Peugeot 309 GTI
The first Peugeot built in Britain.
The story
The 309 was designed in Britain as a Talbot and was going to be called the Arizona. Peugeot dropped the Talbot name at the last minute and put its own lion on the nose. Figures here are for the GTI, a hot hatch many testers preferred to the famous 205.
Inside
Roomy and plain, with a wraparound glass tailgate.
In period colours
Tap a colour to respray the drawing.
Its number is out of sequence because it was never meant to be a Peugeot.
Meanwhile, in 1985
Live Aid filled Wembley Stadium, and EastEnders began.
Best-selling single of 1985: The Power of Love by Jennifer Rush
Before you buy a 1980s car
- Check for rust in the usual places, though many cars from this decade were better protected.
- Electrical and fuel system faults are common, so test everything.
- Parts for mass-market cars are usually easy to find.
General notes, not specific to this model. Check the model's own history before buying.
Rivals of its day
Picked automatically: cars on sale at the same time with similar size, speed and price.
See the real thing
These open in a new tab: the car on Wikimedia Commons, the interior and the badge as Google image searches.
Today's money: the launch price adjusted for inflation to 2026, using the Office for National Statistics price index.