By 1986, Peugeot’s formidable 205 Turbo 16 had emerged as the car to beat in the World Rally Championship, despite firm competition posed by Audi and Lancia. In just three years, the charismatic 205 Turbo 16 had fittingly taken sixteen WRC wins from 26 starts and consecutive Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ titles; its progress only halted by the enforced abandonment of Group B regulations at the end of 1986.

Peugeot took advantage of the technical freedom and comparatively modest homologation requirements of Group B to produce 200 road-legal 205 Turbo 16s. Bearing only a passing resemblance to the production 205, the Turbo 16 was a masterpiece of packaging; its rear-mounted, 1.8-liter turbocharged engine operating in conjunction with a complex viscous-coupled four-wheel drive system beneath a hinged, racing-style rear clamshell. At approximately 200 horsepower, the Turbo 16’s output was barely half that of its competition counterpart, yet 60 mph was still achieved in under seven seconds en route to a top speed of 132 mph.

Designated for press use by Peugeot in Italy in the autumn of 1984, this 205 Turbo 16 was subsequently featured in Italy’s most celebrated automotive magazine, Quattroruote (November 1984, pages 256-265). Former Formula 1 driver Ivan Capelli was sent on their behalf to drive the car as intended, and the extraordinary photographs in the article show the car being used as intended. Documents on file from the Automobile Club d’Italia confirm it was this very car bearing the registration number MI 64806W shown in the pages of Quattroruote. Whilst the succeeding years of the car’s history within Italy are not known, in 2015, the car received a major service by R3-Rally Racing Rent of Vezano Sul Crostolo in Reggio Emilia, which included fitting new shock absorbers, brakes, and brake servo.

Imported into the UK in 2016, a further gearbox rebuild was carried out by Lyle Armstrong the following year. The car was acquired by the current owner in 2017. Although remaining largely in static storage, the car was driven regularly to ensure it always remained in running order, with MoTs on file from 2015 to 2019 and 2021, as well as the most recent being undertaken in March of 2026. Earlier in the year, the car was entrusted to Thomas Marks Specialist Cars for a mechanical recommissioning. This work totaled to just over £14,500 and the invoices are available in the car’s history file. At the time of cataloging, the odometer it showing just over 12,500 km from new, which is believed to be original.

Truly one of the most fascinating homologation specials to come out of Group B racing, the 205 Turbo 16 is arguably the most exciting and sought after Peugeot of its era, a true wolf in sheep’s clothing that begs to be driven as its manufacturers intended. This example’s appearance in Quattroruote certainly makes it stand out from the rest and thanks to its recent recommissioning, it is ready for its next adventure.