1987 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

Description

• Unsold at Auction April 2024 
• Please contact us if you have any questions or would like to arrange a viewing
• 22,000 miles from new
• Three door
• Two owners
• One additional registered keeper

What would a new Ford Sierra RS Cosworth feel like today? This unmodified, unique Cosworth with only 22,000 miles is probably as close as you are going to get to finding out.

Background

The original Sierra Cosworth was a revelation in every sense. It was a car designed and built to win races.

However, the humble Sierra didn’t start life here. Like many a good surprise, it was the result of a chance conversation. Disappointed with the Blue Oval’s poor results in touring car racing, Ford Motorsport boss Stuart Turner suggested putting an experimental turbocharged 16-valve 2-litre engine into the slow-selling three-door Sierra. In 1985 the Motorsport team created arguably the best and most iconic fast Ford ever, the Sierra RS Cosworth.

The 1980s Group A regulations required that 5,000 units needed to be built to homologate a car. Ford built 5,545 examples of the original three-door Cosworth.

Over the years many were modified, stolen or crashed – possibly all three. Finding one like this a rare pleasure.

• First registered 6 February 1987
• Selling Ford Dealer, County Garage Carlisle
• County Garage had been running for 92 years, running Ford and Jaguar Dealerships when it sold in 2015
• First owner – Mr RJ Davis of London
• Second registered keeper – J Wyatt of Ringwood. We understand Wyatt was a trade buyer
• Third owner is our vendor who acquired the Cosworth in October 2022
• We understand the first MOT was on July 12, 1991, at 19,649 miles in Perivale Middlesex. The original certificate is in the file
• Service stamps in the original Ford Dealer Service book;
• First service at 1,472 miles on 13 May 1987
• 6,000 mile service at 6,471 on 15 September 1987
• 12,000 mile service at 12,679 on 16 December 1987
• The vehicle is currently dry stored in a heated, carpeted garage
• Currently SORNed

Our vendor, John, has kept this Cosworth as original as possible throughout. They are only original once.

The Cosworth needs little introduction. We’ll provide a brief overview because the images and the car speak for themselves. But do let us know if you’d like any more details.

Mechanicals

Open the Sierra’s louvred bonnet, few things can be better than a bright red cam cover embossed with ‘DOHC 16-V TURBO COSWORTH’.

• The 2.0-litre YB engine uses a Garrett T3 turbocharger
• Performance from the 204HP 2.0 DOHC Garrett AiResearch T3 turbocharger is impressive
• 0-60 in 6.2 seconds and a top speed of 149mph
• 15 X 7-inch RS Sierra Cosworth alloy wheels
• The boot houses the spare in what looks like the original dealer foam protection
• Diagonally split hydraulic brake circuits
• Anti-lock braking assisted 28.3cm ventilated Tarox 40 groove discs up front
• 27.3cm discs at the rear
• Five speed Borg-Warner gearbox
• The Cosworth YB engine delivered that enormous torque to a rear axle through a viscous-coupling and limited-slip differential.
• The Cosworth stayed with MacPherson strut front axle and semi-trailing arm rear set up
• The suspension was tuned with different spring rates, dampers and anti-roll bars by Ford’s Special Vehicle Engineering division to suit the car’s new purpose
• Plus, a quicker steering rack with 2.6 turns lock-to-lock

If you look closely, you’ll see numerous areas of genuine originality. The flimsy plastic battery cover remains. There is even an original sticker inside the nearside headlamp. And yes, the cam belt and water pump have been changed.

Any parts that have been purchased have been from Graham Good.

Outside

Is Moonstone Blue the best shade for this Cosworth? Either way, as you can see, to say it is in ‘good’ condition would be a massive understatement. Our vendor coyly admits he chipped the whale tail in his garage but that was rectified double quick. Aside from that, unless someone with a specialist paint spectrometer measures the microns of paint, we understand the paint is original. There is nothing to suggest otherwise. The trim, panel gaps, bumper corners, even the lower front lip are all as they should be.

As you’ll see from the images, the underside is very much the same. You can even spot the waxoil covering the under-body panels and mechanical items.

Inside

The interior of this RS Cosworth is untouched and unsoiled. Finished in Raven trim, the Recaro seats and door trim are as you’d expect. The carpets are spotless and are free from any damage or wear.

All the original interior equipment is intact and free from any modification or additions. Our vendor did say there are some “minor heat cracks in the dashboard”. He decided to leave as they were. But to be honest we struggle to see them. The original Ford RDS radio is not working. Again, resisting the urge to replace or modify he has left the Ford unit intact. The radio code is in the book pack.

There are no crazy speakers cut in the doors or rear parcel shelf either. The inside is just as it should be.

Summary

Ford produced 5,545 three door Cosworths. Five hundred went off to become RS 500s.

The early three door Cosworth was an incredible car in its day. This one is on another level. Jump in and you’ll find it hard not to be transported back to 1987.

These are now all about provenance. This one has it in spades.

• Documented ownership
• Warranted mileage
• The condition speaks for itself

Recent six figure sales of RS 500s have pushed the whole market has upwards. A couple of these (non-RS 500models) have come to market with just a couple of hundred miles on them. That’s great, but the problem is they cannot be used. As soon they are, the unique value diminishes.

The mileage is ‘right’ on this one. No-one is buying this car and putting 10,000 miles a year on it, are they? Use it occasionally, keep it original, and we doubt it will be long before ones like this are selling for six figure numbers.

If we were looking for one? We’d buy this in a heartbeat.

The best of luck if you are bidding on this wonderful Cosworth.

Vehicle Location: Diss, Norfolk IP22 – it’s the responsibility of the winning bidder to make collection / transportation arrangements directly with the vendors.

Would like to arrange a viewing or have a question about this Ford Sierra RS Cosworth? Please contact us at team@evoke-classics.com and we will speak to the vendor on your behalf.

Guide Prices?

We’re different. But you know that. And we’re always honest. In a sector where no two classics are same, how does anyone put a ‘guide’.

Well, everyone knows the broad value of classic, let’s all be honest. So, we don’t need to tell you what you already know, do we.

The ‘market’ decides and the old cliché that ‘it’s worth what someone wants to pay’ is no less true. So why kid everyone!

But, because we are different, if it really does matter to you, that’s fine, we want you to be happy. Just drop us a line at team@evoke-classics.com and one of us will be delighted to get back to you, it’s what we do.

Tedious but it’s vital you read this, please.

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