1990 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 'Group A'

Amazing and unique opportunity to purchase the 1990 BTCC Championship-winning Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth

Fabulous pedigree. Robb Gravett with Mike Smith and Stig Blomqvist. Record-breaking nine wins during the season

New shell for the 1990 season built and prepared by Dave Cook of Yortech Fabrications

Twenty years in storage before being purchased by our vendor. Publically offered for sale for the first time

Eligible for HSCC 'Supertourers', the Grand Prix Legends Touring Car Challenge, as well as numerous prestige events

Now back in its 1990 livery. An important part of BTCC history

In 1989 Radio 1 Breakfast DJ, the late and great Mike Smith, joined forces with highly respected ex-Prodrive Team Manager, Malcolm Swetnam, and top saloon driver of the day, Robb Gravett, to form "Trakstar" a team whose sole ambition was to win the British Touring Car Championship. Robb and Mike had enjoyed prior success in both the Monroe and Uniroyal Production Saloon Car Championships, as well the BTCC, and their resourcefulness took them to Australia and the highly successful Dick Johnson racing team. Two top-spec Ford Sierras were purchased, with their backing coming from NEC and Cartel (a mobile phone service provider of the day) and Shell Oils, and then put instantly to good use in the 1989 BTCC by winning the first round at Oulton Park. Their goal was to win the Championship outright and beat the other teams especially the established Rouse Engineering Ford Works team, which they very nearly achieved at their first attempt, ending the season by disputing the overall title in a courtroom drama between the MSA and Rouse Engineering (over a possible non-legal turbo charger) which the MSA lost. Thus Trakstar finished as runners-up despite several outright race wins!

For the 1990 season they focussed their efforts on one car for their lead driver Robb Gravett, with Mike supporting him at Brands Hatch and Stig Blomqvist at Donnington in the long distance two-driver races. This car, which was a new shell specified by Trakstar and prepared by Dave Cook of Yortech Fabrications, was then fitted with all new running gear. This is the car we are proud to offer here in this Sale. All the 'trick bits' from the previous Dick Johnson car, which included the special "spool" type differential, Eggenberger suspension, and a Getrag 5-speed dog gearbox were utilised which, when coupled to a top-spec Mountune RS500 engine running up to 2.5 bar boost, gave them well over 500bhp on tap. Cleverly Gravett also negotiated a unique tyre contract with Yokohama tyres which the team developped and tested, and they soon became known as the best tyre available and longer wearing than the Pirellis used by Rouse Engineering, which then sealed this car's winning edge. They went on to win 9 rounds outright with 8 pole positions and 8 fastest laps and took the overall BTCC title which gave the Sierra RS500 its swansong Championship victory before the new 2-litre cars took over from 1991 and beyond, adding to the provenance of this particular car.

This RS was then converted to left hand drive, sold to Italy and used in Italian 'Supertourismo' during 1991 before being laid up for the next 20 years until being discovered by our vendor and eventually purchased in 2014. Publically offered for sale for the first time since that dominant Championship win, the car has an outstanding pedigree and, is today a significant part of BTCC history.

It's now back in its original right hand drive form and in it's original livery, but is not fully race prepared, presenting its lucky new owner with the opportunity of deciding on his or her choice of engine specification - which we are sure Mountune Racing would be happy to supply once more! Now re-fitted with its original RS500 engine which is now 1993cc, but is only running on a 4 injector ECU (when it raced in Italy their regulations forbid the RS500 version of the Sierra) built to the Italian spec of the day which only allowed single point injectors, not the twin set up as used in the BTCC. Details noting the extent of the recent rebuild and an expert report by Paul Linfoot will be available to view in advance of the sale to seriously interested parties.

1990 BTCC results for this car:

13th April Oulton Park 12th

29th April Donington Park 2nd (Pole and fastest lap)

28th May Thruxton 1st (Pole and fastest lap)

10th June Silverstone 1st

1st July Oulton Park 1st (Fastest lap)

15th July Silverstone 1st (Pole and fastest lap)

22nd July Brands Hatch 1st (Pole)

5th August Snetterton 1st (Pole and fastest lap)

23rd August Brands Hatch 1st (Pole and fastest lap)

27th August Birmingham DNF (Pole and fastest lap)

16th September Donington Park 1st

23rd September Thruxton 3rd (Pole and fastest lap)

7th October Silverstone 1st

This is an amazing and unique opportunity to purchase a BTCC Championship-winning Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth which is now eligible for the HSCC 'Supertourers' series, the Grand Prix Legends Touring Car Challenge, as well as numerous prestige events throughout Europe.