Group B is often referred to as the “Golden Era” of rallying and with a Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 Evolution 1 looking for a new home, we couldn’t let this story slip by.
Beginning in 1982 and lasting for just five seasons, Group B gave enthusiasts a lot to talk about and it’s still mentioned nowadays as the most dangerous and yet intriguing times in motorsport history.
This T16, serial number C11, was built for the 1985 WRC season by Peugeot Talbot Sport team and it was driven by 1981 World Champion Ari Vatanen. It arrived late to the scene, as it was homologated in 1984, yet managed to win six out of the eleven WRC events held in 1985, debuting on the 53rd Rallye Monte Carlo, over approximately 850 km (530 miles) of demanding roads.
With its clever suspension design, which allowed quick changes for different road surfaces, during service stops, it also raced in Sweden, one month later, and it entered the Portuguese rally on the third round of the championship, where it took three stage victories before suspension failure. After the rally in Portugal, the C11 was effectively retired from Works competition, but Vatanen did use it for later in the year at the Tour de Corse and Acropolis rallies.
Peugeot won the Drivers’ and Manufacturers’ WRC titles by the end of the 1985 season and it was the most successful team in the final chapter of the Group B era, under the guidance of Jean Todt.
The 1984-made racer will go under the hammer at RMSothebys auction in Monaco, on May 14, but details on its current condition or the estimated selling price have not been disclosed.