1989 Peugeot 205 1.9 GTi

This Peugeot 205 GTI is the 1.9-litre variant and was first registered on 17th January 1989, making it a “Phase 1.5” car, which were built between Nov 1987 - Jul 1990. Some keen-eyed customers may recognise this 90’s pocket rocket and they would be right. This particular car was with us just 12 months ago when it was sold to our current vendor James.

Prior to James buying the car, it had been SORN from 2000 until 2010, when a mechanic from West Sussex spent £2,000 recommissioning the 205 GTI ready for its new owner, who was a gentleman in Yorkshire. The new owner had the car for approximately four years, and in that time it was given a full freshen up with a respray and refurbishment of the wheels.

It was then sold to the owner before James, who purchased it on a nostalgia trip just before one of the lockdown periods. He relived some very fond memories of always wanting to own a 1.9 GTI, but had to settle for the 1.6 GTI due to the insurance premiums in the 1990s. With some work carried out to the car such as a new clutch, oil cooler and tyres, the owner covered approximately 1,000 miles in the GTI before deciding the nostalgia itch had been scratched, and it was time to sell in favour of something a little more modern.

This is when our Vendor James came along, much the same situation of wanting to own a 1.9 GTI when he was 19, (didn’t we all). James has enjoyed the car for the past 12 months, carrying out some work on it which we will get to in more detail shortly.

With the car now well and truly sorted, James has enjoyed putting a few miles on it before deciding to part with it to chase another modern classic.

Finished in Futura Grey (Silver), this 1989 Peugeot 205 GTI is in excellent condition, the paintwork has clearly been well looked after following the respray around 2018. At the front of the car, the foglights and headlights are in good order, with no cracks or splits to the lenses, and the same can be said for the indicators. The lower section of the bumper is free from any obvious stone chips and the same can be said for the leading edge of the bonnet. This looks to align nicely, maybe a little high on the nearside front corner, but this would probably adjust quite easily.

Looking down the flanks of the hot hatch, there are no dings to mention, and the car looks as straight as a die with an even panel gap around the doors. Following the grey moulding from the front bumper, the wheel arches and side moultings are in good condition, with no scuffs or scratches that would raise concern. The window rubbers are in good order and the glass has no marks to mention. The sunroof operates as it should. The only thing wrong here is that a piece of the trim that runs down the length of the sunroof frame is missing, this disappeared around 3 days after James got the car. He has had a quick search for one but was unable to locate one, no doubt there will be an enthusiast owner somewhere willing to help out the new buyer of this 90s classic.

At the rear, everything is in order as you would expect. The badges are in place, the bumper is in good order, with no noticeable scuffs to mention, and the roof spoiler is in place.

The wheels on the car are the standard fit 1.9 GTI Speedline alloys, which are in excellent condition having received a full refurbish in June 2020. They were then fitted with Hankook Ventus tyres which are still in excellent order having covered approximately 2,000 miles.

Opening up the 205 takes you straight back to the 90s. Being all original there are some signs of patina in some areas, this is mainly to the seats. The driver’s seat has some cracking to the leather bolsters and there is a seam on the upper section where the stitching has come apart. The Quattro pattern material has sagged a little, none of the rest is actual damage, it’s more just a case of age related wear. No doubt a good upholster could tighten up the material and breathe a new lease of life into the bolsters with some connollising. The passenger seat has less patina and is in the same condition as the rear seat. Both door cards are also in good order, with no noticeable scuffs to mention. There is some slight wear to the electric window switches.

Sitting in the driver's seat, faced with the GTI steering wheel takes you straight back to your boy racer days. There is no excessive wear to the wheel. The instrument cluster is free from any scratches and is all working as it should, with the odometer showing 120,068 miles. To the centre, the heater controls are as they should be with no wear to the symbols. On the left, there is a Peugeot Sport badge which looks to be covering a hole from a mobile phone holder that has been screwed to the dashboard. Lower down, the head-unit has been replaced for a Sony item that features Bluetooth and USB to enable music streaming.

The red carpets throughout are clean and in good condition. Additional mats have been fitted, also in red and finished with the GTI logo. Nice to see, the parcel shelf has escaped the common practice in the 90s of fitting a set of 6x9 speakers. There is a boot carpet which matches the other floor mats.

The 1.9 GTI engine has received a recent service in April 2021 by Peugeot specialists Pug1Off, and then a month later it was back in for a full set of coolant hoses and the exhaust manifold gaskets were replaced. The engine is running as it should and is a pleasure to drive, just like any hot hatch should be.

Whilst the 205 was in Pug1Off, James had a detailed inspection carried out to the car which highlighted some areas needing attention. The gear linkage was worn and so this has been replaced, now giving a smooth and precise change. The car also had the outer CV gaiter replaced as this had perished.

In 2020, at just over 3,000 miles ago, the car had a new clutch fitted by the previous keeper, and at the same time, the wheel arches were coated in stone guard to help prevent any unwanted corrosion creeping in.

The engine bay itself is well presented and looks in good order with just the average amount of oxidisation on the aluminium ancillaries, as you would expect on a largely original car. The underside is generally in very good condition with just some slight surface rust to the exhaust and suspension components, and the odd seam to the floor. The spare wheel is present and does have some corrosion to the face which is the norm when fitted to the underside. However, it’s a bonus that it's still there, as it was often the case that they were stolen during the 205 GTI’s hay day.

A nice history file comes with the vehicle which has MoT certificates dating back to the mid-1990s, and some invoices for servicing and parts from when the car was recommissioned in 2010 when approximately £2,000 was spent.

There are more expensive invoices from later years, which were generated from the fitment of the clutch, a full respray, wheels refurbished, regular servicing and new hoses, these total in excess of £8,000.

Two sets of keys are present along with the original owner’s manual. There is a valid MoT on the 205 which will expire on the 1st July 2022.

This will certainly be a nostalgia trip for many people viewing this wonderful 1989 Peugeot 205 GTI 1.9. You will have either owned one and want to relive those fun times you had in this French pocket rocket, or on the flip side, you were either too young to insure one, or couldn’t afford to buy one.

Up there with some of the best hot hatches ever produced, the 1.9 205 GTI doesn’t disappoint. The nimble, quick 90s hatchback is a blast to drive. Having been given a full check over and having had a lot of work carried out has ensured this 205 GTI is ready to be fully enjoyed and will give you the real hot hatch experience.

This splendid modern classic is an excellent choice for anyone searching for a vehicle from this era, and we think it will bring in the region of £12,000 - £15,000.

Viewing is always encouraged, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; 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’.