Rallyes are a bit of like buses. No longer within the literal sense clearly, however you spend an eternity looking ahead to one to turn up after which two come alongside directly. I’d been looking ahead to what gave the impression of an eternity for certainly one of Peugeot’s light-weight legends to crop up within the classifieds, and the hot disclose of the Swiss-only 208 Rallye homage solely made the need for a steely-wheeled scorching hatch even better. Then, a few weeks in the past, a 306 Rallye seemed, the primary one I’d noticed on PH in yonks. And now glance, certainly one of it’s pint-sized siblings is up on the market too.

Is there the rest that encapsulates the enjoyment of using higher than a 106 Rallye? Small, featherweight and really guide is a recipe that’s assured to deliver you pleasure in the back of the wheel, and it’s one we infrequently see replicated in this day and age for all types of dull protection and environmental causes. Sigh. Admittedly, the 106 Rallye wasn’t specifically on paper, with simply 103hp on faucet from a rorty four-cylinder motor, however the amusing comes from keeping up momentum and making plans the way you assault every nook. So it’s possible you’ll want a bit of of time to rise up to hurry – however staying there may be the place the joys begins. 

Apparently, the 106 is the one Rallye constructed for homologation functions. Again within the Nineteen Nineties, when Peugeot gave a rattling about motorsport, the French carmaker was once having a look to go into the Global Rally Championship’s booming 1300cc class: an entry-level tier that includes most commonly inventory superminis that have been affordable to shop for and, extra importantly, affordable to fix after a shunt. The issue was once Peugeot’s maximum potent 106 XSi was once powered through a 1.4-litre motor, so it nabbed a 1.3-litre TU-series engine from the PSA portions bin and flippantly changed it to provide an excellent 98hp. 

This model, then again, is without doubt one of the later Section 2 fashions. It too was once a homologation particular, solely this time for the novel 1600cc magnificence of the mid-to-late Nineteen Nineties. The street automotive’s engine capability was once subsequently enlarged to at least one.6-litres, bringing energy ranges into the triple digits and upping torque from 80lb feet to 97. In contrast to the Sequence 1, the requirement to rag the dwelling daylights out of it to get anyplace was once lessened, with energy and torque to be had significantly decrease within the rev vary. Widely talking, that suggests the Sequence 2s aren’t moderately as characterful because the Sequence 1s – however measured in opposition to the rest from 2023, it’s nonetheless very a lot a rocket to your pocket. 

Higher nonetheless, Sequence 2 vehicles benefitted from the GTI’s suspension format and discs brakes entrance and rear, versus the drums at the Sequence 1. It was once nonetheless down on energy in comparison to a GTI, however with little soundproofing, ultra-basic fabric seats and no energy guidance did give the Rallye an important weight benefit. After which there’s how it appears. White steelies aren’t for everybody, and why Peugeot ditched its outdated yellow, purple and blue motorsport colors is past me. A trio of colors have been to be had in the United Kingdom and even if white was once through a ways the preferred, it’s additionally the most productive (to my eyes no less than).

No longer {that a} ‘not unusual’ 106 Rallye exists in this day and age. HowManyLeft places the whole determine (each Sequence 1 and a pair of) registered at the street lately at 124, and it’s exhausting to believe they’re all in as excellent a nick as this 1998 instance. There are 89,000 miles at the clock and a ‘complete provider report’ collected through its 4 earlier house owners, even though the vendor guarantees a ‘complete provider’ prior to heading to its new proprietor. Which may be you for the not-so-small rate of £12,500, which is just a smidgen less expensive than the larger and extra tough 306 Rallye we just lately featured. That one wasn’t a homologation particular, thoughts, so if you wish to have a Rallye with precise pedigree, glance no additional.

Engine: 1,587cc four-cylinder
Transmission: five-speed guide, front-wheel force
Energy (hp): 103@6,200rpm
Torque (lb feet): 97@3,500rpm
MPG: N/A
CO2: N/A
Yr registered: 1998
Recorded mileage: 89,000
Worth new: £9,895
Yours for: £12,500