While Peugeot may not be well-known stateside, the company has a large market in Europe and South America, where they are known for their simple technology and overall affordability. The French brand tried to compete on U.S. soil as recently as the late 1980s but was forced to pull up stakes due to lack of sales. What would have happened if more consumers had given this underdog a chance to capture their hearts and their hard-earned dollars? Perhaps we would have seen at least one more competitor in the hot hatch battle heating up in the early ’90s, with Acura Integras and VW GTI’s roaming the streets, searching for an unsuspecting Goliath to take down. Our feature car, a Peugeot 106, would fit right in, looking like nothing more than a basic commuter car taking its owner from point a to point b. Located in Cream Ridge, NJ, and listed here on eBay as a 106i, there may be more to this car than meets the eye. First of all, the 106i isn’t listed as a model in Peugeot’s 1994 lineup. Instead, all signs seem to point to this car being an XSi, which was only one step down from the race-lightened and souped-up Ralleye model.

The biggest indication of our feature car being an XSi is the 1.4L fuel injected motor, as opposed to the carbureted 1.0L found in the base model. With only 94hp on tap, it was not a powerhouse but with a total curb weight of just under 2000lbs, it didn’t have to be. The enthusiast eye will note the strut tower brace, and possibly even the JR air filter sticker on the airbox, denoting a performance filter similar to K&N. While these are not huge modifications by any means, they are a great start to increasing performance and they add a nice touch to the engine bay. The ad describes the car as having only 87,374 original kilometers, which works out to an amazing 54,291 miles, not bad for a nearly 30-year-old car.

As the saying goes, it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than a fast car slow, and this is especially true when you can row your own gears. Our feature car is fitted with a five-speed manual, for your driving pleasure. The rest of the interior looks to be in great condition, including the carpets that look still look new. The car features air conditioning, a rarity in most econoboxes, as well as a Pioneer cd player to provide the soundtrack to your backroad travels.

This angle provides a few other clues that the car’s previous owner was an enthusiast. The most obvious may be the gas filler door, which has been upgraded to an aluminum replacement. The keen eye will notice that the emblems have been shaved, adding to the sleeper theme. Then there’s the exhaust tip that seems a little larger than it should be. Finally, while one can’t be sure, the ride height looks slightly lower than stock, hinting at an upgraded suspension. With all of these subtle modifications, the new owner will undoubtedly enjoy taking drivers of performance cars by surprise, during the daily commute or otherwise.