1987 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth

Delivered new to Mr J.Carter in September 1987 - number 439 of 500

Previous multiple shows and Concours winner and magazine featured on numerous occasions

Having sat for nine years in storage, it is now in need of some recommissioning

Supplied with a V5c, magazines in which it has appeared, and a file of invoices

The original Ford Sierra RS Cosworth was the first Ford to wear the Cosworth badge and was presented to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1985. It was introduced as a means of homologating the Sierra for 'Group A' Touring Car racing, with a requirement that 5,000 cars were built and sold. Launched for sale in July 1986, and based on the three-door Sierra body-shell, it was designed by Ford's Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE) and was powered by a Cosworth-designed 2.0-litre turbo engine of now legendary repute. At this time, the Sierra Cosworth was a new kind of performance car - a "blue-collar hero" able to humble true sports cars!

In total 5,545 cars were produced - of which 500 were sent to Aston Martin Tickford for conversion to the Sierra "RS500 Cosworth". If the RS Cosworth was a homologation car, the RS500 was an evolution special. Once Ford had built the requisite 5,000 RS Cosworths, Group A rules allowed an upgraded 'evolution' model to be launched. This could carry changes focused on improving its racing potential, provided Ford sold 10% of the original number as road cars, hence the 500. The RS500 was announced in July 1987 and had a mechanically uprated Cosworth engine (more similar to the one to be used in competition), with power boosted to 224bhp, upgraded brakes, modified bodywork and the caché of being hand-assembled - the RS500 really is the ultimate 1980's Fast Ford! Indeed, during the model"s 30th anniversary year in 2017, the RS500 was named the "Ultimate Cosworth" by one of the UK"s biggest one-make car shows.

Offered here is a Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500, build number 439 of 500, which was supplied new via Bristol Street Motors, Bromley to a Mr Jim Carter of Biggin Hill on 1st September 1987 finished in Diamond White and wearing registration "E55 DGU" – a plate it still bears to this day.

Impressed with its performance but craving more, Mr Carter embarked on a journey of horsepower and speed and took "E55 DGU" over to Graham Goode Racing (GGR), who at the time were successfully running an RS500 race car in the British Touring Car Championship under the Listerine Racing banner. An eight-page article in the July 1990 issue of Performance Ford magazine included in the history file tells the story of how Jim Carter pointed to the Listerine RS500 race car in GGR workshops and said: “I want my car turning into the road-legal version of that.” It was then both Jim and GGR had to decide just how far to go with improvements in specific areas of the car. An invoice for £8,652 in November 1989 details the engine work carried out at that time by Graham Goode including a new sump, new crank, con-rods, pistons, cylinder head, camshafts, modified Garret T3 turbo…the list goes on. The result of this work was an engine that was built to Group "A" British Touring car specification and easily capable of pushing out some 450 bhp! The history file includes further expenditure on the car by Jim at GGR over the years of his ownership, enabling him to become a multiple Concours winner with this RS500. Included in the file is a "Captains Log" notepad in which Mr Carter has carefully recorded movements, tweaks, mileage, oil changes, and Concours results, right up until 1996 when he sold his beloved RS500 to a Mr Walker of Wexham.

Further engine and turbo modifications in the intervening years with two further owners means that the car is unlikely to be running the Graham Goode spec engine. The car ended up in Northern Ireland for a brief period before being sold to our vendor in 2011. Since then it has remained in storage in a small collection of cars including other Ford Cosworths but has not been driven. The car runs and drives, but having been stored for the last 9 years, it is being offered as a recommissioning project hence today"s sensible auction estimate. Supplied with 14 previous MOT Certificates beginning at 1990 through to 2009, we believe but cannot warrant that the car has covered 33,870 miles. The original service book, countless magazines in which it has appeared, and a decent file of invoices accompany the sale of the car. Rarely do RS500s come to market at today"s guide price, and it would appear that "E55 DGU" is dearly loved amongst the RS community as many people have inquired about its whereabouts. Come to Stoneleigh Park and view #439/500 for yourself!