1987 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500

When Stuart Turner was appointed the 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 providing that 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 5,000 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 1,500 units! The successful eventual sales record is of course history. Ford went on to sell 5,545 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 all over the world.

This stunning Ford RS500 is finished in the ultimate colour combination of Black with standard Grey Recaro Trim. According to the original bill of sale, it was first dispatched from the Ford factory in September 1987 to Hendy Lennox of Southampton and delivered to its first owner in the UK on 8th September of that year. The car has only two previous owners and was purchased by the current vendor in 2014 from the second owner.

Tickford build number 263 has recently benefitted from significant recent expenditure and has been recommissioned following a period in storage. This included a new exhaust, tyres, fully rebuilt turbo, brake overhaul, new master cylinder and new fuel tank. In addition, Interpro Automotive carried out a full engine performance check over including new injectors and the readings were very healthy. The car sits on its original BBS alloy wheels and is fitted with a factory sunroof. The bodywork and interior are in lovely order and the paint retains a good shine. The engine bay is very clean and its muscular 80's lines are a joy to behold.

There is a sizeable history file accompanying this car with bills and receipts for works completed and its all-important original service book, which along with previous MoT certificates help support the mileage of 36,943. The subject of a recent service, this 80's icon has been lovingly stored in a heated environment by its owner. Supplied with the original handbooks, manuals, brochures, jack and aforementioned original bill of sale, this RS500 is in totally standard form with no modifications and is entirely unmolested. We encourage all pre-sale inspections and ask prospective bidders to contact the office for further information.