idriveaclassic's video: IDRIVEACLASSIC reviews: Peugeot 205 Roland Garros edition

Today's video is on the Peugeot 205 and we've got the Roland Garros special edition to brighten up your Sunday! Today's video is sponsored by Adrian Flux If you're hard of hearing, the walk around text is below The Peugeot 205 is definitely a classic - it’s a car which definitely doesn’t fit that mid century, chrome bumper stereotype classic but is definitely one of those cars which even non car people think of when they think of the 80s/90s heyday of hot hatches. From first car memories to the car your family member or neighbour drove and you secretly wished was yours; the 205 was even only a few years ago, a cheaper starter classic, but is now commanding prices which mean even a project is a considered purchase. But unlike many of the coveted classics you get in and realise are just a romanticised hype, the 205 feels far more promising even it’s provenance. It was made from 1983 to 1998 and was not only crowned car of the decade by Car Magazine in 1990, it also won What Car’s car of the year in 1984 - a mere 12 months after launch. The 205 was an interesting change of tune for Peugeot. As discussed in the Citroen video, Peugeot was the sensible older brother and really did the whole big saloon thing very well and even though they had the smaller 104, it wasn’t a patch on the 205 for the memorability and iconic status. But as we talked about when we did the Peugeot video last year, Peugeot in the late 70s took over Chrysler’s European division which meant that they then had the expertise to create a super mini to be reckoned with and as soon as the takeover was complete, they began the plan for the 205. Earlier cars used the X engine which had been used in the 104, but as production continued they moved over to the TU series. Look, there is so much to say on these 205s so to try and cover the history in one video feels like I’m underselling it, so I thought I’d tell you a little more about the special edition we’re testing today - or we’ll be here all day! So this car is a later 205 and therefore has the TU engine in and the engine we’re testing today is standard and is the 1360cc and is a manual 5 speed - which I believe was the only option, or certainly the only option listed on the brochure for this Roland Garros special edition. The fuel consumption, when driven sensibly which is almost impossible to do in a 205, is not too dissimilar to the Sunny we took out last week. We are predicted when driving at around 56mph to be achieving 54 miles per gallon, 40 miles per gallon at 75 miles per hour and around town is about 32.8 miles per gallon. The speeds given sound a bit strange until of course you factor in that tests were done in kilometres and it’s been converted into miles per hour for the UK brochure I’ve got handy. Whilst the fuel consumption is the better end of average for the era, the speed is where you start to see the fun in these 205s. We’re promised a rather hair raising 110 miles per hour and a 0 to 60 of 10.6 seconds. The suspension is independent to front using MacPherson struts with anti-roll bar and hydraulic shock absorbers and to the rear, it’s independent of course, using trailing arms with torsion bars and anti-roll bar. Brakes on this are split circuit with pressure limiting valve and it is disc at front, drum at rear and servo assisted. These special editions seemed to have everything as standard, including the sun roof and the now upgraded stereo, which at the time would’ve been a digital stereo/radio stereo cassette with four speakers. The Roland Garros special edition was far more commonplace on the continent but there were only 150 right hand drive models ever made - making this a super rare example for the channel. Roland Garros was one of the most famous early French aviators, who also lent his name to the stadium in Paris which is home to the French open championships, the French equivalent of Wimbledon. Like Wimbledon, the French Open is a highly regarded summer event and a place everyone who is everyone wants to attend and be seen to be attending and it was this feeling of attainment that Peugeot wanted to emulate with the special edition The interior and finish is so different to your standard 205 and the body is finished in metallic green found nowhere else in the Peugeot range and the special colour scheme was carried through, as you’ll see on the walk around today, with the front and rear bumpers and front and rear lower panels and tail gate panel. It was also sold with dished alloys as standard and double pinstripe coach lines to add a bit of pizazz, or as the marketing material says, a touch of refined style. The interior is special too and you’ll note the leather and cloth seats are made to the high standard they claim, because despite high mileage, they still look in reasonably fine condition.