Unless you've been hidden away in a cave for the past few years, it won't have escaped your attention that values for classic fast Peugeots have been climbing rather rapidly. Where once upon a time
205
306 GTI
s were regular Shed fodder, even opportunities for the latter to feature are now very seldom. Where
a nice 309 GTI
up to £10,000
is now being asked. Whatever next?
Original down to the stereo!
Well, the 106, if you want a straight answer. Prices
for Rallyes
are already going up, Series 1 cars carrying the cachet of genuine homologation and the 1.6-litre cars also appealing to the current lightweight, manual zeitgeist. It stands to reason, therefore, that the GTI will follow.
And why wouldn't it? The 106 GTI was, and remains, a very light, very fast and very pretty hot hatchback. It comes from a time when Peugeot were making fabulous hot hatches and the rest of the world really wasn't. Then the rest of the world was and Peugeot was making the 307 XSI, but let's not get drawn into that now.
It represents all that so many are coveting in classics nowadays, namely a return to the simpler times of fast cars with naturally aspirated engines, low kerbweights and manual gearboxes. The GTI ticks all of those boxes, with the added appeal of the car having never been replaced. 'Old school' is a hackneyed term but the Peugeot's combination of attributes isn't going to be repeated soon. Mainly because cars have to be safer now...
So it seems safe to say that the little Peugeot will become ever more desirable in the coming years. And this one looks like a little gem, especially at just £2,500. Oh sure, it was probably worth £1,500 a few years back, but there we are. It's Diablo Red - arguably the best colour for 106 GTIs - totally mechanically standard - no, seriously - and looks extremely good in the pictures. Indeed the only blemish is a dent in the bonnet but, come on, it's 20 years old and two thousand pounds - it won't be perfect.
And what else is there to consider? A Saxo VTS is the obvious choice as the mechanically identical twin, though it's less pretty and lacks the enviable heritage of Peugeot GTIs. Otherwise this is the era of the Corsa SRI (barely worth mentioning) the Ford Fiesta Zetec S (good, but a bit slow) and, a little bit later, the MG ZR too. 'Diamond in the rough' doesn't really seem adequate for the 106.
A GTI will need regular cambelt changes, and you'll need to ensure your feet fit too, though of course the benefit of having something so small is that consumables will typically be cheap. Where's the downside?
Overall then it really is quite hard to argue against the 106 if you like hot hatches. It's a reminder of all that was classically brilliant about the genre while still being modern enough to use on a regular basis. And £2,500 really isn't a lot of money - don't rue a missed opportunity...
PEUGEOT 106 GTI
Engine: 1,587cc, four-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 120@6,600rpm
Torque (lb ft): 107@5,200rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: 201g/km
Recorded mileage: 76,000
Year registered: 1998
Price new: N/A
Price now: £2,500
See the original advert here
