Happy 309th Birthday

[BorniteIdentity]

HJ reckons the 309 is 30 this year.

 

I'm still haunted by the smell of my brothers simca powered hatch - as he'd use the boot as drying space for his wet hockey kit.

 

As much as Dad tried to talk him out of anything french, Brother persisted because poverty.

 

Sadly I couldn't drive at the time, but find myself increasingly aroused by them.

 

Anyone got any good stories, pics etc?

[steve_earwig]

My brother also had one, a GTI I think it was. I can't remember much about it, apart from the door cards flexing when the windows were opened or shut and it had some kind of pneumatic seal on the sunroof, run off the engine. I had a BX 16 Valve at the time and it seemed rather cheap and nasty by comparison.

[MarvinsMom]

my first girlfriends dad had one, a blue diesel gr or similar, and i thought it was a damn fine car.

 

so not much of a story, sorry!

 

infact i think the 309 full stop was a good motor.

 

i've never owned one myself, but perhaps i will get one, one day?

[Richard]

Our neighbour bought a GTi brand new on an F plate and had a smash on the way home from collecting it. It got repaired but never looked right. I think I'd have insisted on another new car.

[Jim Bell]

 

SLAMMD ON RALLEH STEELZ

 

 

I miss my 309.  So nice I bought it twice.

[M'coli]

The missus had one when we met back in 2001, we went on honeymoon in it in 2003 and she kept it until 2006, by which time it had done over 141000 miles. It was a 1.6 GR, electric fron windows, and the 1580 XU engine that smoked like a good 'un from oil getting past the valve stem seals. I remember going to Ireland in 2004 in it, being stopped in traffic in the Conwy tunnels - I think there was contraflow or summat - and letting the car in front get a good enough distance ahead so I could boot it in first and create a huge cloud of smoke.  Great fun.

[Timewaster]

There were several GTIs about in my yoof.

The dodgy geezer next door had a silver one and ditched it. It was replaced by a red one.

A guy at work had a white one.

 

A few years later I was up for buying myself one but the dealer wasn't interested in my scruffy pile of shit golf trade in.

Shame. Best handling car I ever drove.

[chaseracer]

I had an '89 GLX with the 1294 Simca G1A rattler.  Top motor.

[HH-R]

I always thought the styling slotted in well into the Peugeot range considering it was designed to be a Talbot.

[chaseracer]

I always thought the styling slotted in well into the Peugeot range considering it was designed to be a Talbot.

 

Going all ADO17 with the 205's doors helped on that score.

[sporty-shite]

Had a couple of 309 GTis back in the day. Wish I could afford one now.

[2MB]

They suddenly went from being unloved to only Goodwoods and GTIs bring left and drawing decent money. Always got half an eye open for a bargain one though, lovely looking cars

[carlo]

When I worked for a leasing company in the mid eighties I remember going to a fleet launch for the 309 diesel and driving one back from Coventry to Bushey.  We all thought it was an absolute revelation.  I know that engine had been out in the 305/BX but this engine was bigger, and seemed so refined.  

 

I always had a bit of a thing for the 309 SRi, the GTi was a bit too flashy for me.  On another matter, few months later I managed to blag a 305 GTX from our demo fleet to take to France, and their the love affair began...

[Timewaster]

Oh yes, don't Jack then up with the doors and tailgate open.

They won't close properly for a few days after.

[406V6]

When company car shopping in 1989 I test drove a 309 GTi from that Peugeot garage beside the M4 junction 2. I only drove it 10 yards and hated it. It was unbelievably noisy - as if the froggy workers had forgotten to fit the exhaust. I wish I'd had the courage to stop the test drive at that point but I drove a couple of miles up the A4 and back instead.  Chose an Astra GTE 16V instead. Placed the order with the personnel department and was told that as the leasing price had gone up I couldn't have one. Felt rather annoyed and ordered the 8V instead. Excellent car. Loved it. Torquey, fast, comfortable, economical. Only fault was the erks that kept trying to nick it.

[scaryoldcortina]

I had a D reg 1.3 simca engined one for a short while. Short because it ended up on its roof on a sticky bend... Oh well.

[New POD]

I'VE never been in a Peugeot. (apart from a 505 estate)

 

My boss had a brand new 309 GTI as his company car.  He left the keys in it when he went to buy petrol and it disappeared into the night. Insurance company refused to pay up. The Company (Lucas Industries PLC) had to find the cash for another company car. They didn't try to make him pay for it, but a memo went around all staff with a company car, stating that from then on, they would be expected to pay if they were as stupid.

One of the other younger managers had a 205 GTi (1.9) as his company car, and when he'd had it 2 weeks, he took his girl friend and 2 mates skiing for the weekend in Austria, and on the way back had a puncture which destroyed a tyre, and at dead of night he had to pay £200 in german funny money DMs? to get a tyre, which he presented on Monday as an expenses claim.  

My wife's nursing friend had a husband in West Mercia police (Adam was his name), the week after passing his high speed driver training in a lotus carlton, he lost control of his own 205 Gti (1.6) and rolled it into a field. He was okay apart from merciless teasing from his workmates for months afterwards.

Finally About the same time a mate of mine was working at Peugeot Talbot in Ryton as a Graduate Engineer, and one of the lads in the intake a year above him was killed driving a pool 309 GTI at some speed on a B road.

 

French cars what's not to love.