The year was 1991 and the Peugeot 205 neared the end of production. Time for a special edition.
This is the value end of the special edition spectrum: non-standard upholstery and some stickers. Mechanically, it’s a base model 205 trying to look attractive.
However, the 205 was good regardless of its paint job, one of the true greats of the last 30 years.
Here’s the upholstery:
What this isn’t is the Roland Garros edition which came as a cabriolet or three door hatch. Apart from a Renault 5 Baccara, there is nothing in this class as opulent. Now that was a proper special as the RG versions had a specific colour, specific upholstery and were available as a 106 and 306 too.
While being aware one of the M24 prototypes that became the Peugeot 205 resembled an enlarged Peugeot 104 and reputedly featured enlarged 104 platform that was later used by the Citroen Visa, to what degree was the Peugeot 205 actually related to the Peugeot 104 and Citroen Visa?
Strangely the ‘Color line’ never did anything for me when I was little. I say strangely because it had the bare minimum to qualify for a an interesting Special Edition (ie. bright colours, a funky font AND a colourful sticker running the length of the car, which is not a given in the harsh, harsh, world of the Special Edition) but still, it never set my pulse racing the way say a 205 ‘Kid’ did for example.
I think it’s because it’s one of those special editions with no ‘soul’, just a half-baked name and unimaginative logo. A lot of historians have noted a schism in the Special Edition arena with some of them making an effort with a thoughtful approach and others not making an effort at all (I’am lookig at you Seat Marbella ‘Jeans’ from Marbella as captured by Eoin himself)
Sorry I meant 106 ‘Kid’, not 205.
To stay with the sport theme, as well as the classy Roland Garros there was the ‘Eden park’ models which came with the headrests in the shape of a rugby ball !
We leave few stones (or rugby balls) unturned here at DTW. So it ought to surprise approximately nobody, least of all yourself, NRJ, that this subject has been… converted perhaps?
https://driventowrite.com/2016/04/15/peugeot-goes-brougham-1998-peugeot-306-eden-park-kim-kardashian-upskirt/
On the subject of special editions, here’s one of my favourites, the Jeans Beetle from 1974 with denim upholstery:
Here’s a pretty much brand new 205 for sale.
https://www.stonecoldclassics.com/1990-peugeot-205-xl/
That looks very like the one I had which was a 1990 model, but in really stripped out ROI spec. I loved that car despite its four speed box and spartan character. It was so nimble and the suspension was simply superb. Thanks Charles for bringing it to my attention and for reviving this thread.