Peugeot · 1977–1993

Peugeot 305

The Peugeot 305 is a medium-sized car produced by the French automaker Peugeot from 1977 to 1989. It was offered as a four-door saloon, five-door estate, and as a three-door van derivative.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: AMC Spirit|Peugeot 304 · Successor: Peugeot 306

All Peugeot 305 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

History

=== Origins === During the mid 1970s, the motoring press speculated that a new Peugeot would soon arrive, in order to update the company's model lineup, in an attempt to make the Peugeot more internationally appealing. Since Peugeot had only recently discontinued their long-running 404 model, many people thought that the purpose of the new car would to fill the gap, previously occupied by the 404, between the 304 and 504 models, to compete against cars like the Ford Cortina/Taunus and Renault 12. It therefore would have been natural for the new car to be called the 405, commencing a new "05" generation of Peugeot models. However, in fact the car was developed from the running gear from the 304, but in terms of size and price, it was close to the already-defunct 404. The 304 would remain in production some time after the new car was introduced. Instead of being called the 405, the new car was called the 305. When it made its press début in November 1977, the motoring press were initially confused as to why it was called a 305 rather than a 405. It was similar in size to its French competitor the Renault 18, which was launched around the same time. Sitting somewhere between the C- and D-segments it competed with cars in the Golf-class but also with somewhat larger cars like the Ford Cortina/Taunus, Vauxhall Cavalier/Opel Ascona and Simca 1307/Chrysler Alpine. Production. The Peugeot 305 was unveiled in November 1977, and was initially available as a four-door saloon with a choice of two petrol engines: a 1290 cc, 65 PS (48 kW; 64 hp) unit for the GL and GR models or a 1472 cc, 74 PS (54 kW; 73 hp) for the top-specification SR model. Four months later Peugeot announced the 305 GRD, discreetly identified from the outside by the letters "GRD" on the left side of the boot/tr

Body design

The body was done by Italian stylist Pininfarina and was completely new. It was all-steel monocoque which strongly resembled the BMW 3 Series of the time. The design is based on Peugeot's 'VSS' prototype safety vehicle, which Peugeot created to improve car safety. This meant that the car had front and rear crumple zones, side impact protection, a protected fuel tank and bolt-on front wings. Three bodystyles were available, consisting of a conventional three-box four-door sedan, a five-door station wagon, and a three-door panel van. VERA. A series of aerodynamic research studies called VERA (Véhicule Économe de Recherche Appliquée, "applied research in economical vehicles") was also begun in 1981. The first model was a petrol-engined version (VERA 01) with a 63 hp (46 kW) engine, topping out at 155 km/h (96 mph). The cars were significantly lightened; the VERA 02 went from 925 to 750 kg or 2,040 to 1,650 lb and made more aerodynamic. A large rear wing, skirts covering parts of the rear wheels, and deeply scalloped sections behind the front wheels were all noticeable. The Cx was reduced from 0.44 to 0.319, helping lower fuel consumption between 33 and 38 percent. At the 1982 Geneva Salon the VERA 02, with a 1362 cc turbodiesel, was shown, and the more radical VERA Plus followed later in 1982 - this was no more than a thinly veiled Peugeot 309 prototype.

Suspension

The 305 estate marked the debut of the now standard PSA Peugeot Citroën rear suspension layout. This is fully independent using trailing arms. It is very compact and was designed to minimise suspension intrusion into the wide flat loadspace, while providing excellent ride and handling. This was later developed (in other Peugeots) to use torsion bars instead of the 305's horizontal coil springs, and it was a key ingredient of the success of the Peugeot 205. The torsion bars system was very similar to those used by Renault and Simca for many years previously.

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Peugeot 305
Manufacturer: Peugeot
Class: Small family car/Large family car (C/D)
Body style: 4-door saloon, 5-door estate, 3-door panel van
Layout: FF layout
Engine: petrol:, 1,290 cc XL5 I4, 1,472 cc XR5/XR5S I4, 1,580 cc XU5 I4, 1,905 cc XU9 I4, diesel:, 1,548 cc XIDL I4, 1,905 cc XUD9 I4
Transmission: 4-speed automatic ZF 4HP14, 4-speed manual, 5-speed manual
Production: 1977–1989, until 1993 in Taiwan
Assembly: France: Sochaux (Sochaux Plant), Chile: Los Andes (Automotores Franco Chilena S.A.), Morocco: Casablanca (Sopriam), Taiwan: Dacun (Yǔtián)
Predecessor: Peugeot 304, Peugeot 204
Successor: Peugeot 405, Peugeot 309
Wheelbase: 2620 mm saloon
Length: 4240 mm saloon
Width: 1635 mm
Designer: Pininfarina
sp: uk

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1361311CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot_305CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1373784702 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Peugeot_305_GR_1981.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: unknown, affiliated with Garage de l'Est, digitally modified and uploaded by User:328cia · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.