Peugeot 106 Rallye S1: Spotted
Sochaux has built faster and more famous cars than its stripped out baby hatch - but few that ever bettered its cost-to-fun ratio
It was so successful that Peugeot attempted to repeat the trick without going through the unnerving business of actually replacing it. Ostensibly the 106's predecessor was the 104 - but it was the lessons learnt with the 205 which informed the development of the new entry-level model, based as it was on much the same platform. The evolutionary attitude was plain enough in the way the Series I cars looked, too: the 205's 80s chic receiving only the most sympathetic of 90s tweaks.
Being uninclined to fix something which plainly wasn't broken - and with its eye on international rallying - the pre-facelift version of the 106, the Series 1, essentially repeated the 'fewer frills, more thrills' formula. Its chassis shared much with the slightly older XSi, although the Rallye benefitted from a larger anti-roll bar at the back and Peugeot (anticipating heavy-handed treatment) reinforced the front suspension mounts.
The engine - the short-lived TU2 J2 - is a confirmed peach. An evolution of the TU24 unit which had powered the 205 version, the 1,294cc 8-valve motor had swapped out its carburettors for the better efficiency of Magnetti Marelli fuel injection, but with 100hp at 7200rpm and a close ratio five-speed 'box, its raucousness barely sustained a dent. And with only 825kg to overcome, the Rallye had that uncanny fast supermini way of feeling massively quicker than 9.6 seconds to 60mph suggests.
And that was all it needed. Peugeot's nous and physics did the rest; bequeathing the Rallye much the same spiky and immersive handling experience that had already been immortalized by the 205. Sochaux would eventually get round to installing more power in the 106 - most memorably in the GTI, but in the S2 Rallye, too - yet the S1's cultish reputation remains unwrinkled by what came later.
SPECIFICATION - PEUGEOT 106 RALLYE
Engine: 1,294cc, 4-cylinder
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 100@7,200rpm
Torque (lb ft): 80@5,400rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1994
Recorded mileage: 76,000
Price new: £8,995
Price now: £6,940
See the original advert here.
April 1995; M91KBC - red, no sunroof, (special order, I banged my head on the sunroof frame of the demonstrator), it looks like it came off MOT in 2009 and recorded untaxed from November 2013.
I have looked at buying one, but too many have the GTI engine fitted and the engine was a great deal of the appeal.
The white was a bog standard, non-sunroof car (not special order - you had to opt FOR it, not against) which had sat in the showroom for the entire consignment period and was registered (for me!) the day before we had to pay for it. Bloody loved that car - revved out to 7,200 easily; stiffer rear ARB meant left-foot braking on roundabouts induced oversteer; I took the radio out of mine as I couldn't hear it; and, despite my size 11 shoes, I could easily heel and toe - many will say they couldn't. It remains one of the best wet-weather cars I ever drove, mainly because - although it was so light - it was so controllable and stable and had relatively wide tyres for the day.
Did 12,000 miles in it before we eventually managed to move it on (not that I was trying too hard )
Red one was too posh: sunroof, aftermarket alloys, alarm and central locking. Never went as well as the white one.
I breathed an actual sigh of relief when I finished reading the article. It's just the usual Cackett WordSalad. With far too many adventurously punctuated sentences. Would you please try and resist the use of so many dashes, commas, colons, semi-colons (and brackets) all in the same sentence. It's exhausting to read.
And, "And" is no way to start a sentence, let alone a paragraph.
- Alloys, at least 18" but with tyres too wide for fun
- Slightly lower-spec infotainment system but still a crappy iPad glued to the dash
- Carbon fibre effect trim
- Lairy interior trim (but not too lairy, so as not to alienate potential buyers)
- Advertising based on a lap time at the 'Ring, natch
- A range of "special" colours, all of which will be shades of grey / silver / black
I do agree though. PH: proof reading (doesn't) matter.
Apologies for the (brackets)
Sadly my time with a Rallye was very short lived. A bit of miscommunication between me and CIS' insurance agent. 'Insurance group 7 sir? That wont be a problem'. Only to find it was on their restricted car list. I only found out after putting down a deposit and on the day I was due to collect. In the end we insured it for my Mum and she drove it home for me. I sold it a couple of weeks later and after a few months more saving bought a far better (condition, age, mileage) 1.6 XSi instead. Oddly despite being group 11 that was just fine. But it was always Rallye I wanted.
- Alloys, at least 18" but with tyres too wide for fun
- Slightly lower-spec infotainment system but still a crappy iPad glued to the dash
- Carbon fibre effect trim
- Lairy interior trim (but not too lairy, so as not to alienate potential buyers)
- Advertising based on a lap time at the 'Ring, natch
- A range of "special" colours, all of which will be shades of grey / silver / black
- VW Up GTI
- Base the interior on the basic Up - 2 speaker basic audio, no air con, 3 door only, no false boot floor, plastic steering wheel & gear knob
- Smaller, lighter wheels than the GTI (15" or 16") - white, steel wheels but I bet they wouldn't dare
- Limited colours - red, white, basic blue & primer grey
- Drop the price by £1000-£1250 compared to the GTI
- Call it the Rallye - they have history with the name (4x4, box arch, G60 Golf)
Doing their best to rectify their mistakes with there recent crop but still a long way off Renault imo.
Anyway, I digress and as much as I hate to talk about values of feisty little machines such as the 106 rallye, it definitely wont be losing any more money, that's for sure.
- VW Up GTI
- Base the interior on the basic Up - 2 speaker basic audio, no air con, 3 door only, no false boot floor, plastic steering wheel & gear knob
- Smaller, lighter wheels than the GTI (15" or 16") - white, steel wheels but I bet they wouldn't dare
- Limited colours - red, white, basic blue & primer grey
- Drop the price by £1000-£1250 compared to the GTI
- Call it the Rallye - they have history with the name (4x4, box arch, G60 Golf)
- VW Up GTI
- Base the interior on the basic Up - 2 speaker basic audio, no air con, 3 door only, no false boot floor, plastic steering wheel & gear knob
- Smaller, lighter wheels than the GTI (15" or 16") - white, steel wheels but I bet they wouldn't dare
- Limited colours - red, white, basic blue & primer grey
- Drop the price by £1000-£1250 compared to the GTI
- Call it the Rallye - they have history with the name (4x4, box arch, G60 Golf)
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