Sports saloons are a dying breed. Buyers don't tend to want four-door, three-box cars and, if they do, it's often with a prestigious German badge attached to it. A sector must suffer for the rise of the SUV, and the humble fast four-door is arguably fading fastest.
All credit, then, to Peugeot, for sticking with it and creating the 508 Peugeot Sport Engineered. Yes, it's expensive, and yes, it's a 1.6-litre hybrid, but it also looks great, drives well, and has 360hp. When similar manufacturers like Ford, Mazda, Honda, and Vauxhall have given up on the genre, Peugeot's commitment to the cause deserves additional praise.
But then there's no way that it could abandon the sports saloon, really, not with all the great cars in Peugeot's back catalogue. The 405 Mi16 hasn't been in production for almost 30 years, yet still has the power to turn make most car fans giddy. Both 605 and 406 made for fine executive expresses with V6 power, and the latter became a great coupe as well. Then we have this, the 505 GTI, a car for all the world we thought was extinct in the UK.
The 505 was Peugeot's last rear-wheel drive model, made from 1979 until 1992 when it was replaced by the 405. Yep, it's a very, very old car now. But a fondly remembered one, too, thanks to its handsome design, legendary durability, and the availability of seven-seat 'Family'-badged estates.
This isn't any old 505, either, but a GTI, from that time in the late 1980s when Peugeot super-heated badge indicated the best of everything. The 505 derivative was launched in 1984, with the 205, making it quite the year for Peugeot. The big saloon wasn't the smash hit that the flighty hot hatch was, of course, but a bigger engine and lower suspension was welcome shot in the arm for Peugeot's flagship four-door.
And that was the mid-1980s. With the car on the brink of disappearing for years now, a 505 GTI - even one that was modestly upgraded for the badge and sat below a V6 flagship - has become a whole lot more significant. Peugeot made more than a million 505s, after all, and it would be a crying shame for them just to vanish. It's why one as good as this can't fail to raise a smile.
It's actually a 505 GTI from New Zealand, sourced by a friend of the selling dealer in 2018 who had apparently wanted one for years. And he's a Rolls-Royce/Bentley specialist, which indicates the sort of appeal these old Peugeots have - everybody loves them. Interestingly, too, 505 GTIs for New Zealand were better specified than their UK equivalents, with electric windows, heated seats, air-con and a limited-slip diff all standard equipment. This one has a manual gearbox, too, which is a result.
As is the fantastic condition. The classic Pug was rust free when it arrived from the other side of the world, and has only required minor cosmetic work - refurbed alloys, a period steering wheel, that sort of thing - during its time in the UK. But then given the previous Kiwi owner kept a travel log of their adventures with the car, meticulous upkeep ought not to be a surprise.
Now approaching its 35th birthday, the 505 looks glorious. To see one of any kind is notable, leave alone a GTI in such exceptional condition. And it's £12,000 which, in the grand scheme of classic cars and Peugeot GTIs, doesn't seem an awful lot. People are asking twice as much for 205s, after all, which are common as muck by comparison. Admittedly, the 205 was lusted after a little more by car mad kids in the 80s than the 505 - but those who crave a classic French saloon are amongst friends here, too, and they arguably come no finer than this GTI. Long live the fast, four-door Peugeot!
SPECIFICATION | PEUGEOT 505 GTI
Engine: 2,165cc, four-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual, rear-wheel drive, LSD
Power (hp): 130@5,750rpm
Torque (lb ft): 138@4,250rpm
MPG: 30 (est.)
CO2: N/A
First registered: 1984
Recorded mileage: 74,000
Price new: £9,595 (1984)
Yours for: £12,000
1 / 7