1988 Peugeot 205 GTI

First supplied on 22nd March 1988, this 1.9 205 GTI is a nice example of what is known as a Phase 1.5 car (those built between Nov 87 and July 90) where the body was zinc galvanised for additional protection against corrosion - something that owners now are likely benefiting from. This is a relatively rare non-sunroof model and has been kept very original over its 112,000 miles - many “boy or girl racer” second and third owners were prone to customising their hot-hatches in some way. Don’t forget that the mid-nineties was the peak Max-Power period.

The vendor bought the car in 2006 from a girl who had found it too expensive to insure. He paid a low three-figure sum as a bit of a punt and immediately recouped about £7 in loose change from under the seats and in the ashtray! He drove it for a year and then SORN’d it, putting it in dry storage with a view to working on it over time. Twelve years later, having done work on other cars but very little on the Pug, he brought it out of storage last summer. He then recommissioned the car with some minor restoration over several months in readiness for sale .

Available when new in six different exterior colours, this 205 GTI is finished in a smart Graphite Grey (now a very modern choice). The vendor reports that the paintwork is sound and from what we can see is in a good overall condition. There is a slight orange-peel effect over some of the surfaces, notably the sides, but nothing that should bother anyone but a perfectionist.

The sills and leading edges are well undercoated in stone chip paint which has been oversprayed nicely with graphite grey. Across the car, the panel fit and shut lines are generally good which suggests the car has suffered no major damage in its past.

The plastic trims around the bodywork were removed and recoloured recently and so present well in a deep shade of black rather than the typically dull sun-bleached grey.

The eight-hole, Speedline SL299 15-inch alloy wheels are in an excellent condition having been recently refurbished. They are fitted with matching 185/55R15 Toyo Proxes TR1 tyres fitted new just a few months ago and barely used since.

The number plates look to be original, bearing the name of the supplying dealer, and are showing a little delamination. Worth keeping for authenticity but it could be better to have new ones made if they get any worse so you can keep on the right side of the law.

Whilst inspections in person are encouraged, they are still not a straightforward endeavour so why not use the ‘Contact Seller’ option and get in touch with the vendor. You could arrange for either photos of specific features you’d like to see or even a video call to direct your inspection in real time.

Inside, the seats are trimmed in half black leather, stitched in red with red and black “quartet” velour cloth insert panels. The seats appear in great condition with no evident sagging, rips or tears.

The dash and other trim such as the door cards, mostly in dark grey plastic or vinyl looks in pretty good order with little obvious scratching or scuffing so often present in cars of this age. The steering wheel, although slightly polished consistent with the mileage, is a deep black colour rather than a faded and scratched grey and presents well.

As can be seen in the gallery, the characteristic red carpets are new replacements and floor pans underneath are reportedly sound and rust free. Recent-looking black floor mats front and rear complete the look and give additional protection.

Overall the interior looks really strong for the car’s age - very clean and tidy with almost none of the “plastic patina” or colour-fading now prevalent in mass-market cars of the ‘80s.

Under the bonnet, the first thing that hits the uninitiated is the different colour on the slam panel. For reasons unknown, it is factory-correct to have a contrasting coloured panel; in this case beige. The rest of the engine bay is clean and tidy, with many ancillary items having been cleaned up and repainted or renewed. There is no significant corrosion evident and only a light touch of rust on the bonnet hinge. The bonnet lid itself is in good order with the acoustic lining present and intact.

There are numerous photos in the gallery of the undersides of the car which show the good state of repair and condition underneath. The exhaust is a very good original unit coated in a high temperature paint and the new brake lines can clearly be seen. Since the photos were taken, the vendor reports that he has removed the wheels and has cleaned and repainted the suspension struts and brake calipers so that they present as well as other visible items.

Lifting the hatch, the parcel shelf and cords are intact and in good order with no speaker holes or other modifications. The boot is neat and tidy with carpet and liners in a very good condition. In true period Peugeot style, the spare wheel sits under the car, held in place by what always seemed a rather insufficient wire hanger.

This car comes with quite a substantial documentation and history file including the original owner’s manual and service book with dealer stamps to 1992. There are also old V5's, numerous invoices and MOT certificates since 2000 verifying the mileage displayed. It has two sets of keys with remote locking and immobiliser fobs.

It is worth spending some time looking through this documentation in the gallery (where helpfully most of the invoice images have been captioned) paying particular note to the two-page history sheet collated by the vendor which summarises mileage, date and details of changes of owners, servicing, MOTs and any other significant works.

The car has a brand new MOT.

Brought out of dry storage last summer, the car has undergone some restoration and replacement work to get it back on the road - much of which is documented with detailed photographs in the gallery.

This work included the following items which were all replaced with new: rear brake lines, discs and pads all round, air flow meter, cambelt and water pump, rear bump stops, tyres, fuel lines, exhaust manifold studs and gaskets, head gasket, sump gasket, radiator and heater matrix, interior carpet, Toad remote central locking, Cobra immobiliser and a  Alpine Bluetooth/ipod head unit with new Alpine speakers fitted into original positions. Also as many other parts as possible were cleaned and reconditioned.

The car starts well and holds idle nicely at around 1,000rpm (this can also be seen in the video). The vendor tells us that the car drives and handles very well; getting good power and acceleration from the engine and a subtle but pleasing rasp to the exhaust note when pushed harder. He says that as it’s such a small, analog car - free of the driver aids and impact-protection bulk of modern hatchbacks - it feels a lot faster and more lively than it really is, but tremendous fun to take out on country roads.

We’ve sold a handful of 205 GTIs in the last couple of years and this particular example is among the best of them; great history, unsullied, well sorted and with a strong interior. So we think it will sell for between £8,000 and £11,000. Have a look at what else is around for sale and you’ll struggle to find anything in comparable condition for that kind of money.

This is a great opportunity to get your hands on this popular ‘80s French hot hatch with little if anything to be done to it other than turning the key and taking off.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with the vendor in eastern Suffolk; 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.

This vehicle is not with us at The Market’s HQ near Abingdon, which means we have had to rely on the owner’s description of it, in conjunction with the photographs you see here, to compile the listing.

With this in mind, we would encourage potential bidders to contact the owner themselves and arrange to view the car in person, or to arrange a dedicated video call in which they can view the car virtually and ask questions.

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.

Also, localised paint repairs are common with collectable and classic cars and if they have been professionally carried out then they may be impossible to detect, even if we see the car in person. So, unless we state otherwise, please assume that this vehicle may have had remedial bodywork at some point in its life.

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.