My wife had one of these as a company car in the late eighties. "Ooh, you're looking a bit tired this weekend, love. Would you like me to drive?" I was such a considerate husband...

Harry Metcalfe: The David Attenborough of cars.

I was a 17 year old Peugeot Talbot apprentice mechanic when they launched the GTI. Awesome car, and just found one mega clean one which is now pride of place !

That era of Peugeot cars was certainly their best in terms of driving dynamics. I owned an MI16 405 and still maintain it had the best ride/handling steering feel of any car I have driven and I have been lucky enough to drive many iconic cars. The build quality was another matter but as Harry points out look at their relative lack of weight, I think the MI16 weighed in at under 1100 kgs...

We had one of these as a company pool car alongside a Golf Gti, Fiesta XR2i and an Astra GTE. The Peugeot was by far the best and the one I always tried to get the keys of. It was very twitchy and had a tendancy to struggle starting if the engine was warm, but what a car along country lanes! Great memories and a great vid! Thanks for the reminder.

Absolutely the best hot hatch ever. I had the 1.6 GTI on a J plate, brand new from Peugeot St Johns wood. 19 years old & wanted the 1.9 GTI but the insurance was just so much. Love the video & great to see again.

I was showing your video to my American wife, she still doesn't understand the design ! Harry, you brought me back to the 90's driving this car between Versailles and Paris without being worried about the speed radar on the highway! Fantastic and playful car. The chassis was amazing, Mc Pherson triangle and inverted arms was the key of the succes at this time. Sometimes you struggled with your idle, making you crazy at the yield intersection or in a traffic jam. It was completely unstable. Versatile chic car and sporty at this time, even in tight conditions, it takes perfect support without excessive while the rear axle rolls up naturally in the bends. The car never crashed forward, but it was very sharp to the limit. The finition and dashboard looks like the 80's with a German comfort. I can tell you a trip from Paris to Nice was not comfortable on the rear ended. Thanks for your video.

I remember living in London in the late 80's and seeing Golf GTi's, 205 GTi's and Renault Gordini Turbos all over the place, mostly driven by young stock brokers in blue shirts with white collars with suspenders strapped over their shoulders. It was a great time. The Pug is one of my all time favourite cars. Hope to own one again one day and never let it go. Thanks for another great video Harry

I had the 1.6 and still rank it as one of the best cars I have ever owned. It was tremendous fun and was the first car that made me go 'Wow!' the first time I drove it.

This and the Renault 5 GT Turbo were every 17 year olds dream back in the day!

In 1996, 4 years after passing my test, 1 year into my first proper full job, I'd saved up a couple of grand and borrowed a further 4 grand and bought myself a Peugeot 205 1.9 gti in sorrento green just like this beauty. She had a half leather green/black interior and the indicator lenses were white instead of orange. After a year of my workmates taking the piss taken out of my orange mk2 rust box of a fiesta I rocked up on a Monday morning in my j plate pug. Needless to say they were impressed. Working 3 days on, 3 days off I'd travel from Stoke-on-Trent to Telford to work and back and it was an absolute joy. Nipping in and out of those tight sweeping bends of the A roads it felt like the car was and integral part of my body and soul. Handling was spot on. This video brought it all back like it was yesterday. Excellent video. Thanks for the memories.

Back in1990, I was a 20 years old student working in a hospital. One the doctors told me: would you like to use my car while I'm traveling next week ? This was exactly that model, brand new. I'll remember that week forever !

One of the coolest cars ever with one of the coolest reviewers ever, sounds like a Black Friday deal to me!

Harry, you are a legend. Making our personal dreams come true, in a brilliant way.

This is part of the reason why we all love Harry. He reviews and enjoys special 'every-man' cars with as much gusto and enthusiasm as he does one million pound hypercars. Always a pleasure, Harry. Always a pleasure.

If I remember correctly, Peugeot, as they used to do, did a design themselves at their "Centre de Style Peugeot" and ask Pininfarina for an alternative design. In the design clinics the in house version won over the Pininfarina one. The Pininfarina badge on the convertible has to do with the convertibles being built at Pininfarina rather than a Peugeot plant.

As an American, I really enjoy looking out the windows of cars in your videos.... such wonderfully English scenes!

I remember my dads red 1.9, even he being a fairly sensible driver would struggle not to wheel spin away from junctions

I’m glad you mentioned the instant throttle response, I remember it well, unlike today’s cars that you can put the throttle to the floor and back quickly and hardly get a lift on revs!

Just watched the Miura episode and love that Harry exudes as much passion for the humble 205 as for the 1.3 million super car . . A proper car guy

Back when small hot hatches were small! I was talking to my mate about this the other day. Small cars today are bloody heavy bulky bricks in comparison to these gems!

Ah! I had the 1.6 version of that when I was 19! How I'd love to still have that car! I remember hearing (anecdotally) at the time that the 1.6 was better balanced - I always hankered after the 1.9, but never got to drive, much less own one. Thanks for this video Harry; sparked off some wonderful, long-forgotten memories!

I really enjoyed seeing how small of a footprint the Peugot has on country roads. It is quite a contrast to how large new cars have gotten.

I had one of these when when i was 20. I bought it as second hand. I cried 2 years to my family to get it. That time period was the happiest time of my life, i guess. But like the most of the 1.9 gti's it ended it's life on the junk yard. I had a a huge crash with it. :( Now i am 44 and still watching these videos about 205 gti :))))

My father ran a 1989 red 205 diesel on the farm for years, we all loved driving it

The lift off over steer was a real thing with these, very evident on the road when pushing on 😱

Loved that Harry (as you clearly did too) - I used to have a 205 way back when, was it really 35 years ago!!!! Wow how time flies.....thanks for another great vid....TMF

Just a note, that echo in the hangar is so awesome, makes this feel so real and it's an enjoyment to watch and listen.

Thanks for the nostalgia, I smiled all the way through that remembering my old 205

The good old days before 19” wheels, poor visibility, obese kerb weights and tacky piano black plastics became the norm.

Never seen this chap before - great reviewer. Nice to see a motoring presenter not preoccupied with their own personal 'brand', instead he makes the car the star, as he should do!

Two things that silenced myself and my mates back in those days: Jet from Gladiators and the Miami blue 205GTI 1.9. Glorious

This came out when I was a teenager and I couldn't decide if I prefer the R5GT turbo over the 205 GTi and 30 years later I still can't.

Great to see this car pop up in a Harry's Garage video! Brings back such fond memories of my early twenties when I got a 205 CTI as my very first car :)

I scared myself silly in one of these back in my 20’s. It was so light!

That got me very nostalgic, I owned one and loved it. Thanks for bringing back good memories Harry.

There was a bloke in my village had one with a supercharged M16 engine for track days. It was like a rocket.

Wonderful. Brings back lovely memories. We had a 1.9 GTI in red with sunroof and the half leather seats

"I hope you enjoyed this little ride..." I smiled for almost 20 minutes ;-)

Watching this makes me smile. I had a 1.6 in red and my mate had the 1.9 in the colour you’re driving. We were in our late teens and spent our weekends blasting through the countryside of Hampshire and Sussex. I never tired of driving that car. Such great memories. I’m in my 40s now and currently drive a C1. Oh how things change.

Was lucky enough to own one of these - best car I've ever had

I've had two 1.6's and a 1.9. The 1.6 was so much nicer to drive, lighter, sharper and revved more freely. Fun cars. Wouldn't like to crash one though.

Thank you Harry ! Love reliving these cars with someone who truly appreciates them.

I had a 1990 model, H reg, Sorento Green! Absolutely beautiful colour with a bit of sun on it. It replaced my old black 1.6. My love for those 205s is still with me and heavily influenced my decision to get a 208GTi a few years ago. Thanks for the great video. Edit: I now have a 308 GTi. It's ok. It's not as good as the 208 or 205s though.

Thank you for your enthusiastic and knowledgeable videos, Harry! A fellow petrolhead's dream and a rare commodity on the internet.

"Pinner Farina" gets me every time!

Another great video from Harry. I love his enthusiasm!

Very nice revisit, brings back some sweet memories. I used to own a 1.6 and later a 1.9. I had the opportunity to buy my dream car, now 20 years later still looking back....thanks !!

106 rallye S1 on a country back road was mental.

I had two of those 1.9´s . I would like to own one again. Great car! Thanks for sharing.

Just found this video and it brings back memories of my old Peugeot 205 GTI 1.6 that I owned in the early 90s... It was a fantastic little car with no power steering and felt like a go kart the way I could place it precisely inches from the edge of the road... I do remember the lift off oversteer and really enjoyed doing little "drifts" around corners when the roads were empty.. Mine also came with a great big sun roof and with the big windows opened, it was almost like a convertible..

Did I enjoy the ride Harry? Absolutely so. What a car! And I could listen to you for hours. Cheers!

309 Gti was great I also love the 405 mi16

The twinkle in Harry's eyes is saying "buy it Harry!!" As Mrs Doyle would say "go on go on go on go on..."

Thanks Harry for another fantastic "step back in time" video. I am just trying to imagine what hot hatchback of today will get this kind of recognition 30 years from now?

What a beautiful beautiful video! You were really amazing at communicating your joy and nostalgia at this icon of a car! I was grinning all the way watching you. Thank you so much!

Such a fantastic car and video! Always a huge fan of 205's

Still such a wonderful car, love to see you a review a Williams Clio at some point.

Had a 205 Gti 1.9 back in 88, great to drive, loved it but ‘lost’ 2 gears on a trip to Switzerland. So drove back to UK with 3 gears. As it was a new car I thought it would be covered under warranty. Think again 😖 London Peugeot dealer claimed ‘wear & tear’. Ended up paying around £1k for repair in 88! Car new was around £10k back then I think. Vowed never touch a Peugeot again out of principle & still haven’t. Was a fun car to drive when it worked though. Thanks Harry for taking me down memory lane. And for all those who say 80’s cars were death traps & uncomfortable etc etc, probably some truth in that but remember back then it was what it was & one can remember the good side of things & still appreciate at the same time progress, besides what will people be saying about all the current high performance 500+ BHP wunder wagons 🇩🇪 perhaps we’ll remember them fondly too 😉

Ah...happy memories. Thank you Harry for a great reminder of what simple fun these cars were. I had a 1.6 then two 1.9s after that. Loved them.

Great video Harry! Just a couple of side notes: the 1.9 was launched in 86, not 88. Also, the 205 was actually a completely Peugeot in-house design. The only thing Pinninfarina designed was the convertible version. 👍🏻

I LOVE my 205 GTI glad I didn't sell it....

It’s really an achievement from Peugeot that this car was the greatest GTi when it was introduced and it is still so beautiful and drives so nicely even after so many years and so many changes in automotive industry. It shows that, for a drivers car, you don’t need anything more than this little Peugeot!

I miss mine...my first car i ever bought..still get goose bumps!!!

Brings back memories, I had 2 of them, a 1.6 then a 1.9. My first experience with torque steer was through the GTI. Lovely car indeed.

One day I will have one of these, absolute dream

Fountain of knowledge, total respect, keep up the great work Harry

My first company car was an E-reg, 1.6 CTi. If you slammed the door the central locking would go nuts and it wouldn’t idle so I learned to heel toe to stop it stalling at traffic lights, and the shuttle shake was hysterical. Without doubt my favourite car I’ve ever had ❤

Loved this! My first new car was exactly this, a 1990 205 GTI special edition in Sorrento Green. Really brought back some great memories. I often wonder if it was as good as I remember. Maybe I should be looking out for another!

Excellent video harry, I love the 205 GTI 1.9, I had one a few years ago, I also had a 309 GTI, both were fantastic cars.

Harry - One of your best, if not the best review you have shared. I truly felt as if I was on the ride with you and got a great sense for the car. Thank you!

Sir the best thing about this video was the smile on your face! I drive a '91 EF Honda Civic three door and the eagerness of light weight is just lost on modern cars. Thank you for posting this ✌🏽

Still one of the best cars I’ve ever owned and would love to have one now. They still look amazing, the only issue with it was it didn’t give you a lot of protection if in an accident. Beautiful interior with the red carpet and half leather interior. I was still a student when I bought mine snd the insurance was more than what I paid for the car.

Harry Please please can you do a review on the Renault 5 GT Turbo phase 2 some time, I still miss mine to this day!

My parents had the 1.9 D reg in black in the late 90s. I spent many an hour cleaning the red carpets and whatnot! Always loved it. Remember being with my dad and doing 112 mph in it! Happy days.

To this day, my old 1.6 made me smile more than anything iv had since.

I enjoyed the anecdotes and it gives the feeling that these cars were "everywhere". That's my memory too, more people had 205 GTIs than the stock ones, either the I.6 or the 1.9. If you wanted the Peugeot plodder, the 305 did that very well. It's true, we no longer have small cars. We have inflated, bloated "thingies" covered in legislation, infotainment, assistance, set-up menus, assisted everything, electric roofs, no spare wheel, big-time trim and the horrendous touch-screen everywhere. They all look like a cross between a baked spud and something out of Transformers. They perform much better, they are generally reliable but....something is lost....your arse on the road, your hands on the wheel. The hot hatch gave this with a performance level geared to the reality of the roads we drove on. As Harry remarked when he felt "a bit of a hero". No need for race-car performance, just the experience of caning it on a nice road when no one was looking and on a real-world budget too. Presentable and practical for evening social wear too - you could drive them, own them without being a boring car-nurd, just the right kind of status. The British two-seater roadster such as the Healey Sprite (a Morris Minor, basically), the Triumph TRs and the MGs were finished by the 70 speed limit, motorways and increasing congestion. The hot hatch was finished by safety legislation increasing the weight and decreasing the styling possibilities of cars in general. I hate to say it but...the thrill has gone and we're headed for drive-themselves auto bubbles that come to the call of your mobile and you'll read the paper till you arrive, get out and leave it for someone else to whistle up. All the joys of the Johnny cab. Nice video, memory lane, XR3i myself. I never had any "class".

My first car: A 1992 red 1.9. I was in love with it. Drove it daily for 14 years. Mine had an AC and power steering. In the end I had to sell it because the engine block was cracked and no one here could fix it. In addition, we could not import a new engine. Still miss that little red rocket. Cheers from Istanbul.

So grateful for this video, as a 205 owner myself I've been hoping you'd review one at some point! Thanks Harry!

I think this video has convinced me to start squirrelling away some Sterling. I'm an 85 baby and these have always been my favourite hatch. The design is almost timeless, I've had 3 in my lifetime and I think it's time for a 4th. Thank you, so glad this popped up on my news feed.

Nothing turned heads like the controllable howl of my 205 D-Turbo.

Great video as allways Harry! Thanks for reviewing my all time favorite car, so happy i never sold mine. Just one point; the oversteer is there, throw it on a roundabout with a bit more than "sensible" speed, and lift off suddenly....the back wíll come round every single time :)

I had a 1.6 for ten years, bloody good car,gave it away with a weeks mot to a young guy at work.I remember his face as he drove it away very happy and even happier when it cost 40 quid to pass.Thanks for taking us all down memory lane.

Lovely stuff! I remember reading that Evo in the kitchen at work. That's how exciting my life is...

Had a black 1.6........... tear in my eye already.

I have owned 3 1.9s and i loved them all. My first one ended up on its roof in a ditch and i was lucky to walk out unhurt.

Thanks as always for the video Harry!

I learnt to drive in a 1.8 diesel in the early 90's. At the same time brother in laws friend decided to sell his Turbo Technics 1.9 - so I had to have it, even with L plates on it! - If you ever have the chance to drive one, jump at the chance, it had better mid-range punch than Ferrari and Porsche at the time and blisteringly quick! You're right about the 1.9 - there was a waiting list for them in the UK, when they came out. I miss the car terribly - just loved the steering feel, weight and torque steer! - which is why I now drive a Lotus( minus the torque steer!). The biggest thing that strikes me looking at the car today, as with cars of that era, is the glass to panel ratios! Keep up the good work, love the channel - always enjoy your detailed, balanced and enthusiastic reviews, along with the sights of the Cotswolds - such a lovely part of the world!

I swear the 106 GTi always gets forgotten about. I believe it to be one of the best hot hatches. 920kg, 120-130bhp (mine was 140). Proper little weapons

16:25 "What does it do round Eau Rouge" It looks spot on hahahaha

Peugeot 205 1.1GL was my first car (17yo), new in 1984 and what a machine. Then had the 205 XS with the twin carbs (didn't stay in tune long) but as I was driving 40,000miles pa they were all in the garage regularly. Next was the 205 1.6GTi, super revvy same gearing as the XS I recall, 18.7mph/1000rpm. And lastly the 205 1.9GTi, super quick and higher gearing (20.7?) wow what a car has to one of my all time favourites (and I have been fortunate to have lots of nice toys). Seriously thinking about buying one now. Loved all of my 205s, drove them all like I stole them I remember having the 1.1GL off the clock (downhill M1), you could in those days. Harry you brought back very fond memories.

I know why I always return to this channel. No crappy slowmotion footage or piano over it. Harry drives the car and that's it

I've been in both the 1.6 GTI and the 1.9 GTI and the 1.9 was such a monster compared to the 1.6 and these were so good at handling they felt as if they were glued to the road super cars just loved them

One of the cars of my youth. Cheers.

I was a teenager when they came out. I was all about the muscle V8s of the '60s/'70s, didn't care for hot hatches at all. Until I saw one of these in the metal. Wanted one ever since. Still can't say what, exactly, it is about them, but whatever it is that car had it in abundance. Great video :)

At the grand age of 53 I’m smiling all the way through this video as this brings back memories. Through the years I’ve had many cars and sports cars and I have to say the ones that have given me the most pleasure of driving are the 1.9 GTI 205 and the Clio Williams. If only they made cars like that now and that light.

this car is a legend !

Is still such a good looking car! Love that colour, reminds me of the Lotus Carlton.

What a car! Was and still am a Golf GTi fan but did decide to buy one of these in the late 90 s. What can I say I was blown away with its nimble handling and rapid acceleration for a car of its time. Wish I still had it!

Love your videos harry, love your passion and enthusiasm for cars. 👍👍👍 keep driving down that road!!!