Estimate: £12,000 - £16,000
Book an
Inspection Slot
Commission a
Condition Report (up to 10 working days before the sale)
“It’s grown out of racing” Ford Advert for the Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth
GT, Lotus Cortina, Cortina Lotus, Mexico, Twin Cam, RS 1600, 1800 and 2000, XR (OK maybe less so), the Sierra Cosworth had both an impressive bloodline but also a lot to live up to. Ford were perhaps aware they had dropped the enthusiasts ball somewhat with the XR line when a combination of too much marketing and not enough engineering (and arguably, in some cases, the power hitting the road from the wrong end of the car) resulted in the Blue Oval’s performance cars receiving a less than enthusiastic reception. The still rear drive family saloon launched in 1982, Ford Sierra, may have been slightly derided for its ‘jelly mould’ looks but a low drag co-efficient amply compensated the serious driver and Fleet Manager equally. Tasked with bringing back Ford’s glory days on the circuit and rally stage, Stuart Turner picked the Sierra as his weapon of choice in early 1983 and proceeded to have his team develop the car into something worthy of its impressive ancestry.
Revitalising a relationship that dated back to making Anglia engines go ‘whizz’ (and occasionally it must be said ‘bang’) and had yielded such automotive milestones as the DFV and BDA competition engines, Turner bought Cosworth on board and their 16 valve, twin cam YAA Ford Pinto based engine was selected to power the project. With a turbocharger strapped to the side it became the YBB and Ford demanded at least 180 BHP from this engine though Cosworth successfully negotiated this figure up (!) to 204 BHP (with a forged steel crank and rods it would be rude not too) but stipulated that Ford would have to buy 15,000 examples. As this was three-times the quantity Ford required to take the Sierra into Group A competition, it alone probably spawned the more mass market Sapphire iteration.
To turn the Sierra into a race and rally winner, the full gambit of tuning tricks was worked through from specially built Borg-Warner Mustang gearboxes, suspension developed in both the British Touring Car Championship and IMSA in the USA to an aerodynamic package honed in the wind tunnel and on the test track.
Feedback from dealers that the road cars may be tricky to shift forced Ford to build the original three door machines down to a price with only three exterior colours available, any colour you like as long as it’s grey interiors and an options list that ran to just 2 items – electric windows and central locking.
This time the marketing men got their focus groups more correctly aligned and went for a model designation that incorporated two of the best from their back catalogue: Cosworth, naturally, and RS. Sales to the enthusiast market? Done.
Sure enough, 5545 three door Sierra Cosworths made their way out of showrooms in 1986 and 1987 but the slight issue of a commitment to another nearly 10,000 engines remained a bit of a concern for Ford’s top brass. The thinking was that slotting these engines into a far more inherently popular 4 door shell would soon see the back of them and the Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth was launched – the ‘Hot Hatch’ for the procreator if you will. Less overtly styled and with more street focused suspension the version with supposedly broader appeal was ironically also the fastest with its lighter and even more aerodynamically efficient body. The best of both worlds? It is certainly a valid argument.
Registration Number: F393 FGN
Chassis Number: WFOFXXGBBFJS24942
Engine Number: JS24942
This December 1988 Sapphire Cosworth is all about outstanding originality; it is refreshing but increasingly rare to find such an ‘un got-at’ example. The straight out of the factory specification is backed up by a set of original Ford books covering Warranties, Accessories, Ford Audio Premium Sound Systems, Owner’s Handbook and even a leaflet explaining that there new fangled unleaded petrol; so often these have been consigned to the bin by a previous owner. Along with these in the cars comprehensive file are the current V5C and an earlier V5, various tax discs, spare keys, and a set of SORN documents covering the period when the car was in dry storage between 2004 and 2011. The all-important Ford Service book is present containing a multitude of stamps. Comprehensively recommissioned after its period in storage and having covered just 10,000 miles in the last eighteen years, the Cosworth has just been given a full top to tail service with naturally all belts and fluids changed and it is now MOT tested until 29th May 2017. The mileage history documented in the service book is confirmed by an impressive clutch of MOT certificates and the odometer is currently showing just over 76,000 miles.
Finished in one of the most sort after exterior colours of Flint Grey complimented by cloth Recaro interior, the Sapphire looks every inch the 1980s pin up car for a generation – Countachs and tennis players aside. Evidently cherished by its five owners from new, the bodywork is very straight and notably corrosion free as is the underside of the car. The paintwork is also very good while the original supplying dealer’s (RS specialists, Dees of Croydon) number plates, which are still present front and rear, point to an accident free existence.
Inside the Cosworth-specific interior has worn very well with Ford over-mats protecting the grey carpeting. There is just a slight degree of sagging to the fabric on the susceptible drivers side bolster of the deep and very comfortable Recaro front seats. The dashboard is free of non-factory items such as supplementary gauges (or house brick sized mobile phones) and it even contains its original Ford Radio Cassette unit with ‘four channel power amplifier’. Well equipped with electric windows front and rear, a sunroof, rear seat belts, headlight wipers, central locking and ABS, this Cosworth has a civilised side to it to go with its impressive performance.
The engine bay is tidy and again very original with a very full inventory of Factory labels and stickers and no attempt has been made to detail this unnecessarily.
Original, unmolested examples such as this are becoming increasingly hard to find and we feel it is very realistically reserved.
