17,000.
How Much Car Does That Get You?
Truth be told, not much. The Rallye's intended purpose is for amateur motorsport, so it's a stripped-out homologation special with not much in the way of creature comforts. There are no power windows, back seats, or soundproofing, while a good chunk of the interior panels were deleted to turn this lightweight hatch into a flyweight. Oh, there's no power steering here, too, bringing its mass down to just 1,742 lbs. Not even the original Mazda MX-5 was that light.
The term hot hatch has moved on quite a lot since the days of the Rallye. It probably couldn't be called a warm hatch by today's standards, either, as it was powered by a 1.3-liter twin-carb engine. It made just 103 hp and 89 lb-ft of torque, so it's far from a rocket ship. But thanks to its light weight and close-ratio five-speed gearbox, it was a zippy car off the line.
It also helps that its suspension is derived from the GTi, meaning stiffer dampers, upgraded springs, and stronger brakes. The 205 Rallye might not be fast, but it delivers fun from corner to corner. They can't make cars like this anymore, and for less than $20,000, what's basically a road-legal go-kart with fenders suddenly doesn't sound too bad.
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