The Peugeot 305 is a medium-sized car produced by Peugeot from 1977 to 1989, as a four-door saloon, a five-door estate and a three-door van. It was the first of the “05” generation, which lasted until the 605 went out of production in 1999.
Peugeot 305 at a glance
| Production | 1977–1989, van to June 1990 |
|---|---|
| Unveiled | November 1977 |
| Bodies | four-door saloon, five-door Break estate, three-door van |
| Launch engines | 1,290 cc 65 PS (GL, GR), 1,472 cc 74 PS (SR) |
| Diesel (1978) | 1,548 cc, 50 PS |
| S (1980) | twin carburettors, 89 PS |
| GTX (after 1982) | 105 PS |
| Layout | front-wheel drive, transverse engine |
| Gearbox | four-speed, earlier cars in the sump |
| Award | What Car? Car of the Year 1979 |
History of the Peugeot 305
Why it was a 305 and not a 405
In the mid-1970s the motoring press expected a new Peugeot to fill the gap left by the 404 between the 304 and the 504, competing with the Ford Cortina, Renault 12 and similar cars. It would have been natural to call it 405 and start a new 05 generation, but the car was developed from the running gear of the 304 and, in size and price, sat close to the defunct 404. It was therefore called the 305, to the confusion of journalists when it made its press debut in November 1977. It was similar in size to the Renault 18 and competed with Golf-class cars as well as the Cortina, Cavalier and Simca 1307.
Models and engines
The 305 was unveiled in November 1977 as a four-door saloon with two petrol engines: a 1,290 cc unit of 65 PS in the GL and GR, and a 1,472 cc unit of 74 PS in the top SR. Four months later came the 305 GRD, marked by the letters on the left of the boot lid, with a 1,548 cc diesel using an aluminium block, an overhead camshaft and a Bosch injector pump, giving 50 PS. In March 1980 the Break estate and the Break Service van were shown at Geneva and went on sale in August, replacing the 304 versions. At Paris in 1980 the 305 S arrived with twin carburettors and 89 PS, and after the 1982 facelift the top model became the GTX with 105 PS.
Power came from 1.3 and 1.5-litre petrol engines and a 1.55-litre diesel, and after the facelift the 1.5 was replaced by a 1.6 and 1.9-litre petrol and XUD diesels, the same engines used in the Talbot Horizon. The 305 was praised for a durable gearbox. There was no fifth gear, but Peugeot said the car could reach 95 mph if pushed.
The 1982 facelift
The series 2 cars arrived at the Paris Salon in late 1982 to keep the 305 competitive with the Ford Sierra and the new Cavalier. They had revised frontal styling, new front suspension and steering, a new dashboard and a modified subframe so that the new XU engines with a five-speed gearbox could be fitted. That meant abandoning the in-sump gearbox of the 204 and 304 for the end-on arrangement with a transverse engine and unequal-length driveshafts. The GL, GR and van models kept the earlier XL and XR engines with a four-speed gearbox for a few more years. The phase 2 diesel could exceed 50 mpg and was regarded as the best diesel of its time.
Sales and the end
The 305 sold strongly in France and most other markets. In Britain its first rivals were the Cortina Mk4, Cavalier Mk1 and Morris Marina, and later the Sierra, Cavalier Mk2, Montego, Renault 21 and Nissan Bluebird. In 1979 it won the What Car? Car of the Year award, although it was largely overlooked for the European Car of the Year, which went to the Chrysler Horizon. French saloon production ended in 1988 after the launch of the 405, estates followed in 1989, and the van continued until June 1990; 86,413 were built, by far the rarest body style.
Design and features
- First of the 05 generation: the numbering that ran from the 305 to the 605.
- 304 running gear: developed from the smaller car but sized like the 404.
- Diesel reputation: the 1,548 cc unit and, later, the XUD engines.
- End-on gearbox: adopted with the 1982 facelift and the XU engines.
- What Car? award: Car of the Year in Britain in 1979.
Peugeot 305 versions
- GL and GR: 1,290 cc, 65 PS.
- SR: 1,472 cc, 74 PS, the top model at launch.
- GRD (1978): the 1,548 cc diesel.
- S (1980): twin carburettors, 89 PS.
- GTX: 105 PS after the 1982 facelift.
- Break and Break Service: estate and van from 1980.
The 305 replaced the Peugeot 304 and was itself replaced by the 405, with the 306 eventually covering the estates. More in the Peugeot collection.
Video: Kloppend Hart – Peugeot 305 GTX HDI
Video by on YouTube.
Sources
- Peugeot 305, English Wikipedia: origins, models, engines, facelift, sales
