1991 PEUGEOT 205

This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The Iconic Sale at the NEC Classic Motor Show 2026 on Saturday the 14th of November, NEC, Birmingham, B40 1NT. Estimated price: GBP 25,000 - GBP 30,000. In many people's eyes, the Peugeot 205 was the definitive 1980s hatchback and the most perfect, practical design for a small car ever. Launched in 1983, it was a brilliant rival to the Renault 5 and the Ford Fiesta with its 'wheel at each corner' design and weighing only 875kg. Light, sharp and wonderfully communicative, the little Peugeot offered a purity of steering feel and chassis balance that rivals struggled to match. It was therefore little surprise it won What Car magazine's Car of the Year in 1983 and was declared Car of the Decade by CAR Magazine in 1990. The 1.6-litre GTi was blessed with brilliant handling and a revvy and eager 105bhp engine, however the 1.9-litre GTi that followed, although externally and internally similar to its little sister, was subtly different in character with 20bhp more, a wider spread of torque and was altogether more 'grown-up'.

We are delighted to offer this example, supplied new by Linden Garage of Maidenhead to its first owner, Mr G P Greener. The original sales invoice details the 205 1.9 GTi in Cherry Red (Rouge Vallelunga) with power assisted steering, delivered for £11,994, and the car was first registered on 5 October 1991. Records indicate it remained with its original owner until 2004, and our current vendor has now owned it for eight years, the sixth keeper in all.

As a late 1991 Phase 2 example, it falls into the sweet spot in the model's production fitted with the more powerful 1.9 engine produced before the restricting arrival of catalytic converters (output dropped from 130bhp to 122) and, rarer still, no sunroof. It rides on the correct 15-inch Speedline SL299 alloy wheels and had covered just 32,431 miles from new at the time of cataloguing.

It still presents well throughout, the paintwork and trim are in very good order, the black and red cloth and leather interior shows little sign of use, and the front seat bolsters and red carpets are well preserved. A period Clarion and Peugeot radio cassette completes the cabin.

The service book carries stamps from Linden Garage’s first inspection in 1992 through to 2014, with work carried out by Charters of Maidenhead, Smiths Motor Services of Cookham and Minerva Motors. More recently, the car has been looked after by renowned specialists Maidstone Sports Cars, who carried out annual services in October 2019 and December 2020. In January 2024, the GTi was treated to an uprated Magnecor plug lead set, a new Magneti Marelli ignition coil, distributor cap, rotor arm and NGK spark plugs and in April 2026, a new fuel pump, rear brake compensator and pads, and a new washer pump were fitted.

It's accompanied by the aforementioned original sales invoice, a plethora of MOT certificates, comprehensive service history, handbooks and maintenance book, toolkit, spare keys and the Clarion radio code card.

Iconic Auctioneers know a good 205 GTi when we see one having set the UK auction record for the model in 2024. This remarkable car, offered from eight years of fastidious ownership this 205 GTi simply ticks every hot-hatch box.