2000 Ford Focus RS WRC — Ex-Works Ford Motorsport
Registration: V6 FMC
Chassis No: WF0BXXBZABYZ29383
Competition Shell: MS97WR00001 / R01 / 04 / 1 / 97
Odometer: Competition Mileage
Key Facts..
Genuine Ford Motor Company Works Focus RS WRC
Winner of the 2000 World Rally Championship Rally of Cyprus
Driven in-period by Carlos Sainz ( Louis Moya ) and Colin McRae ( Nicky Grist )
Notably campaigned at the 2001 Swedish Rally by McRae/Grist
Extensive documented provenance including M-Sport purchase records and Gold Logbook
Recently recommissioned and serviced by Dom Buckley Motorsport
Engine rebuilt with minimal running time since completion
Provenance..
Constructed by Ford Motorsport and developed through Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport operation, V6 FMC formed part of Ford’s factory Focus RS WRC programme during the early years of the World Rally Car era.
Introduced for the 1999 World Rally Championship season, the Focus RS WRC replaced the Escort WRC and represented a major technical evolution. Developed under Ford’s internal codename C170, the car featured a significantly stiffer bodyshell than its predecessor together with a Cosworth built turbocharged Zetec-E engine and advanced active differential systems permitted under WRC regulations.
Among the distinctive FMC-registered Works cars fielded by Ford, V6 FMC would go on to enjoy one of the longest and most successful competitive careers.
Specification..
Factory World Rally Car specification including:
2.0-litre turbocharged Ford Zetec-E engine
Sequential transmission and active differential systems
Four-wheel drive configuration
Works Ford Motorsport roll cage and bodyshell construction
Gravel and asphalt configuration capability
Lamp pods and bumper pods
Additional set of wheels
Maintained to authentic Works specification throughout its competitive life.
Race History..
2000 World Rally Championship
Round 5 — Rallye Catalunya — Carlos Sainz / Luis Moya
3rd Overall
Round 7 — Acropolis Rally — Carlos Sainz / Luis Moya
2nd Overall
Round 10 — Rally of Cyprus — Carlos Sainz / Luis Moya
Overall Victory
The Rally of Cyprus proved the defining moment of the car’s Works career, with Sainz and Moya guiding V6 FMC to outright victory, finishing 37.4 seconds ahead of team-mate Colin McRae.
Later in the season the car also appeared in further factory outings driven by Raimund Baumschlager and Stephen Finlay.
2001 World Rally Championship
Round 2 — Swedish Rally — Colin McRae / Nicky Grist
9th Overall
Run in exceptionally harsh winter conditions, the Swedish Rally became one of the car’s most memorable appearances.
McRae fought for the lead early in the event, setting fastest stage times on Stages Five and Six before leaning against a snowbank weakened by earlier competitors. The car slid off the stage, only to be famously pushed back onto the road by spectators.
Although the gearbox became stuck in sixth gear, McRae continued to the finish in ninth place — a performance remembered as one of his most determined drives.
Later International Competition
Following its Works career, V6 FMC continued competing in World Rally Championship events through 2001 and into 2002 with Italian pairing:
Paolo Andreucci / Anna Andreussi
Achieving strong category results before passing into Scandinavian ownership.
History..
In May 2002 the car was purchased by experienced Norwegian rally driver Valter Jensen.
Together with co-driver Erik Pedersen, Jensen campaigned the Focus extensively in domestic Scandinavian rallying through to June 2004, achieving numerous competitive results.
Remarkably, the car remained within Jensen’s ownership for nearly twenty-five years — an unusually long period for a former Works World Rally Car — preserving both its authenticity and documented history.
Now returned to the United Kingdom, the car is supplied with extensive documentation including:
Original purchase invoice from Malcolm Wilson’s M-Sport
Export paperwork
Gold Logbook
M-Sport correspondence
Engine rebuild documentation
Notable Drivers..
During its Works career the car was driven by some of rallying’s most significant figures:
Carlos Sainz — Double World Rally Champion and one of Ford’s lead development drivers during the Focus WRC era.
Luis Moya — Long-time co-driver to Sainz and one of the most successful navigators in WRC history.
Colin McRae — 1995 World Rally Champion whose aggressive “if in doubt, flat out” driving style helped define the popularity of the Focus RS WRC generation.
Later competitors included Raimund Baumschlager, Stephen Finlay and Paolo Andreucci, all respected figures within European rallying.
Current Condition..
Recently inspected by Neil Buckley of Dom Buckley Motorsport, the car has benefitted from a comprehensive service including cambelts, fluids and general recommissioning work.
The engine has undergone rebuild work and has covered less than 100 kilometres since completion.
Included with the car are:
Lamp pods
Bumper pods
Additional wheel set
Extensive documentation archive
Prepared and maintained in competition specification throughout its life.
Summary..
A genuine Works Ford Focus RS WRC with direct connections to Carlos Sainz and Colin McRae, V6 FMC represents an important survivor from the early years of the World Rally Car era.
Winner of the 2000 Rally of Cyprus and remembered for McRae’s memorable Swedish Rally performance, it remains a continuously campaigned and carefully preserved example of Ford’s factory rally programme during one of the most celebrated periods in World Rally Championship history.
In time warp period correct order, V6 FMC starts on the button and ready to use.
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