Lot 195 - 1995 Ford Escort RS Cosworth

• Rare red hexagon interior
• Excellent condition throughout

The Ford Escort RS Cosworth was released in 1992 just as the Sierra Sapphire 4x4 Cosworth production was ending. The radical styling that included flared arches and the unmissable whale tail rear spoiler, displayed only a small part of the potential however, that potential was fulfilled by the fitment of the Ford power unit that lay under the bonnet boosted by a turbo charger. Production commenced in February 1992 with the first 2,500 being homologation specials. The Cosworth was entered into the World Rally Championship the following year, enjoying outstanding success in the hands of works drivers François Delecour and Miki Biasion. Although the RS Cosworth resembled the Escort road car, it was in fact based on a shortened Sierra 4x4 floor pan and used the latter's running gear. This meant that, unlike the mainstream Mk. V Escort, the RS Cosworth mounted its engine fore-and-aft rather than transversely, it also used the Sierra 4x4's five-speed manual transmission which featured permanent four-wheel drive that split the power 34/66 front/rear. In road trim, the RS Cosworth produced 227bhp and with that horsepower in a nimble, compact car, performance was outstanding. The end came too early for many enthusiasts with production ceasing in January 1996. Only 7,145 cars were produced over a four-year period.

This example is presented in Ash Black with one of the rarest interior trims, red hex Recaro. The overall condition of the car is excellent, our vendor purchased the car from a local gentleman who owned it alongside a daily driven 200,000 mile Sierra Cosworth, the Escort Cosworth was the one he chose to keep tucked away with the mileage kept to a minimum. The odometer failed in 2012 at 25,184 miles, a replacement was fitted showing 17,666 miles, meaning the true mileage of the car is now just 29,270 miles. The car remains in almost completely unmodified form, the only change being a stainless steel exhaust, which provides a very subtle note and is by no means too ‘shouty’. The cambelt was replaced in 2021 and a service was carried out at the same time, only around 500 miles have been covered since. The MoT test certificate is valid until March 2024, two advisories were noted which were,  some slight corrosion on underside components and a perished CV boot -  both have since been attended to.

The Escort Cosworth has one of the most legendary silhouettes of all time with its instantly recognisable whale tail rear spoiler. They were a rare sight on the roads when new, further amplified now more than 30 years after the cars initial release, only 241 cars are now registered on UK roads. This is a particularly well-kept example in a desirable colour combination and boasting less than 30,000 miles from new and has proven to be one of the most desirable fast Ford’s in recent years.