Peugeot 205 GTI values

james h

james h

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Fellow Frogger
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Jan 25, 2005
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Barossa Valley
Seems a few are changing hands at the moment. I'm interested as to why people are letting them go and to why people are buying them. And if the prices achieved here are on par with the ones being traded in Europe.

Would be interesting to find out ratios of sales bieng either for investment, driver enjoyment or curiosity.

what are your thoughts and opinions??
 
Well I've got a S3 Miami Blue 205gti 1.9.
I love this car to bits. I will be written as one of the truly "hot hatches" of all time.
This car will always be an investment of motoring pleasure / enjoyment and just the sheer driving experience.

That's what does it for me!!
 
Plenty of 205's changing hands because most people are changing what they want from these wonderful cars.
People like myself are drawn to the cheaper ones, and we modify and race them to great effect. Graham Wallis and Pug_Life are in the same boat.
Those who want the enjoyment to last, in a well cared for vehicle are choosing to pay the higher values, and the upper echelon of 205's that have great documented history, are worth good money, to those who wish to keep the 205's spirit alive.

Can't really compare prices to here and Europe, over there they are restoring cars that we would have scrapped years ago.
 
Interesting viewpoints. Good stuff.

I was out at a wreckers today and there were 3x 205's being wrecked, none gti's. I wonder how far we are off of turning to restoring these "scrapper cars" back into runners.
 
Far.

The investment value as gezza alone can testify is nil. After all he's bought and sold most of the 205s at least here in the wild west. Not sure if he turned a profit on any of them but I would guess no.

On the east coast I've seen people are quite picky even at scrap prices. Must be all those free cars they got over the years.

Or maybe we're just running out of money.

Just enjoy your car and don't think about its value. It'll never be significant.
 
So is the hype on 205 GTI's overated? Seeing where e30 M3 and Datsun 240z values have gone... is it punching to high to think of the pug in the same class of "collectibility".
 
M3 (if you're talking about E36) is basically non existent here save for a handful of private imports (whatever is still M3 in them). Their prices are nowhere near what they fetch overseas mainly because they are not the same standard (and I don't think there's any Alpina Evos here, they were only LHD). 240Z are a niche (and so are M3s, actually), most people couldn't care less about the few that survived the rust. The point is moot at best.

The hype is overrated in the sense that there is no market to look at and draw any significant conclusion. Cars sell for whatever the seller can get. Sure, if you know where a pristine S3 GTI with 5km on the clock is hiding, you can name your price, but my guess is that such a car would most likely go overseas if found so again irrelevant for the market here.
 
I've never seen a GTi at the wreckers which may mean something.
Sis on the other hand are being thrown away, these are a brilliant car, better than the GTi in many ways. I am storing an original one in good order and a very straight rolling shell, can't save them all.
One of the UK magazines recently did a time test on a range of 205s and decided that the XS (the UK equivalent of our Aus only Si) was the best all rounder.
I think people are usually disappointed with the GTi, one reason for them being passed on.
I am 100% happy with my modified Si but can't get enthusiastic about my S1 GTi, nice straight car that it is, should be a good base to fit all the modified rally parts some time in the future.
Graham


james h said:
Interesting viewpoints. Good stuff.

I was out at a wreckers today and there were 3x 205's being wrecked, none gti's. I wonder how far we are off of turning to restoring these "scrapper cars" back into runners.
Click to expand...
 
A mate is putting a V10 into a 4 cylinder M3, very nice car.
I would much rather get the 4 cylinder into its original racing tune but to each his own.
Graham

schlitzaugen said:
M3 (if you're talking about E36) is basically non existent here save for a handful of private imports (whatever is still M3 in them). Their prices are nowhere near what they fetch overseas mainly because they are not the same standard (and I don't think there's any Alpina Evos here, they were only LHD). 240Z are a niche (and so are M3s, actually), most people couldn't care less about the few that survived the rust. The point is moot at best.

The hype is overrated in the sense that there is no market to look at and draw any significant conclusion. Cars sell for whatever the seller can get. Sure, if you know where a pristine S3 GTI with 5km on the clock is hiding, you can name your price, but my guess is that such a car would most likely go overseas if found so again irrelevant for the market here.
Click to expand...
 
GRAHAM WALLIS said:
A mate is putting a V10 into a 4 cylinder M3, very nice car.
I would much rather get the 4 cylinder into its original racing tune but to each his own.
Graham
Click to expand...

I think that is part of the problem. A lot of parts can be imported cheaply from Malaysia and these go into local M3s like I said leaving very little M3 in it.

The original M3 had a bad habit of snapping timing chains which took out the majority of poorly maintained first generation cars and lead to engine conversions. Later generations were thinner in numbers to begin with and did I mention expensive?
 
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Cheap, fun motoring as it stands right now and there's something about them that you can't really put into words. If they go up in value in the future then it's a bonus. But then if you have owned and maintained one of these cars for 10-20 years why would you let it go? If you are a car person it will need to be replaced with something equivalent or better and I think that is a very tall order and that's where the little 205 shines.
 
I think back to when I first gave my attention to 205's, and yes the s3's were the one that people recommended to search for. The s1's were more plentiful, but often overlooked because they were not as desirable at the time. I feel the tune is changing on the s1's and the Si's as they become less abundant. I cant say I've seen a mint Si for a long time.

Good points on modified engined cars, thats a 2 sided coin for sure.. tuners and purists.

Say your out in your 205, are you ever asked if you want to sell it?
 
Yeah well I've had S2 GTi's, SI, and currently have a S3 Miami blue and S1 autocross GTi. I rally the s1 coz its a cheap thrill and they are super competitive, even with road tyres.

I just get a thrill when I drive the S3 around and always pulling compliments. I actually prefer the driving feel to the S1/2 setup...but there is nothing like getting into a S3, half leather, red trim, 15's, black dash. Just feels the business.

I guess its just devil I know and if I didn't have one, I'd pay good money for one. Like mine :)
 
To answer your original question, why did I buy one? The answer is that I'd always wanted one and they fitted the budget. I deliberately bought a model in pretty ordinary shape so that I wouldn't be afraid to modify it and drive in some (low level) speed events. So far I'm enjoying it as is (about two months on the road), but I will get around to tinkering with it at some point. If I sold it, it certainly wouldn’t be because I was disappointed!
As for values generally, one of the issues is that the 205GTI is still relatively cheap to buy but costly to maintain (relative to purchase cost). Non-exclusivity is not a good thing for collectable cars, and neither are big running costs. It makes them non-economic to repair. M3s are exclusive, and relatively cheap to keep going.
At some only the pristine cars will be left, and that's when values will go up. So buying as an investment is possible, but you had better be patient, and keep it in tip top order.
 
I suspect that 205 values may well have bottomed and values for really good examples might now rise a little over time. You still, however, wouldn't buy one for investment. A cheap 205 is never going to be for investment because they are generally tired and completely uneconomic to restore. There are very few cars that come onto the market that are in really top condition and have had the expensive maintenance items like rear beam done. Even if you buy the best of the cars that come onto the market, once you pay to it brought up to top condition you will very quickly have invested much more than you'll ever get back on resale. I think anyone buying a 205 now is doing so because they are a cool looking car that's good fun to drive - not to make money.
 
I don't think 205 gti's are an investment at all full stop.

They cost way too much to look after good one's are generally overpriced and they still need work to be made better (there is always somat that needs fixing).

If you want investment put $10k in a high interest fund for a few years and you will see gains put it ina 205 you wont see any...

Now maybe in another 10 years and there is still buyers you will get what you paid for one now after spending $1000s to keep it in good shape.

A 205 gti for me however is just my childhood/teenage dream car and always will be having now had around 14 or 15 of them!!

My problem is I always think there is a better one out there waiting for me, so I sell to end up in the same situation ie similar condition specs just a different colour lol!!
 
Well said Richard.

A cool car to be having some fun in. No driver aids etc.

Cam
 
yes Richard, too true. I think the niche market that is the 205 Gti is just going to get
ever smaller and more fraught.
as for you Gezza, you're a shameless recidivist! but your passion for these little things
is absolutely right. there's nothing else out there that compares.
 
There's a S1 (IIRC) being wrecked at U Pull It - Lonsdale!

I've only ever driven fairly tatty modified GTIs and SIs over the years. To me, they are one special car - I can understand the following.

Would I pay 10k for a mint one? Yes. Do I have 10k for a weekend toy? No.
 
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