The French auctioneer Aguttes has just put up for sale one of the rarest and most valuable copies of the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 , as it is one of only four examples that were originally built in white.
And as if that weren't enough to make it special, this particular model belonged to Jean Todt, current president of the FIA and, at the time this homologation special was launched, the “boss” of Peugeot Talbot Sport, responsible for its creation from the 205 Turbo 16 rally to race in the famous Group B of the World Rally Championship.
Of the four copies painted in pearl white (all the others were painted in Winchester grey), all were within the framework of the French brand. What we see here was given to Todt, while the other three were in the hands of Jean Boillot (President of Peugeot at the time), Didier Pironi (mythical French driver) and André de Cortanze (Peugeot technical director).
This model belonged to the current FIA president until 1988, when it changed hands to a brand engineer based in Sochaux. Now it's up for auction and, according to the auctioneer responsible for the business, it can be sold for between 300,000 and 400,000 EUR.
There are only 219 copies
Any resemblance to the conventional Peugeot 205 is pure coincidence. This 205 Turbo 16 is an authentic competition prototype, made from a tubular chassis and with a body covered with composite materials.
In order to homologate the 205 Turbo 16 for the World Rally Championship, the French brand had to produce at least 200 copies with the same configuration as the competition model. The French brand ended up building 219 units (split between two series), including this one that we bring you here.
This was the 33rd unit of the first series limited to 200 copies, having been registered in Paris in 1985 by Peugeot itself.
Todt “ordered” more power
The “road cool” 205 Turbo 16 was powered by a 1.8-liter four-cylinder 16-valve turbo engine — mounted in a transverse center position — that produced 200 hp, roughly half the power of the competition model. However, and according to the auction house that is selling it, this unit was modified in order to produce 230 hp, at the request of Jean Todt himself.
With just 9900 km on the odometer, this Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 was recently subjected to an in-depth overhaul and “received” a new fuel pump, a drive belt and a set of Michelin TRX tires.
As the pictures suggest, it's in excellent condition and keeps the two-spoke steering wheel bearing the Turbo 16 lettering and the sports bacquets in immaculate condition.
Two-arm steering wheel bears the inscription "Turbo 16".
All of this helps to justify the small “fortune” that Aguttes believes it will yield. That and the fact that the competition 205 T16 won the individual and constructors' titles at the World Rally Championship in 1985 and 1986, with Finns Timo Salonen and Juha Kankkunen, respectively, at the controls.