Rowan Atkinson places Nineteen Eighties Peugeot 205 GTi up for public sale

Actor and famous petrol head Rowan Atkinson is set to take advantage of the recent boom in demand and value for 1980s hot hatchbacks by offering one of the most legendary performance cars of the era to the highest bidder.

The Mr Bean star, who is equally recognised as a motoring nut, will make his 1989 Peugeot 205 GTi available to collectors by entering it into a classic car auction hosted in the Midlands at the end of the month. 

Like a number of hot hatches from the same generation, the price of these increasingly rare cars has been soaring in the last few years. Here’s how much experts say it could make when the hammer drops…

Peugeot’s 205 GTi – which was launched 40 years ago – is one of the defining ‘hot hatches’ of the 1980s and 1990s.

And because it is held in such high regard, surviving examples in good condition are appreciating in value at an alarming rate.

With just over 333,000 produced between the years of 1984 and 1994, How Many Left – which is powered by DVLA data – shows that fewer than 1,000 remain on the road in Britain today – though a further 5,600 are being stored off the road with SORNs, likely by collectors watching their value skyrocket.

One of the 882 that currently registered on the road is this one owned by the Blackadder star, who is known to be particularly fastidious when it comes to looking after his vehicles.

And that’s the case for this delightful little 205 GTi, which is set to be a major attraction at The Classic Car Sale at Stoneleigh Park on 28 September when it goes to the block with no reserve.

Nick Whale, CEO at CCA says the 1989 Peugeot’s condition ‘belies the indicated 71,000 miles’ it has on the clock. 

But it hasn’t been in Atkinson’s hands for long; he bought it just three years ago and has covered only 300 of its indicated 71,072 miles on the odometer.

It is a facelifted ‘phase 1.5’ version of the 1.6-litre GTi, which was launched in the UK in January 1988 and was available until 1990 when the 1.9-litre successor emerged.

Under the bonnet is the 1.6-litre, four-cylinder petrol engine generating 115bhp of power.

Combined with its lightness, it – on paper – can accelerate from rest to 60mph in 8.9 seconds and onto a top speed of 121mph.

While that might not sound particularly fast by today’s standards, some 35 years ago it was more than enough to be an enviable performance road car. 

Which of the 1.6 and 1.9 powertrains is the better choice for 205 GTi enthusiasts remains a heated debate today; some will argue this smaller, lighter engine offers better balance and handling, while 1,900cc owners will say theirs is ultimately faster.

No matter which one you opted for in the eighties, both the 1.6 and 1.9 litre versions of the 205 GTI had a reputation for lift-off oversteer that left some in a hedge. However, 40 years later, the development of modern tyres has made them considerably easier to manage on the road.

As well as having a famous name in its logbook, the likely sale price for this particular car is predicted to be high also due to its incredible condition and spec.

Finished in Alpine White paint, it was fitted with the optional glass sunroof when new and retains its original pepper-pot alloy wheels.

The interior appears in exceptional ‘almost time-warped’ condition, the CCA consignor says, with the half-cloth and half-leather seats, red-stripe inserts and bright red velour ‘cut-pile’ carpets all in wonderful condition.

Explaining how the TV and film star attained the vehicle, Whale explained: ‘This superbly presented example was offered to well-known comedian, actor and long-term petrol head, Rowan Atkinson CBE around three years ago and he simply couldn’t resist.’

However, due to the number of other motors in his coveted collection, Whale says the Johnny English star simply hasn’t had the time to dedicate to driving it.

But Mr Atkinson has still spent a bit of money on it during his ownership to raise the condition to how it wanted it – and how it appears today.

The car, which had previously stood for a long period, required a number of small jobs to make it near-perfect.

As such, just over £2,500 has been spent on the Peugeot in the last eight month alone.

The car was MOT’d on 8 August and passed with flying colours.

Given it is heading to auction without a reserve price, CCA has not given a price estimate for the Atkinson 205 GTi.

But to gauge just how much it could sell for, we asked experts at Hagerty Price Guide UK how much they believe it’s worth to a collector today.

Values have been going north in recent years. In fact, the highest price ever paid for a standard 205 GTi was a 1987 1.9 model that changed hands in France for €82,960 – which at the time was just under £69,800. 

A decent 205 GTI with over 100,000 miles on the clock can be yours for much less than that in the UK though – with Hagerty citing a price of about £15,000 to £21,000 for good to excellent cars. 

For this particular motor, John Mayhead, editor of the Price Guide, reckons the sale price will be inflated by its celebrity ownership.

‘The Peugeot 205 GTi is a fantastic hot hatch and a modern classic that Hagerty has tracked increasing significantly in value over the last ten years. The top Hagerty Price Guide value for the 1.6-litre version is now £26,800, although special editions and later, more powerful 1.9-litre cars have sold for more in the UK. 

‘This car presents very well and has a great colour combination. 

‘Its ownership by noted car enthusiast Rowan Atkinson may also increase its value – Hagerty’s Power List that tracks celebrity ownership shows that the five Atkinson cars listed increased by an average of 43 percent over standard. 

‘Given that background, this car could reach around £40,000.’

Not the first time Atkinson would have made a profit on collectable cars…

The Mr Bean actor has a keen eye for spotting motors that appreciate in value. 

Last year, he parted with his beautiful 1993 Lancia HF Integrale Evo II – another hot hatch model from the same era as the 205 GTi – for a whopping £87,750.

And, just a matter of months ago, he again took advantage of auction houses to secure a sale price of £83,250 for his 2015 Land Rover Defender 110 Heritage, which set a new world record for that particular model.

However, these sale prices are a far cry from the biggest four-wheeled earner in Atkinson’s decorated automotive back catalogue.

The British actor made a small fortune when he sold his 1997 McLaren F1 almost a decade ago – and that’s despite the fact he had crashed and had it rebuilt TWICE. 

The Mr Bean star first ploughed the exotic supercar into the back of a Rover Metro on the A6 at Forton, Lancashire, in October 1999.

Then in 2011 he lost control on a slippery bend on the A605 near Peterborough and smashed into a tree.

He escaped from the latter wreckage with a broken shoulder, but most of the car was destroyed, with the high-performance 6.1-litre engine reportedly ending up 60 feet away from the chassis.

That second crash ended in what is thought to be Britain’s highest ever single car insurance payout, with the vehicle costing £900,000 to be rebuilt by McLaren. It also put up his annual insurance to an estimated £60,000.

Despite almost being written off twice, Atkinson sold the hugely-collectable McLaren F1 in June 2015 for £8million – a tidy £7.3million profit on the £640,000 he’d paid in 1997.