"Ford finally entered the mini-car market in 1976 with the launch of the Fiesta. The model proved an unqualified success right from the word go but surprisingly, it took nearly six years before a genuine performance version was added to the range, in the neat and tidy form of the XR2. This sporting model may well have been inspired by the famous success of the two Ford Fiestas in the 1979 Monte Carlo Rally with the British entry driven by Roger Clark and aided by co-driver Jim Porter, and a German entry piloted by Ari Vatanen and co-driven by David Richards. Both cars were highly modified and were powered by competition tuned versions of the 1600cc Kent 'crossflow' engine - a later version of which was fitted in the Fiesta XR2, launched in 1981. Visually, the XR2 popped into the limelight in a range of new colours, with alloy wheels, large circular driving lamps, and black plastic trim decorating the interior and exterior. With a quoted performance of 0-60 mph in 9.3 seconds and 105 mph top speed, the XR2 hot-hatch became a cult car beloved of boy racers throughout the 1980s.
This very good and original 1983 Ford Fiesta XR2 Mk. I spent some time in Northern Ireland before being returned to England in 2017. It was purchased by a film and television car hire company earlier this year to use as a prop in a couple of 1980’s period productions and, as such, needed to be correct and reliable as any breakdown would be very costly to the production company. This XR2 is finished in silver with the authentic black and orange stripe side decals and original light grey with blue and red stripe cloth interior which is in lovely condition throughout. Also sporting original alloy wheels, this excellent XR2 is supplied with a UK V5C registration document, an MoT test certificate which expires in November 2021 and a file containing old MoT’s from its time in Northern Ireland. The market in classic ‘hot hatches’ has been warming up in recent years with enthusiasts and collectors wanting to seek out quality examples of the car they really wanted in their teenage years and the XR2 is always one that is at the top of the list."