2007 Ford Focus ST500 - 0.3 Miles

Ford is draped in motorsport glory dating back to the 60s, so it is no surprise their racing pedigree is injected with such success into their road cars. By the time the ST3 Focus ST was released in 2005, there was already a strong catalogue of hot hatches produced by Ford including the Escort RS Turbo, XR2, XR3i, RS1600i, Escort RS Cosworth, Fiesta ST and of course the Mk1 Focus RS. When the ST was released in 2005 it instrumental in reframing people’s perceptions of hot Fords. In the old days, the XR range was the warm option, and the RS cars were the really hot ones. The RS was to remain the hotter car, but there really wasn’t anything lukewarm about the Focus ST. With its use of a Volvo-derived five-cylinder 2.5-litre turbocharged engine packing an unstressed 225hp, it delivered Escort RS Cosworth power with a deep warble that would happily trundle you to the shops if needed.

The ST500 was launched as a final edition run-out of the Mk2 ST before its significant facelift, intended to send the current version of the hot hatch off with a bang. The 500 standing for the number of examples to be built, all for the UK market, loaded with equipment including Scarlet leather Recaro seats, Xenon headlights, sat nav, rain-sensing wipers and limited-edition decals. Power was unchanged from the standard car, but the other major change is the custom paintwork, which develops the ST’s reputation for stand-out looks. It’s metallic black with silver racing stripes and a silver bonnet, echoing the classic Ford GT racing livery from the sixties.

This ST500 has quite the party piece, having covered only 0.3 miles from new! Regardless of how limited an edition a car is, to keep it stationary yet in fine working order for 15 years is an impressive feat. It will come as no surprise that it is exactly as it left the factory, in totally original specification. The history file contains a UK V5C showing its single recorded owner, a spare key in its packaging including the radio and key code, and correspondence from Eagle Way Ford Main Dealer in Essex and Rufus Carr Ltd of Clitheroe.

A limited-edition car, on the most limited mileage one could imagine for something that’s now 15 years old. The 'Fast Ford' market has always been led by low mileage, factory-original cars and none come lower mileage or more original than this example.