André de Cortanze

The French engineer who served as technical director of Peugeot Talbot Sport during its Group B world titles.

Grouve Sport documentary

Episode 8 — The Architects: Fiorio, Todt, Gumpert, Turner & the People Behind Group B

The engineers and team bosses who built Group B.

Career

André de Cortanze was born on 30 March 1941 and graduated in engineering in 1967. He joined Alpine, where he both drove and designed racing cars, had success in Formula Three and Formula Two, and designed a test chassis for Renault’s first Formula One project. In 1978 he also designed an unconventional frameless motorcycle for Elf.

In the 1980s he became technical director of Peugeot Talbot Sport under Jean Todt, the period of the 205 Turbo 16‘s world titles.

Technical director of Peugeot Talbot Sport, later designer of the Toyota GT-One.

After Peugeot

He moved to Sauber in 1993, then to Ligier and Toyota, where he designed the 1998–99 Toyota TS020 (GT-One) and became the first technical director of the Toyota Formula One team. He later worked with Pescarolo Sport.

Sources do not give a precise start date for de Cortanze’s time at Peugeot Talbot Sport, nor his exact role on the 205 Turbo 16 design; he is described only as technical director in the 1980s.

In pictures 1 photos

Peugeot 205
Peugeot 205Photo: Calreyn88 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0

More from Designers and engineers

Sergio LimoneThe Abarth engineer behind the Lancia 037, and the Delta S4.Read more →Claudio LombardiLancia's engine designer for the 037 and the twin-charged Delta S4, later Ferrari team manager.Read more →Tony SouthgateThe racing-car designer who drew the Ford RS200's chassis.Read more →John WheelerFord's Boreham engineer who won the RS200 design competition.Read more →Ferdinand PiëchThe Audi engineering chief who made the quattro possible.Read more →Walter TreserProject leader and namer of the Audi quattro, first head of Audi Sport.Read more →

Sources

  1. Wikipedia (EN), André de Cortanze — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andr%C3%A9_de_Cortanze
  2. Wikipedia (EN), Peugeot 205 Turbo 16 — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peugeot_205_Turbo_16

All text is original writing for Grouve Sports Management Group, based on the sources above. Facts checked on 21 October 2026.

Follow Grouve Sport on YouTube — rally Shorts now, Group B documentaries soon.

Subscribe

Thumbnail photos on this page: KKPCW（Kyu3） (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Jorjum (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 3.0); Calreyn88 (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0); Nicky Clarke (Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0).