1987 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500

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, but only if 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. But 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! The success eventual sales record is of course history. Ford went on to sell 5545 three-door cars including the RS500, of which only 500 were built, 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. In rallying the Group A Sierra, on tarmac, was equal to all the four wheel drive opposition, particularly when Didier Auriol won the 1988 Corsica Rally outright.This stunning Ford RS500 is finished in the ultimate colour combination of Black with standard grey Recaro Trim. It was first dispatched from the Ford factory on 5th August 1987 and delivered to its first owner on 4th September 1987. With only 2 previous owners, Tickford build number 070 had its engine rebuilt to standard specification 17,000 miles ago. The car sits on original BBS alloys wheels that have been recently refurbished and is fitted with a factory sunroof. There is a significant history file accompanying this car with bills and receipts for works completed and MoT certificates that verify the mileage of 84,000 miles. The car was last serviced at 83,990 miles by Supreme Car Service of Peterborough. Older bills and receipts are present in the large history file by names such as Lotus Service Centre and D Wills Engineering. This has to be one of the ultimate icons of the 1980s and with prices increasing rapidly, this best of breed RS500 represents superb value here today.