We had to share this 1986 Ford RS200 we’ve spotted for sale. The Group B rally car was produced for racing between 1984 and 1986, with 200 road legal homologation versions created to meet FIA rules at the time. The mid-engine four-wheel-drive featured a 250hp 1.8 litre Ford/Cosworth BDT engine in road trim, with an upgrade kit available to boost it to 300hp. The race trim versions were around 350-450hp.
What makes this example notable is that it is completely standard and has only covered 1100 miles in almost 30 years. You get the red bucket seats, Speedline 16″ alloy wheels with original Pirelli tyres and the 1803cc engine, plus all manuals and books – the seller claims it has never even seen the rain. Which goes some way to the asking price of £199,994.
While it never achieved huge success in rallying, with just one third place before Group B was abolished, and a poor power-to-weight ratio, it’s one of my dream cars for success in a different racing formula.
This was the debut of crazy Norwegian Martin Schanche racing his Ford RS200 in Rallycross at Brands Hatch for the first time. He was one of a dozen racers who ran the RS200 from 1986 to 1992 in the European Rallycross series, claiming the 1991 title with an example which produced more than 650bhp! Other drivers included Thor Holm, Pat Doran, Trevor Hopkins and Mark Rennison, who went on to also drive a special RS200 modified for competition at Pikes Peak.
My formative years were spent at Brands Hatch and Lydden Hill watching grids that included Metro 6R4s, Peugeot T205 T16s, Audi Quattros, 4×4 Escorts and the odd Porsche 911 careering around sideways (With the occasional Mini thrown in). And the two I loved the most were the Audi Quattro, which was big, black and menacing in the livery of Dimi Mavropolis, and the Ford RS200 which looked comparatively space age.
The only problem is that if I had the £200,000 to spend, I’d probably double the mileage on this example in the first weekend of ownership!
Leave a Reply