PEUGEOT 205 GTi
1984–1994
PRICENOW: £7,000–£25,000
Not the original hot hatch, but the car that reframed the template. The GTI maxed out Gérard Welter’s crisp 3dr design by the simple expedient of adding side mouldings and red go-faster inserts, while a 900kg kerbweight ensured that even 1984’s 105bhp 1.6-litre suffered little inertia. Then came the 115bhp version, and the 130bhp 1.9 in 1986, whose longer-stroke engine made the perma-thrilling 205 GTi experience less zingy and more torquey, and added disc brakes all-round and lower-profile rubber. The crummy cabin plastics gradually improved, and although early, unmolested 205s are now the most sought-after, post-1990 GTis had desirable black exterior and interior trim. While it has a reputation for being a bit flakey, the GTi is actually pretty robust, although using it to do what it was designed to do invariably leads to serious wear and tear. We love the Sorrento Green and Miami Blue ’89 special editions which also featured leather trim and power steering. As always, originality is highly prized, especially with the 205 GTi because it was such a totem of the Nineties modified car subculture Fast (and & Furious even starred on the cover of the first issue of Max Power magazine). 6 came out the Watch out for worn seats, worn-out gearboxes, and creaking suspension. And as year the ST was lift-off crowned oversteer TG COTY was the car’s Achilles’ heel, check for crash damage…