"For those that are unaware, the 'RS' badge is well renowned in the world of Fast Ford enthusiasts. Originating from Ford’s Motorsport division in the 1960’s; the RS actually stood for 'Rallye Sport' and meant that any Ford model special enough to bear its namesake had been designed specifically for rally racing. Due to Ford’s repeated successes in rallying during this era, the RS badge very quickly became synonymous with motorsport and performance, with demand and residual values steadily on the rise for any RS model, it is clear to see that this legacy still lives on with Ford enthusiast’s and collectors. The Sierra RS Cosworth in particular was developed as a partnership between Ford and race engine designers Cosworth, the project’s purpose was to create a homologated vehicle to win European Group A racing championships. The engine was to be a 16 valve, twin-cam based upon Ford’s existing T88 block. The aim was to develop a turbo-charged unit that would be capable of 300bhp in race trim. Cosworth accepted the task but only on the basis that Ford agreed to purchase 15,000 units of these engines and from there, the road legal and race engine legend, the Sierra Cosworth, was born.
Presented here is an incredibly desirable and low mileage example of a third generation Sierra Cosworth Sapphire which was the very first of the four wheel drive RS models designed with the intention of competing in the World Rally Championships. Today these cars prove to be popular at the lower levels of rallying with consistently positive results for their owners. Ford decided that these models should only be based on the four door saloon Sierra Sapphire so they would have greater appeal in the UK market. As a later production variant of the Sapphire, this car also features the larger turbo design (Green Top) with more power and a catalytic converter coupled to a five-speed manual gearbox offering 220bhp and an impressive 214lbft. With race pedigree, these cars are still highly desirable among enthusiasts and are starting to demand high prices to match.
Due to the racing background of these cars, it is incredibly hard to find unmodified and unmolested examples however, finished in a desirable Moondust Silver metallic paint with Raven Grey and Rainbow Recaro cloth interior; this example, not only has its original equipment with no modifications, but it has also covered a mere 37,400 miles since new. The equipment from new included heated windscreen, electric sunroof, electric windows, air conditioning as well as its original 90's Motorola car phone making it a budding choice as an alternative investment for any Fast Ford collector. Supplied with the stamped Ford maintenance book along with previous owner’s invoices, receipts, SORN requests and previous MoT test certificates, prices of well-maintained Fast Fords are increasing rapidly, this is certainly worth consideration by any long term investor or collector."