1988 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

When Stuart Turner was appointed 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, but only if 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 5000 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 1500 units! The success eventual sales record is of course history. Ford went on to sell 5545 three-door cars including the RS500 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 hopes, and it went on to become one of the most successful Touring Car racers of all time, winning races all over the world. In rallying the Group A Sierra, on tarmac, was equal to all the four-wheel drive opposition, particularly when Didier Auriol won the 1988 Corsica Rally outright. It also became the mainstay of domestic Production Saloon Car racing in 1989/90. Offered here is a stunning Ford Sierra RS Cosworth Sapphire finished in the Ford Motorsports competition colour of Diamond White, that's been enjoyed by four previous owners and covered only 45,000 miles. Any Sierra Cosworth aficionado will tell you the two-wheel drive Sapphire was apparently the best driving experience of all the Cosworths. This lovely Sapphire has been cherished by all its enthusiast owners, presents in delightfully original condition and in confirmation, has been a recent winner at an RS Owners Club Concours. The history file contains maintenance records and all previous MoTs. With RS Fords now very much in demand, the Sapphire Cosworth is a worthy addition to any collection but, more importantly, it's really great fun to drive.