Description

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This is the complete story of the Peugeot 205’s rallying history, told in all its glory by expert motoring historian Graham Robson, as part of the ‘Rally Giants’ series.

Four-wheel-drive had been authorised in rallying from 1979, but for a time no serious car-manufacturer even tried to harness it to their cars. Although it was Audi who produced the world’s first rally-winning four-wheel-drive car – the Quattro – it was Peugeot who designed, developed, campaigned and won with the first truly sophisticated four-wheel-drive Group B Car – the 205 Turbo 16. It was the first truly great, purpose-designed, Group B car.

Determined to win at almost any cost, Peugeot hired Jean Todt (who would later transform the fortunes of the Ferrari F1 organisation) in 1981, and set him an ambitious target. His dream car had to be running in 1983, homologated in 1984, and capable of winning World Championships by 1985. Nothing, no excuses and no lack of application, was to get in the way of that. Apart from being obliged to use the silhouette of the still-secret new 205 road car, Todt was able ask for anything. Getting approval for whatever he needed and fast-tracking the engineering of the four-wheel-drive rally was not an issue in reaching one simple objective – victory!

This book tells the detailed story of all the cars, the influences, and the personalities behind a magnificent success story. No sooner had the new turbocharged, transverse-mid-engined car started competing, than it was ready to win, yet its dominant career was cut short at the end of 1986 by an abrupt change in rallying regulations. This is the engineering story laid out in great detail, as well as the interaction between company personalities, superstar drivers (including Ari Vatanen) and the highly-charged atmosphere of motorsport at this time. Because Group B was cancelled even before the 205 T16 had reached maturity, it went on to have a successful career in desert raid rallies, and at Pike Peak in the USA, all of which is described in this amazingly authoritative study.

Packed with illustrations, technical details, facts, figures and successes of this innovative car, this book is a must for any rally fan.

About the Author

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After a varied career in the automotive industry, Graham Robson has gained a worldwide reputation as a motoring historian, and has more than 160  books to his credit. Born in 1936, and educated at Ermysteds Grammar School in Yorkshire, Graham then went on to study Engineering at Oxford University. He  joined Jaguar Cars as a graduate trainee, becoming involved in design work on the Mk II, E-Type and Mark X. Beginning as a hobby, he became a rally co-driver, eventually joining the Sunbeam 'works' team in 1961, and took part in rallies up to International level (once with Roger Clark), but stopped rallying by 1968. During this time, he joined Standard-Triumph in Coventry, in 1961, as a Development Engineer, mainly on sports car projects. He then ran the re-opened 'works' motorsport department from 1962 to 1965, this being the period of the birth of Spitfire Le Mans cars, TR4, Vitesse, Spitfire and 2000 rally car developments. Graham Robson’s writing began with rally reports for magazines which evolved into a job with Autocar from 1965 to 1969. He was recruited back to industry at Rootes to run the Product Proving department, then after a brief period in 1972 as technical director of a safety belt company, became an independent motoring writer. Graham has lived 'by the pen' and 'by the voice', not only writing but commentating, presenting and organising events of all types.