1990 Peugeot 205 GTi 1.9 Mi16

Good though the factory 205GTIs are, it wasn’t long before it dawned on speed freaks that dropping the Mi16 engine from the 405 into the 205’s engine bay shouldn’t be that hard.

And they were right.

With another 30bhp and almost no increase in weight over the base car’s 900-ish kgs, performance is scalding. The 0-60mph time is now estimated to be around 6.5 seconds but it’s the mid-range punch that led MSN Cars to write of one such modified car: “pick-up is instant and effortless, but the way it powers forward as the revs rise is staggering. It gets on cam and comes alive above 4,500rpm – the kick is VTEC-like – and, with a heavenly induction roar and cam yowl, explodes towards the redline.”

Which is what has happened to this example. Fully restored in 2015 and just 6,000 miles ago, the engine was removed and rebuilt while the bodyshell was being stripped down resprayed. The repainted shell was then rebuilt with new suspension and brakes, plus the rear beam axle from a Peugeot 309.

Believed to have run in both the 2009 Casablanca Challenge and the November Sun Run, the vendor has enjoyed it for the past couple of years.

However, having now scratched that itch he’s now realised that he hasn’t really used it in the last twelve months, which led him to offer it here to enable someone else to enjoy it.

Having been restored only 6,000 miles ago, the owner describes the 205 as “in excellent condition. There are no signs of any rust on the car and you can look in the wheelarches to see just how clean it is.”

We agree; the photos show good panel shutlines, ripple-free flanks, and an above-average fit and finish. The paintwork is glossy and even, which leads us to believe that it’s been the recipient of a proper respray rather than a quick blowover to hide anything dodgy.

We know the vendor well, and he’s a canny and experienced classic car collector who doesn’t suffer fools gladly; if he’s splashed out his hard-earned cash on a car for himself then you can be sure that he’s spent a long time reassuring himself as to its quality; further proof, if proof were needed, that this is a good ‘un.

The exterior trim is black rather than sun-faded grey, and the badges, glass and light lenses are similarly good.

Fitted with the desirable sliding glass sunroof, a wind deflector has been fitted which makes the car much quieter and more usable with the roof open at speed.

The eight-hole, 15-inch alloy wheels are in a good condition, albeit showing the odd minor mark here and there. They are fitted with the correct 195/50R15 tyres, all of which are matching Cooper Zeon XTC tyres with very good tread.

As we will never tire of explaining, our experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. Their presence does not, of course, preclude the need for a thorough inspection - something the vendor would welcome, by the way – but do give you a shortcut into their attitude towards maintenance.

Work to do? Well, there’s nothing that we can see other than getting the alloy wheels refurbished at some point in the future if you are a perfectionist; this is a good looking, well-sorted driver’s car and all it needs is continued care to keep it looking sharp and drawing admiring glances wherever it goes.

The refurbished interior is described as “in good condition overall”, and while the seats are mildly patinated and the covers are a little loose in places, they aren’t ripped or torn as so many are.

The carpets are said to be in “as new condition”, the door cards are very good, and the easily scratched hard plastic surfaces are described as being “in good condition with only minimal wear”.

The steering wheel, which provides one of the most iconic views of the decade, is only lightly patinated and is entirely consistent with the car’s age and mileage.

The boot is neatly organised, and lifting the carpets shows fresh paintwork, solid metal and no signs of corrosion at all. And that, as fans of the marque will appreciate, is not a sentence we get to write about many 205s…

With the baseline car solid and in fine fettle for its age and mileage we can move to the important stuff: the engine and chassis.

The 405 Mi16 engine was rebuilt just 6,000 miles ago, so is still box-fresh and barely run-in. We are told that the engine starts and runs very well, and has an attractive throaty edge to it. On the road it “pulls well” and feels like “a little terrier”. It’s “deceptively fast”, making this the 205GTI as it should have been.

And, how does it drive at sensible speeds? The owner tells us that “all aspects of this car are in good condition and it provides an exhilarating drive. The gears shift smoothly with no notching and shifts easily too. The brakes are more than strong enough to keep up with the additional power especially since the car itself is quite light and doesn’t take too much to stop, and the handling is excellent.”

He goes on to say that: “This is a car that is far more exciting than much more senior cars with a far higher price tag. This car is all about fun - and that’s exactly what you get by driving it.”

Having “sat for a while” the owner told us that it fired straight up with a new battery fitted. “This is not a temperamental car.”

Given the Mi16 engine is almost a direct bolt-in replacement, the fact that the engine bay looks like a factory installation shouldn’t come as any surprise. That it is so clean and well-ordered might; an utter joy to look at, someone has spent a lot of time getting it neatly organised and aesthetically pleasing - and that they expended this amount of time and effort should bode well for the rest of the conversion.

The underside is utterly solid, which will come as a relief to those of us who’ve spent far too much of their lives travelling the length and breadth of the country in a futile search to find a solid example. Professionally painted, a prudent buyer might like to consider having it professionally undersealed in order to preserve its longevity. Having said that, diligent cleaning and maintenance, along with continued garaging, would fend off the dreaded corrosion almost as well if you would prefer to keep a painted finish.

The Peugeot’s MOT certificate expires in May 2021, and the online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever.

This car comes with its original four handbooks and the OE plastic wallet, plus some old MOTs and a couple of invoices. An especially nice touch is the CD that contains over 100 photos of the car being restored, a record that helps to establish its history and provides provenance. A selection of these photos are online to help you gauge for yourself how through a job it was.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this paperwork.

If you’d like to inspect the car prior to placing a bid – something we would encourage – then please use the Contact Seller button to arrange an appointment.

NB. We know that many of you will be limiting your social exposure over the coming days and weeks, so if you’d rather not come to see the car in person, please give the vendor a call and ask him if he can shoot a personal video of the car honing in on any areas you’d like him to concentrate on.

You, like us, might have seen the Peugeot 205 Rallye that was for sale recently. And you, like us, might have been tempted but for the smaller car’s somewhat limited performance. (By a strange coincidence, as you can see from the documentation, the car’s previous owner bought this 205 GTI Mi-16 to replace a broken 205 Rallye; that he reports that this car is “quicker and a super-easy drive!” confirms our suspicions that if you’re looking for something to drive rather than hoard, this would almost certainly be the better buy.)

You, like us, might then have started to look at good standard 1.6- and 1.9-litre cars, only to conclude that buying a car to drive long and hard seems somewhat reckless now that prices have started to reflect their desirability.

And you, like us, might have stumbled across this Mi16-engined example and thought that in many ways it is the perfect driver’s 205GTI: it’s utterly solid, fully fettled, much faster than any standard car, and its modified status removes the understandable fear of using, and possibly devaluing, a more original example.

With a guide price of between £8,000 and £13,000, it’s a very cheap way of getting behind the wheel of what is arguably the most iconic hot-hatchback of the eighties, too. Already far from standard, the door has been opened for you to continue to modify it in your image, free from the nagging fear that you are spoiling an original.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the seller in Upminster in Essex; to arrange an appointment please use the Contact Seller button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Footman James for classic car insurance Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car and AnyVan for transporting it.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive.

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.

Please note that this is sold as seen and that, as is normal for used goods bought at auction, the Sale of Goods Act 1979 does not apply. See our FAQs for more info, and feel free to inspect any vehicle as much as you wish.