In an period when the automobile world hums with bulletins of self-driving autos, a stunning relic from the previous is making waves—a 1990 Peugeot 205 GTI scorching hatch with a price ticket that may make you spill your champagne—a unprecedented $66,000 USD. At first look, one would possibly surprise why anybody would shell at the moment’s greatest electrical autos cash for a three-decade-old Peugeot.
The Billionaire’s Low-Profile Sizzling Hatch
The reply lies in its James Bond-worthy modifications and former proprietor. This automobile options degree 2 armour safety and as soon as belonged to none aside from Bernard Arnault, the style mogul and CEO of Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton SE (LVMH), whose web value stands at $180 billion USD, making him the third-richest individual on the earth. He was, briefly, the richest man on earth, nabbing the title from Elon Musk in 2022…
However how may a person who can afford a fleet of Rolls-Royces select an outdated Peugeot? The reason is good and easy on the similar time —anonymity. Within the fashionable period the place ostentatiousness instructions uninvited consideration, Arnault’s alternative of a scorching hatch for the widespread man was the proper masterstroke of flying underneath the radar.
This predilection for privateness is nothing new for Arnault. He made headlines in 2022 after promoting his Bombardier 7500 non-public jet, which value round $73 million USD, when Twitter customers started monitoring its actions. In a Radio Classique interview he revealed:
“The end result now could be that nobody can see the place I’m going as a result of I hire planes after I use non-public planes.”
A mentality of evading the eye is the most probably, which might have been in full drive again within the 90s when he selected his day by day to be a Peugeot 205 GTI.
A Fortification on Wheels
However life as a billionaire will be dangerous, and Arnault’s Peugeot is way from unusual. It was reworked right into a transferring fortress with degree two armoured safety, together with bulletproof home windows and heavy metal plating. Inside upgrades added to the kingly luxurious with handmade leather-based, air-con, and energy steering, as a result of even undercover billionaires should be snug sufficient.
All this armour bolted across the automobile introduced its weight as much as round 1,400 kg— that’s fairly some departure from the nimble base mannequin. For Arnault, nonetheless, the performance-versus-security balancing act was clearly value it.
The automobile’s worth has solely appreciated over time. It was offered to a non-public collector for $41,000 USD in 2009 after being within the Arnault steady for a number of years. When it crossed the block in 2018, the brand new proprietor put solely 100 miles on it over six years — proof constructive it was a prized collectable moderately than a day by day driver. At the moment, this piece of automotive historical past is valued at $66,000 USD, a value that displays not simply its distinctive modifications but additionally its connection to one of many world’s most enigmatic billionaires.
The Surge of the Traditional Automobile Market
Whereas cutting-edge know-how in fashionable vehicles dazzles, the traditional automobile market roars on, poised to the touch $51 billion USD by 2028. What fuels this ardour is a mixture of nostalgia, funding potential, and uncooked emotional attraction, holding lovers in its grip. This sector represents an unrivalled alternative for monetary return or just the unadulterated thrill of proudly owning a slice of historical past.
Take Bernard Arnault’s 1990 Peugeot 205 GTI—an especially uncommon alternative not merely to personal a automobile however to get your fingers on a chunk of billionaire lore and automotive legend.
And for our Australian readers, in case you are trying to start by yourself traditional automobile journey, chances are you’ll discover our unique information, The place To Discover Classic, Distinctive & Traditional Vehicles For Sale in Australia, of immense assist in your quest to lastly discover your classic journey of alternative.
