{"id":47347,"date":"2026-11-03T11:50:57","date_gmt":"2026-11-03T10:50:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/?p=47347"},"modified":"2026-11-03T11:50:58","modified_gmt":"2026-11-03T10:50:58","slug":"peugeot-the-latest-secrets-behind-the-creation-of-the-205","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/?p=47347","title":{"rendered":"Peugeot: the latest secrets behind the creation of the 205"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Whilst Peugeot is set to unveil its 208 next year, having already given us a sneak peek via the E-T16 at the Paris Motor Show, we take a look back at the car that inspired its design theme: the 205, unveiled on 24 February 1983. Here\u2019s an exclusive insight into the origins of this remarkable car, featuring some rather unexpected documents. A real game-changer which, alongside the Citro\u00ebn BX, saved the PSA Group from bankruptcy in the mid-1980s.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Is this success down to his style?<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The design study for the M24 programme took place between 1977 and 1981. This 1978 model shows that every possibility was explored, including a design with three side windows.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Is this success down to its styling? No, because the success of a new car model depends above all on a perfect alignment of the stars. For the 205, styling played a huge part \u2013 who could argue otherwise? However, its development was also characterised by a \u2018go for broke<\/em>\u2019 approach to prevent the PSA Group from going bankrupt. The choice was to be bold rather than timidly conservative.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The long-standing tradition of the estate car design was not adopted for the 205. Pininfarina tried its hand with its 1984 Verve concept car.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There was also talk of decisions that were not easy to make: launching the brand into competition, thanks to the determination of Jean Boillot and Jean Todt; perfectly anticipating the birth of the GTI legend; a dealer network that enthusiastically embraced this charming 205; petrol and diesel engines; and a range of body styles: 2-door, 5-door and Cabriolet. The only thing missing was the estate (pictured above), even though it had been proposed as a motor show prototype by Pininfarina\u2026 What we\u2019re looking at today is the styling of the car that was designed under the code name M24. And these little stories within the bigger picture lift the veil on some of the lesser-known aspects of its origins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A resounding victory over P<\/strong>ininfarina<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Paul Bouvot on the Peugeot-style terrace at La Garenne, sitting in a WM prototype for the 24 Hours of Le Mans designed by a team of volunteers led by\u2026 G\u00e9rard Welter.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When he arrived at the CEP (Centre d\u2019\u00c9tudes de Paris) at the design studio in La Garenne-Colombes, G\u00e9rard Welter joined a small team led by Paul Bouvot. In 2008, G\u00e9rard told us, \u201cat first, when I arrived at the CEP, the collaboration with Pininfarina was a bit over my head. I was experiencing it from the inside, but I didn\u2019t have any responsibility at the time. I know that Paul Bouvot was both frustrated because we were competing with Pininfarina and proud to be up against such a renowned design house.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The moment of truth is fast approaching. The M24 project is nearing the industrialisation stage, and Jean Boillot is looking forward to it as he strokes the model\u2019s canopy here.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The design of the 204 and 504 saloons, which Peugeot\u2019s management would go on to choose, was the work of the Italian firm, which had been under contract with the French manufacturer since 1951 to design the 1955 403. Towards the end of the 1970s, this collaboration was largely to Pininfarina\u2019s advantage, but G\u00e9rard Welter explained during our interview that \u201cthe comparisons between our various models and those of Pinin have taught us to look closely at and observe their proposals. And in this little game, little by little, we began to become extremely competitive.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Pininfarina\u2019s proposal for Project 205 was the antithesis of Peugeot\u2019s: rigid, wedge-shaped, yet modern and simple.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWhen we found ourselves competing in the M24 (205) programme, everything had come together for us for the first time to fight a winning battle. Yet things were going badly for Peugeot at the time, and I remember Jean Boillot whispering to me, \u2018G\u00e9rard, if we don\u2019t get this car right, we\u2019re finished.\u2019 You can imagine the pressure!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A Peugeot 104 chassis<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Nowadays, a car programme relies first and foremost on the platform used and its powertrain. At Stellantis, no single brand has a dedicated platform. These are, of course and quite logically, shared. When the M24 project began, the story was very different. G\u00e9rard Welter explained this to us during one of his many interviews conducted at his home in Thorigny-sur-Marne: \u201cWe couldn\u2019t afford to invest, given the company\u2019s financial situation. We simply had to use the 104\u2019s platform.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In 1975, barely three years before work began on the 205 programme, Peugeot attempted to expand the 104 range with a three-box saloon. An estate version was also considered. Neither of these body styles went ahead.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

This is no trivial matter, because whilst the 205\u2019s styling obviously contributed to its undeniable success, it was not the only aspect that G\u00e9rard managed to master. \u201cBy using the 104\u2019s platform, we were working with a design in which the spare wheel was housed under the bonnet.<\/em> \u2019 For G\u00e9rard, who wanted to design a silhouette with a slightly sloping bonnet, this was unacceptable. Together with his teams, he managed to persuade the project\u2019s technical manager to move the spare tyre to the rear. This decision was endorsed by Mr Forichon and enabled the 205\u2019s design to feature attractive proportions and lower window lines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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March 1978: on the fourth floor of the G01 building, at the heart of Peugeot\u2019s design studio, the 205 is gradually taking shape. The key features are there: the windows are generously sized and flow into a low front end that no longer has a spare wheel.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Three horizontal bars: Roland Peugeot\u2019s recommendation<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The documents published today \u2013 some of which have never been seen before \u2013 show that finalising the design of the 205 was by no means plain sailing. The main areas of relentless research were the front grille and the rear end. For the front end, numerous solutions were explored: a classic grille, a grille with a single slit, and another with several horizontal bars. For the rear, the idea of a bulbous shape \u2013 in stark contrast to the taut lines of most cars of the time \u2013 was pursued for a very long time, right up until the end of the programme.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The 205\u2019s grille sparked a debate. Numerous proposals were considered, ultimately boiling down to a choice between a classic grille (shown above) or one with horizontal bars\u2026<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As for the grille, it was Roland Peugeot who guided G\u00e9rard Welter. But we mustn\u2019t overlook the role played by Jean-Paul Parayre, CEO of PSA from 1977 to 1984. G\u00e9rard Welter recalls bumping into him in a lift, where \u201che mentioned in passing that I must be pleased with the final choice made regarding our model. But more than Jean-Paul Parayre, it was Roland Peugeot who really talked things through with us. He\u2019d always enjoyed doing that. He\u2019d come to see us just as he\u2019d come to see friends. He\u2019d say to me, \u2018I really like your car, G\u00e9rard; it\u2019s well-rounded and appealing, but the grille with just a single slit (below) won\u2019t do. Make it with several slats!\u2019 <\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Let\u2019s give credit where credit is due to Roland Peugeot: the three bars on the 205 were his idea, and more than forty years later, Matthias Hossann\u2019s team drew heavily on this \u2018three bars\u2019 theme to create the 2027 208, pictured below!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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G\u00e9rard Welter, for his part, tells us that \u201cI have a great deal of respect for Roland Peugeot. I tell myself he\u2019s right, so I listen to him and create those famous moustaches. Above all, it shows that the senior figures of the time took a keen interest in what we were doing.<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Here is a summary of the design stages. In 1, the grille with a single slit. In 2, the rival design, solid and classic. In 3, the grille with two bars; and in 4, the final version proposed by Roland Peugeot.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

As for the rear end, it remained rounded for a very long time, as the head of design at the time acknowledged: \u201cIt\u2019s a very distinctive rear end, very bulbous, whilst the competition was still in the era of very cubic, sharply chiselled shapes. Its defining feature \u2013 almost a caricature \u2013 is its small square tail lights. We\u2019d produced scale models with wider lights, but given the narrowness of the 205, these lights allowed it to appear wider. <\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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These two views, created from two scale models, reveal how the perception of the stern differs depending on whether the rear lights are square or elongated.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

However, G\u00e9rard Welter acknowledges that amongst the management \u201cthere was a very legitimate sense of concern. We had no resources; it was a period that was both sad and exciting for those who knew about the M24 project. Jean Boillot was one of those who were concerned. He thought the rear of the 205 looked rather bare. It was made entirely of sheet metal; he told us, \u2018We can\u2019t launch the car like that.\u2019 He was also close to the sales team, so he knew what needed to be done. <\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Right up until the end, the M24 programme featured a round, rather prominent rear end that was causing concern amongst management. G\u00e9rard Welter came up with a last-minute solution, fitting plastic trim to the rear end.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSo we added a plastic hubcap. But the funny thing about the story is that when we had to revamp the car as part of the facelift, we removed that hubcap to modernise the 205. In fact, it was very modern right from the start!<\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A simple fuel cap could have jeopardised the 3-door version<\/strong><\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

For G\u00e9rard Welter\u2019s team, the design of the 205 was therefore no straightforward affair. As we have seen, whether it was the choice of a sharp or, conversely, a bulbous design theme, or even the grille with its \u2018whiskers\u2019 and the tailgate that was \u2018too much like the Renault 14\u2019, the details were scattered all over the place. But the coherence of the final design quite simply resulted in the miracle everyone had been hoping for.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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In November 1978, yet another round of model comparisons took place. This time, the VW Golf \u2013 which had served as the benchmark throughout the project \u2013 was joined by the Renault 14, with which the 205 had, for a time, shared its bulbous rear end.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

There is a little story within the bigger one concerning the three-door version of the 205 \u2013 the one that was brought to the fore by the first 205 GTI in 1984. Let\u2019s hear from G\u00e9rard Welter in 2008, who told us that \u201cthe 205\u2019s challenge lay first and foremost with the three-door version and its very distinctive rear window design. \u201cWhen the sales team saw this variant, they were absolutely determined to have a decorative feature on the body panel. So we designed some wheel trims, and in one of them we even incorporated the fuel filler cap. <\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The side profile of the 3-door model was of paramount importance to the design team, who adopted a modern interpretation that was very different from that of the 5-door version. With two design elements that proved rather problematic!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

But the complexity of aligning this cap with the decoration nearly put an end to this detail \u2013 which wasn\u2019t really a detail at all \u2013 in the masterful design of the GTI logo, which was then on the verge of becoming legendary! \u201cIn terms of mass production, this solution wasn\u2019t straightforward because the whole thing had to be aligned properly, and that wasn\u2019t easy. We heard all sorts of comments, like, \u2018Ah, those designers with their crazy ideas\u2019. Well, given its success, it was actually quite amusing\u2026 <\/em>\u201d With the GTI, Peugeot was set to take on the Golf on the domestic market \u2013 a car that had been the benchmark right from the start of the 205\u2019s M24 design studies. \u201cIt just goes to show that anything is possible<\/em>,\u201d G\u00e9rard Welter added at the time\u2026<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 as seen by G\u00e9rard Welter<\/strong><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Very soon after the design of the 205 saloon had been finalised, Welter and his team began work on the Turbo 16 at Jean Todt\u2019s request.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

The Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 would play a part in the PSA Group\u2019s recovery. Not because of its production figures (200 units), but because of its media impact. Peugeot\u2019s image was to be completely transformed and elevated to the very pinnacle thanks to motorsport. First with the 205 Turbo 16, which went on to win two World Rally Championships, and then with the 905 and its two victories at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, in 1992 and 1993.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Jean Todt, head of the Peugeot-Sport unit, was therefore behind the 205 Turbo 16. G\u00e9rard Welter told us in an interview in 2008 \u201cthat Jean Todt and I get on very well. Jean knew me from my involvement with WM at the 24 Hours of Le Mans. He simply came to see me and asked the design team to come up with a design for this car fairly quickly. He wanted from us what he\u2019s always wanted from his teams: the very best! We produced a rather well-executed design model, and both Jean Todt and Jean Boillot were won over straight away. The car looked great with its big wings, and I think it only took a few modifications to fit the engine, and 200 units were put into production as it was. <\/em>\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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The tribute to the Peugeot 205 unveiled at this year\u2019s Paris Motor Show was based on the Turbo 16 version. And it\u2019s 100 per cent electric, to reflect the spirit of the times! (photo: Peugeot Communication)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

Some of the photographs published in this article have been digitally enhanced to improve their clarity, without compromising the original documents<\/em>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Whilst Peugeot is set to unveil its 208 next year, having already given us a sneak peek via the E-T16 at the Paris Motor Show, we take a look back at the car that inspired its design theme: the 205, unveiled on 24 February 1983. Here\u2019s an exclusive insight into […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":47258,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47347"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=47347"}],"version-history":[{"count":38,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47347\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":47389,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/47347\/revisions\/47389"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/47258"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=47347"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=47347"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lignesauto.fr\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=47347"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}