If you follow the auctions diligently, you have certainly noticed a certain enthusiasm for the Peugeot 205s, and in particular the GTI versions, the price of which continues to climb, especially for copies in good condition. And among the 205, the GTI is not an end in itself for many collectors, in search of the Grail, namely the Peugeot 205 T16, which made people dream so much in Group B of the world rally championship.
And this is not the last auction of a 205 T16 that will make us say the opposite. Indeed, during the Aguttes sale which took place on March 21, 2021, a Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 dating from 1985 reached the value of 419’260 euros. There must have been a lot of elements that showed that she could reach a record sum, starting with the fact that she only totaled 10,000 kilometers at the meter.
Another important element and highlighted by the auction house at the time of the sale: this 205 T16 had for illustrious owner a certain Jean Todt, the current President of the International Automobile Federation, but who was also the sporting director of Peugeot Sport, and therefore the initiator of the car in a way. The sum is substantial, but it could have been even more if the car in question had raced in a rally. This model was one of the 219 road models assembled by the brand in order to obtain homologation for the competition.
To acquire a copy that has raced in competition, you will have to pay double, if not more. Last February, during the Retromobile sale driven by Artcurial, a 1985 Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Evolution 2, which was notably driven by Bruno Saby, was sold for the modest sum of 977’440 euros. If this sale was particularly successful, it is not always the case however.
In 2016, a 205 T16 Group B driven by Ari Vatanen was estimated between 600,000 and 800,000 euros, but ultimately did not find a buyer. Another example, in 2020, when the same Aguttes house had auctioned another Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, the car was exchanged for “only” 291,760 euros. It must be said that it did not necessarily have the pedigree of the model that interests us today, since it totaled 39,500 kilometers on the clock and has never belonged to a known pilot.
Quite the opposite of Jean Todt’s 205 T16 which, in addition to its pedigree, carries the number 33 and is therefore part of the very first series produced. It is also one of four that were painted white. Indeed, all the rest of the production of Peugeot 205 T16 was provided with a winchester gray contrasted by a red border. For the record, the three other white 205 T16s belonged to Jean Boillot, a former president of Peugeot, the driver Didier Pironi and the engineer André de Cortanze.
And to top it off, Jean Todt’s 205 T16, who used it for most of his daily commute at the time, had been lightly prepared with an engine that went from 200 to 230 horsepower. We can therefore understand the enthusiasm of bidders vis-à-vis this exceptional model.
