Buyer’s guide: Ford RS classics

When the new Focus RS goes on sale, it’ll cost about a tenth of what you’ll pay for some of its RS predecessors...
Ford Escort RS1600: the first British-built Ford to wear the RS badge
John Calne10 January 2016

This year, Ford will launch the latest car to wear its iconic RS badge. The new Focus RS promises very great things indeed – and at less than £30,000, it’ll continue the RS brand’s tradition of piling on the thrills at real-world prices.

Many of the cars which did that back in the day have gone on to become bona fide classics. We’ve highlighted a few below – some of them are available second-hand for a lot less than the new Focus RS will cost, though others have risen way beyond that sort of money.

What they do all have in common though is that they are the cars which created the RS legend. Owning one today lets you bask in the reflected glory of being part of that… as well of course as putting you behind the wheel of a car whose performance made it a performance hero of its time.

Sapphire RS Cosworth (1988-1992)

Ford Sapphire RS Cosworth

Rally-bed and proud of it, the Sapphire used the turbocharged 2.0-litre engine from the later Escort Cosworth and had a stiffer chassis than the original Sierra Cosworth it replaced. Unlike that vehicle, it’s a tempting buy – fifteen grand gets you a really good one, and that’s a quarter of what you can pay for an average RS500. Early models were hoon-worthily rear-driven, but from 1990 onwards four-wheel drive became standard.

Focus RS Mk1 (2002-2003)

 Ford Focus RS Mk1

The original Focus RS was a beast of a car – with 212bhp sent straight to its front tyres, a standard LSD couldn’t stop the torque steer. It would roast its way to 60mph in 5.9 seconds, though, and with straight-from-the-WRC styling it wasn’t short of buyers. It still isn’t now – if you want a nice one, budget at least ten grand.

RS200 (1984-1986)

 Ford RS200

Not so much a car as an accident of history, the RS200 made its rallying debut just a season before the fearsome speeds such vehicles were achieving led to the feted Group B being abolished.

Thus it’s a rarity of the highest order, as well as being the perfect classic – and, no small matter, still a phenomenal performance car. That’ll be why they change hands for £250,000 and more these days, then.

Fiesta RS1800 (1992-1997)

Ford Fiesta RS1800

Fast, lithe, in-your-face and cheap, the Fiesta RS was perfect for the Max Power generation. Not surprisingly, then, most ended up being either customised or crashed (or both), so not many have made it this far. The good news is that those that have don’t cost silly money, so find a good one and it could make a nifty little bargain.

Escort RS1600 (1970-1974)

Ford Escort RS1600

Now you’re talking. The first British-built Ford to wear the RS badge was a rally-bred special whose twin-cam Cosworth engine was tuned for anything up to 200bhp or more. As you’d expect, the RS that started it all is highly sought-after in classic circles – and the prices you’ll see people paying for them reflect that.

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