1990 Ford RS200 S

The RS200 was born in the era of 'Group B' rallying, undeniably the most extreme period in rally history with all competing manufacturers turning every dial up to 11. The power was immense, the courses dangerous and, no matter how high the level of a driver's skill, it was always outmatched by the sheer bravery required to pilot these machines at full chat. Whilst Ford’s competitors developed their rally cars from suitable models in their road car range, Lancia with their S4 Integrale, Audi with the S1 Quattro and Peugeot with their T16 205, Ford took a more extreme route, building a competitive rally car and then using it as the basis for a well-engineered, road-legal version, purely to tick the homologation boxes.

Produced by Ford Motorsport in Boreham from 1984-1986, the plastic-fiberglass composite body was designed Filippo Sapino of Ghia Design Studio and enclosed a mid-mounted engine, four-wheel drive, and a front-mounted gearbox for ideal 50/50 weight distribution. The chassis was designed by Formula 1 designer, Tony Southgate, in conjunction with F1 engineer, John Wheeler, so the car had real potential for greatness.

Motivation was provided by a 1,803cc Ford-Cosworth BDT engine fitted with a Garett T03/04 turbocharger which produced 250bhp in standard road-going trim although, as production progressed, more power became available. At the time, 'Group B' regulations required manufacturers to assemble 200 road-going versions of their race-bred competition cars, however, with the passing of time it's become clear that Ford did not manage to sell 200, with Justin Smith, the Ford RS200 authority, believing as few as 147 were thought to have been sold.

Amongst the last to be sold were 20 ‘Special’ or ‘S’ versions, which were the brainchild of Canadian, Murray DeWert. He proposed to Ford the idea of offering a tuned and refined model which offered a power increase to 350bhp and superior levels of interior comforts. The S included practically every available option to enhance performance and drivability. Within our images, you can find copies of an original Sales Brochure for the Ford RS200 ‘Special’. Amongst the 20 S versions, the majority were finished in white with two in blue, two in black and four in red.

The Car:

On offer here, Chassis #138 is rather special, not only for being one of the 20 RS200 examples completed to “S” spec, but also being one of only four originally finished in what has become known as ‘Ferrari Red’, only two of which are believed to still exist in their original configuration. It’s fully specified with an options list as long as your arm, making this ‘rally car for the road’ totally approachable as a daily driver as confirmed by its one and only keeper! The cabin is relatively palatial benefitting from a well ticked options list including increased sound deadening, half-leather Recaro seats, electric windows and mirrors, quality carpet, a Ford Stereo Radio/Cassette player, and a remote central locking and alarm system. #138 was even supplied new fitted with air conditioning, and whilst it is currently removed, the A/C unit is included with the car. We have a letter on file from Bob Howe that confirms chassis #138’s authenticity and lists the specification extras.

When our vendor went to visit Ford Motorsport in Boreham he was presented with a handful of cars to choose from, but of course the allure and rarity of the red car stood out from the rest. The only problem being that the last available red car was built in a left-hand drive configuration. Ford quickly came up with a solution and converted the car to right-hand drive before delivery. Incredibly, all the left-hand drive componentry is still with the car and will be included in the sale, along with the standard 8-spoke wheels, as the Speedline split-rims that adorn the car now were also an option specified when initially ordered.

Very rarely do we get to talk to someone about the big day when they collected their gleaming new RS200, however, on this occasion our articulate vendor describes the day like it was yesterday. Amazingly, he went along with a video camera to document the day and the immediate subsequent adventures and this video can be seen by searching “Ford RS200 - taking delivery of new RS200 at Ford Motorsport - October 1990” on YouTube.

Since being first registered on the 18th October 1990, #138 has been much loved and, more importantly, used covering a whisper under 20,000 miles throughout its life. Many of these cars sit in collections with their odometers displaying tiny mileages and become, in effect, ornaments which does seem a shame as they are incredible fun to drive. Regular use requires regular maintenance and this is certainly the case with #138 as is evidenced by the car’s history file which contains numerous invoices from well-known RS200 Specialists including Gordon Spooner Engineering, Graham Hathaway Racing, Geoff Page Engineering, and TME Motorsport Engineering.

On offer directly from its one and only owner, this is an unrepeatable opportunity to own a well maintained, beautifully presented, right-hand drive, ‘S-spec’ RS200 with a mileage that means it can be enjoyed whenever you feel like it, and add a few more chapters to its 34-year story.