In 2001 the Peugeot motor company did something very special. They launched the Peugeot 206 Coupe Cabriolet, the small car with the folding metal roof.
Prior to that the only other car that you could buy with a folding metal roof was the Mercedes SLK which would have cost you a considerably larger sum of money; at that time the Mercedes SLK sold for around £30,000 compared with the £13,000 or so you would need to pay for a brand new Peugeot 206 CC. For a used Peugeot 206 you can expect to pay between £2,000-£8,000, depending on age and mileage, etc.
It is thus not at all surprising that the Peugeot CC became a major seller; in fact it was quite difficult to get hold of them and there was often a waiting list at the dealers. The posing power of the CC was second to none; for its era it was an amazing vehicle. Naturally Peugeot had to make a number of compromises when designing the CC, and one of these was with the available space. Although the car is sold as a four seater, fitting anyone larger than a very small child in the rear is almost impossible despite the attractive bucket seats. When the metal roof is folded away there is very little boot space either.
Also, although attempts were made to strengthen the chassis, with the roof folded down there is a noticeable flexure of the body when cornering quickly and this significantly compromises the car’s handling characteristics.
Despite these problems the car was amazing for its era. Originally there were two engine options: a 110 bhp 1.6 litre and a 138 bhp 2.0 litre petrol engine. Later a 110 bhp1.6 litre diesel engine was added to the range; although not as fast as the petrol alternatives, the diesel engine returns 57.6 mpg. There are plenty of excellent examples of the 206 CC on the used car market and it is not too difficult to pick up a real bargain, however there are a few fairly common faults that you should look out for. Versions with an automatic gearbox are best avoided and you should ensure that the roof mechanism works properly and that there are no water leaks.