1987 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth Sports Saloon
Registration no. E320 FLP
Chassis no. WF0EXXGBBEGG38626
Engine no. GG38626
• Two owners from new. Single ownership since 1987
• 17,244 miles from new
• Stored for 30 years
• Unmolested and outstandingly original
The sight of rival manufacturers reaping the rewards of a successful circuit racing programme prompted Ford to renew its alliance with engine builder Cosworth to create the eponymous Sierra, assembly of the minimum 5,000 units required for Group A homologation commencing in June 1986 at the company's Genk plant in Belgium. Based on the three-door Sierra bodyshell, the RS Cosworth combined the standard 1,993cc Pinto engine's cylinder block with a forged steel crankshaft and connecting rods, the first time the latter combination had been seen in a production Ford engine. Topping it off was a Cosworth-developed, twin-camshaft, 16-valve cylinder head fed by a Garrett AiResearch turbocharger, the latter being deemed necessary to achieve a competitive power output for racing, which in time would amount to over 500bhp! Even in standard road trim the Sierra RS Cosworth produced a staggering 204bhp initially (224bhp later), its Weber-Marelli engine management system ensuring that the resulting stupendous performance was delivered with minimal turbo lag. Needless to say, the standard Sierra underpinnings were comprehensively up-rated to cope. Even in its initial 204 horsepower form the RS Cosworth could accelerate from 0-62mph in 6.2sec on its way to an official top speed of 150mph. 6,021 examples had been completed when production ceased in 1986, and today the model is much sought after.
In 1987, when the Sierra Cosworth first hit the race track, it was immediately clear Ford was onto a winner. By June of that year it had taken victory at the first two rounds of the Monroe British Championship; the Willhire 24 Hour race at Snetterton; and the Nürburgring 24 hours.
Determined to ensure that the RS Cosworth would remain competitive, Ford took advantage of the FIA regulations that permitted modifications to be made to cars intended for racing, providing that 500 road-going 'Evolution' models had been built: enter the RS500 Cosworth.
The RS500s were not actually built by Ford, who handed the job to Aston Martin's Tickford subsidiary in Bedworth. Tickford took delivery of 500 complete Sierra Cosworths and set about converting them to the higher specification. The limited-edition RS500's body was slightly altered, receiving a 30mm Gurney flap on the rear wing, an additional spoiler on the trailing edge of the boot, and a bumper with more air vents and a lower lip. The engine was modified too, with a bigger turbo and a revised inlet manifold to increase peak power to 224bhp. All of the RS500s were intended to be black, but in the event only 392 were, with 52 blue and the remaining 56 white.
Ford really pushed the limits of the homologation rules with the RS500, and the road car incorporated components that were not that functional but allowed legal modifications on the race cars. The RS500's Cosworth YB engine had an inactive secondary fuel injection system fitted, which, when activated on the race cars, meant their engines could consume additional fuel and produce even more power. With different engine mapping, racing RS500s made upwards of 485bhp. And, if that was still not enough, it did not take much further modification before the engine was putting out 525bhp.
The Sierra RS500 Cosworth offered here represents an extremely rare opportunity to own what, arguably, is one of the most original cars of the 500 built, which has remained in continuous single ownership since 1987. First registered on 18th September 1987, this RS500 Cosworth is the 17th off the Aston Martin Tickford production line for homologation cars. 'E320 FLP' was supplied new by Dagenham Motors Uxbridge to its first owner, an insurance salesman in London, in September 1987 at a cost of £19,500. He owned it for a matter of weeks before having to quickly 're-arrange his finances' as the current owner was told, and they sold it to him in 1987 for £22,000, the equivalent of just over £77,500 today, accounting for inflation. The car was registered to the current owner's business in Hungerford before being re-registered in his name on 7th July 2003. Like millions of enthusiasts, the current owner had watched the RS500 Cosworth racing in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC), which was televised by the BBC every Sunday during the summer. A great example of the old marketing adage: 'Win on Sunday, sell on Monday.'
'E320 FLP' is a totally unmolested and original example retaining its original factory paintwork; the original pair of Dagenham Motors, Uxbridge numberplates; and its original exhaust, interior and head unit. This car is as original as they come and was last on the road in 1994 (the tax disc in the windscreen is dated February 1994). 'E320 FLP' comes with its original service books and owner's manuals as well as numerous documents dating back to when the current vendor took ownership of the car as its second keeper. These documents include Ford service inspection reports from 1988, 1989 and 1991; a letter of agreement for the Ford Extra Cover warranty plan for three years from September 1988 with Ford Hendy Lennox in Southampton. The original service book, recording the first owner in the front cover, has eight service stamps: two in 1988 (the 1,500-mile and 6,000-mile services), followed by one in 1989, 1990, and 1991 - all at Doves of Andover Ford - and then in 1997 at Peter Stirland Ford in Hungerford. There was a further service in 1999 at 17,213 miles and lastly in 2015 when it was taken from storage on a trailer to Cotswold Prestige Cars at 17,223 miles.
The car is wearing a matching set of Dunlop Sport D40 tyres, with a date stamp of '426', which it is believed refers to late 1986 when the car was new. In 1991, thieves attempted to break into the car, fortunately to no avail. To this day, it retains the marks on the passenger door frame and door, as well as the sunroof. The owner had planned to sort out these marks, but the car went into storage soon after and has been laid up ever since, a time capsule of the period.
The owner states that the mileage is 100% genuine, and says that the miles recorded were purely between 1987 and 1994, and that the car has not been on the road for 30 years. According to our vendor: "It's never been in any accidents or scrapes (apart from the attempted break-in) and the only thing I did to it was to pay a firm to put some red 'go faster' stripes down the sides by the sills, simply because when you watched the Cossies win their races on TV, most of them had those stripes!" These are vinyl stripes which can be removed should the successful purchaser so wish. This is an exceptionally rare opportunity to acquire an unmolested, totally original RS500 Cosworth, with single ownership since 1988 and a mere 17,244 miles from new. An inspection report has been conducted by one of the UK's leading experts in the RS500 and is available for interested parties on request.
