1988 Ford Sierra Cosworth

When Stuart Turner was appointed head of Ford Motorsport in Europe in 1983 he quickly came to the conclusion that the company was no longer competitive in motorsport. Walter Hayes, having instigated the Cosworth DFV engine and Fords assault on Le Mans with the GT40, was still the driving force at Ford. Not surprisingly Hayes was enthusiastic about Turner's plans to produce a turbocharged Cosworth 2.0 litre engine that would power a Ford saloon in motorsport. Cosworth already had a cylinder head design that fitted the bill which used the Ford T88 Pinto block, so they agreed to produce the 2.0litre turbo engine, providing that Ford signed-off a production run of 15,000 units. The introduction of the Sierra in 1982 required a marketing boost so it was allocated to become the platform for Ford's new competition aspirations. It was rear wheel drive, it had good aerodynamics, (albeit being prone to lift at high speeds) and it was available as a three door. The new body kit and rear spoiler would sort out the lift issues. However, Ford still needed to build 5000 units for homologation; this was somewhat worrying when Turner's initial approach to the dealer network came back with an estimate that suggested they could sell around 1500 units! Ford went on to sell 5,545 three-door cars including the RS500 and the Cosworth engine also found its way into nearly 30,000 Ford Sierra Saloons (Cosworth 3dr, Sapphire 2wd and 4wd). The Sierra Cosworth comfortably exceeded Ford's wishes and it went on to become one of the most successful Touring Car racers of all time, winning races all over the world.

Offered here is a stunning Texaco-liveried Sierra Cosworth that has campaigned with significant success in the 2013 and 2014 Classic Touring Cars Racing Club (CTRC) pre-'93 Touring Car series. According to marque specialists Oakfields, who offered their knowledge and assistance during the build, it is believed to be the last known genuine, right-hand drive 909 Sierra shell in existence. The shell had been stored by Malcolm Wilson Motorsport for over a decade and it was passed on to an employee, who himself stored it until it was discovered by the current owner. He soon set to work creating a tribute to the great Eggenberger Texaco Group A Sierras that dominated the European Touring Car Championship in 1988, with British driver, Steve Soper, at the wheel.

Once the shell had been purchased, the owner turned his attention to the drivetrain, running gear and body panels. Genuine RS Cosworth panels and parts were sourced and the highly reputable Ford engine builder, Ric Wood, was brought in to assemble the mighty YB powerplant. Featuring a '200' block, modified head, custom profile camshafts, Pectel engine management, T3 hybrid turbocharger and Mongoose side-exit exhaust, the engine has been built to handle 500bhp, but is currently limited (36mm restrictor) to 360 bhp with 400 lb/ft of torque.

The suspension features AVO remote reservoir three-way adjustable dampers with custom top mounts. The front brakes are AP Racing 5000 four-piston calipers with 320mm discs, the rears are standard RS Cosworth. The gearbox is a very expensive close-ratio Borg Warner T5 five-speed gearbox with very tall first gear and straight cut 5th. It has a Gripper limited-slip differential and pedal box that has been custom built by Historic Race Car Preparations. A full list of specifications and spares will be available at the auction but this car certainly boasts a huge number of very desirable parts and has been built with no expense spared.

The shell and all of the components were eventually brought together under the stewardship of race car builder, Anthony Seddon. Every nut and bolt had been sourced and the task of tuning, tweaking and fettling was now in full swing. A rigorous programme was undertaken that even included help from the technical director of AVO, who assisted with the suspension setup. Finally, at the last round of the 2013 CTRC at Silverstone, the car was unveiled to public and ready to race. "The fierce Ford's good looks and amazing presence on track afforded it a lot of attention from enthusiatstic punters who were bowled over by its ability to dismiss the competition with ease. In fact, the car was sat at the front of the grid all weekend and won the last race of the season!"

Presented in superb order throughout, the car has just finished the 2014 season, which it won outright in October at Spa. However, during its time with the current owner it crucially avoided any 'racing incidents' and the bodywork and finish remain excellent. A full set of its results can be found at: http://classictouringcars.com/dates.html. Even if possible, it would cost well in excess of £100,000 to build a car to this standard and specification today. It also has invites to prestigious race meetings in 2015. Evidently, this Sierra Cosworth is a front-running, ready to race car that epitomises a great era in Motorsport history.