Thanks all for the welcome
Very pleased I can keep the car in the family and keep it as a sort of living memory of my F-i-L.
I'm hoping to pick it up in the next month or so. It would appear that in the meantime it has developed a cold-start problem. But I'll worry more about that once I can get to it and get the codes read
Anyway by popular request here's a couple of pics and some details of my 205s
The first one is my 205 GTI '1FM'. Its a limited edition, just 25 like this one were made for Radio 1's 25th birthday in 1992. They're the highest-spec 205 ever made. It has full leather interior, sunroof, remote central locking, ABS and Aircon, as well as a (for the time) a top-end stereo system. The wheels were finished in grey with the silver rim, and there are various bodywork decals and so on. I've owned this car 11 years now. Its done 62,000 miles and luckily has been well cared for all its life. Each one of the 25 1FMs were individually numbered with a brass plate, showing which of the 25 it was. Mine is number 1. Took some finding!! There are 19 1FMs still in existence today. Below picture is from the Excel show this time last year, when it was part of the grand avenue display.
- 1FM.JPG (216.39 KiB) Viewed 670 times
The next one is called a 205 GTI 'Classic'. I imported it from Australia a few years ago. When 205 GTI production ceased, the very last 30 cars to be delivered to Australia were made a limited edition, called the 'Classic'. It has various options, including the unique (for a GTI) colour which is a nice dark metallic green. Again each one was numbered. This one is number 27 of the 30. There are believed to be 20 of the 30 cars left today. When it arrived here I could hardly believe the condition of it, which was remarkable underneath. Not a spot of rust anywhere. I then read up - they don't salt roads in Australia because it never really gets cold enough. So, because Australia carried on getting 205GTIs after the UK did, this is almost certainly the latest VIN number / build date 205 GTI now in the UK. Its the only Classic in the UK, well, in fact its the only Classic outside of Australia that I know of. Picture below is when it was on the Club Peugeot stand at the NEC a couple of years ago.
- Classic.JPG (174.22 KiB) Viewed 670 times
Last one is the 205 'Griffe'. The Griffe was a sort of 'Halo' model of the 205 GTI that was available on continental Europe. It was not especially limited, about 1,600 were made in total, and in France, Germany, Holland, etc, it was essentially a special edition model you could order. The Griffe featured the then unique colour known as 'Laser' green, grey wheels, full leather interior, grey strips on the bumpers instead of red, and numerous other small bits and pieces. The story goes that it is modelled on the 205 GTI that Jean Todt (the guy who ran their motorsport division, with the 205 T16) drove around in at the time and had had personalised. 'Griffe' is the French word for 'claw' and this ties in to Peugeot's Lion symbol, a connection that was used a lot more in their marketing effort back then.
So obviously, all Griffes were all left hand drive. However at the time, Peugeot UK ordered one right-hand-drive Griffe from the factory, to assess whether they wanted to take it for the UK market. Ultimately, they decided that they did not want to, and that was that. So this 205 therefore is unique in that it is the only factory-produced, right hand drive 205 Griffe. The Griffe was sold on and essentially disappeared. I picked up the story of it in about 2005, and over 10 years later, I finally found it. It was in a dreadful state, and all of the pieces that made it special were long gone. But, I have managed to source everything needed and you see it here after all the aesthetics and the interior had been replaced, so at least it now looks like a Griffe. It still needs an engine change (someone has shoehorned a 306 GTI-6 engine into it), and some bodywork, but that is to do in the future.
- Griffe.jpg (217.02 KiB) Viewed 670 times
Last of all, quick pic of my old E39 M5, appropriately enough, towing one of the 205s. It had the Westfalia detachable tow bar which was great for this sort of thing. That M5 was absolutely sublime, it did everything well, and was incredibly capable. In fact it was ideal for towing, with a torquey engine up front, great big dinner plates for brakes, and a comfy interior to boot. I can highly recommend one. Just be prepared for the fuel bills and the M-tax on parts
- M5 & 1FM.jpg (199.94 KiB) Viewed 670 times
Right, anyway. That's enough about pugs....now back to Z4s
Rob
. Amazing how 128hp seemed the dogs bollocks back then! 
It dates way back about 17-18 years ago, when i first joined a Peugeot forum and at the time I had two 205s. Right at that time there was also the hoo-ha about John Prescott having the use of two ministerial Jaguars at the time, and the Sun, Daily Mail, etc referred to him as 2-Jags. So it was partly a play on that as well 