Peugeot 205 T16 up for auction

Muscley all-wheel drive rockets already flood the hot-hatch market, but none will buy you the providence attached to this classic homologation special.

Planned to be sold during auction, RM Sotheby’s London currently has itself a 1984 Peugeot 205 T16, one of 200 created to help the manufacturer thread WRC regulations in the early 1980s.

That means, much like any supercar of the era, its turbocharged 1.8-litre 16 valve four-cylinder engine was located transverse in the back where you might find seats or a boot in a regular hatch.

Producing 147kW in road trim – the WRC Group B competition 205s were wrung out to 373kW – the engine was mated to a viscous coupling all-wheel drive system that helped those four tyres hiding under its bulging sleeves claw at whatever surface it rolled over.

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Its wheelbase was a wieldy 2481mm, and combined with the widened tracks the T16’s bodywork took on a very different form to a road-going 205 GTi’s. Besides its ludicrously wide stance, various openings gaped from the car’s rear haunches, C-pillar, and bonnet to feed air to necessary radiators.

Also hiding underneath was a tubular ‘structure’ mated to its chassis that provided a sturdy framework for Peugeot to conjure its rally car from.

Inside, drilled pedals, bright harnesses, and a leather dash board now stand out from what’s an aged cabin. Obviously, couture wasn’t a priority for the original car, but that didn’t stop someone adding a Nardi steering wheel and magnesium wheels along the way for this one.

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This particular example is said to be the 152nd built by Heuliez, the French design company contracted by Peugeot to build the road specials, and to have served as a press car in Italy for the first period of its life. It’s also just received new brakes, dampers, and a brake servo from Italian rally gurus R3.

If you're interested, this T16 will step up to the auction stage on September 7 with an undisclosed reserve price attached to it. However even if you front up with a lot of cash, we wouldn't expect much change from $350,000.

(Picture credit: RM Sotheby's)

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