c. 1986 Ford RS200 Group B Rally Coupé

Coachwork by Carrozzeria Ghia/Tickford Registration no. F679 UVX Chassis no. SFACXXBJ2CGL00079

Footnotes

Masterminded by its European Motor Sports boss, Stuart Turner, the RS200 was Ford's ambitious attempt at producing a championship winning Group B rally car. Immediately prior to the project's inception Ford's frontline rally car had been the front-engined, rear-wheel driven Escort RS1800, while its intended replacement – the Fiesta-based RS1700T - was another rear-wheel-drive design. However, by this time Audi's Quattro had convincingly demonstrated the efficacy of four-wheel drive in rallying, prompting a drastic rethink at Boreham.

Overseen by Ford Motor Sports Chief Engineer, John Wheeler, the RS200 project commenced in 1983 with production of 200 cars planned in order to meet Group B requirements, hence the name. The design, by Tony Southgate, eventually crystallised as a compact mid-engined coupé powered by a turbo-charged version of the 1.8-litre 16-valve Cosworth BDA engine (the BDT) and equipped with four-wheel drive. This engine produced 250bhp in road-going trim with up to 500bhp available in rally tune. Ford's Italian subsidiary, Carrozzeria Ghia, was entrusted with the styling, producing a purposeful yet elegant design that has stood the test of time like few of its contemporaries. Aston Martin-owned Tickford built the composite bodyshells at Newport Pagnell.

The RS200 was first publicly displayed in 1984 and homologated in February 1986 after the required 200 examples had been built, all apart from the initial six prototypes being completed at Reliant's factory at Shenstone, Staffordshire. Its first World Championship event was that year's Swedish Rally where the car driven by Kalle Grundel finished 3rd overall, a most promising debut. The RS200 went on to achieve a total of 19 wins and 32 podium finishes at international level before the year's end, securing several national championships along the way. Sadly, that would be the limit of its rallying achievements, as FISA pulled the plug on Group B at the end of a season blighted by a number of fatal accidents, some involving spectators. Seeking to recoup some of the £10 million rumoured to have been spent on the project, Ford stripped down 120 RS200s and rebuilt them as road-legal supercars to be sold at around £50,000 apiece.

According to factory paperwork, this particular RS200 was sent to Boreham in May 1986 to be prepared for the Finnish Rally of September that year, but as a result of the Group B cancellation was never built for competition use. '079' was then used for static display in the UK and mainland Europe. The car returned to Boreham for storage, from whence it was later sold on. The car was originally registered to the Ford Motor Company as 'F535 LHJ' and at one time carried the registration 'ELE 10T'. It is known to have been owned subsequently (from March 2004) by the late Mr Chris Rees.

The present owner acquired '079' in February 2006. Described by the private vendor as original and immaculate, the car is offered with its original leather-bound manuals, a folder with original brochure, a spare set of keys, a V5C document, and original documents and correspondence from the RS200 Owners Club.