Words: Rory FH Smith
In an age when the performance SUV arms race is reaching fever pitch, it’s easy to forget the heady days when the hot hatch reigned supreme. It wasn’t too long ago that the formula for a fast car consisted of a small engine; a light, short chassis; and a hatchback boot that could swallow no more than enough kit for a weekend away.
Those were the days – in 1984, to be exact – when a ‘performance car’, like the plucky Peugeot 205 GTi, cost under £6,500 and came equipped with a 1.6-litre engine that produced 105bhp and a top speed of 116mph. Measly by modern standards, but more than enough for the mid-1980s, when a top-end Ferrari 308 GTO sported just 395bhp.
With a nifty gear shift, responsive steering and weight under a tonne, the 205 GTi was – and still is – a driver’s dream, especially if the subtly upgraded, recently restored Tolman edition 205 GTi is anything to go by.
Part of the restomod wave that’s bringing classics back into focus, the British engineering firm and race prep team at Tolman specialise in refining the 1980s icon that fast became racing royalty. Back then, it was the mutant 205 T16 that led the charge in the world rally scene, collecting two World Rally Championship titles, in 1985 and 1986, for the 205 name. Had the bare-chested Group B division, in which it competed, not been banned for being too dangerous, the chances are that the 205 would have gone on to dominate the series even more convincingly.
When the 205 GTi’s fame started to wane after production stopped, in 1998, many of the cars fell by the wayside, either abandoned in favour of something more contemporary or crashed by the legions of boy racers that took to modifying them. But, fast forward forty years and the 205 GTi is once again on the rise as it passes the all-important 40-year mark and enters classic-car status.
Today, values far exceed the car’s humble original price tag, with low mileage, pristine examples fetching upwards of £70,000. As for Tolman’s updated and elevated 205 GTis, prices start at £55,000 and can rise well beyond that, depending on the finish and level of upgrades.
From the glory and glamour of the World Rally Championship to blasting down British B-roads and beyond, the 205 GTi is a splendid snapshot of a simpler time when performance didn’t just mean supercars or bloated SUVs. The 205 GTi was a hot hatch that made driving pleasure accessible for the masses.
A masterstroke in French engineering and an enduring icon of the 1980s, it’s fast becoming the hot-hatch ticket to have in the cluttered classic-car market. Vive la 205 GTi.
Want more motoring content? Here, we analyse which luxury SUV is right for you…
Become a Gentleman’s Journal member. Find out more here.
Become a Gentleman’s Journal Member?
Like the Gentleman’s Journal? Why not join the Clubhouse, a special kind of private club where members receive offers and experiences from hand-picked, premium brands. You will also receive invites to exclusive events, the quarterly print magazine delivered directly to your door and your own membership card.
