1987 FORD SIERRA RS COSWORTH

This Ford Sierra RS Cosworth is a wonderfully original and unmodified example of the legendary hot hatch, which would be a superb addition to a collection of modern classics. It is powered by Cosworth’s turbocharged 2.0-litre 16-valve engine, paired with a five-speed manual transmission. The five-digit odometer indicates 22,169 km, which is believed to be entirely correct, given the low ownership and the vendor’s discussions with those who have maintained the car.

First registered in December 1986, this Diamond White Cosworth was supplied by the main dealer in Ontinyent, on the east coast of Spain. It remained in single family ownership for a remarkable 21 years until 2007, before being acquired to join a private museum collection in the Valencian Community, where it remained until 2020. The vendor acquired the car in Spain last year and brought it back to the UK, but it remains an EU taxes-paid vehicle and on a Spanish registration.

Today, its bodywork presents in excellent order, completely rust free, and with no prior accident damage or replacement panels. There is no sign of paintwork, so it is believed to retain its 1986 factory finish throughout, which is in generally excellent condition for its age. Presented in unrestored condition, there are some minor imperfections in the paint, which would be easy to address – though these have purposely been left as-is to preserve the car’s wonderful originality.

All of the light lenses are in great shape, with no chips or cracks, and the window seals are in very good order. The black trim strip around the left side of the rear bumper is peeling away slightly, but again this would be straightforward to rectify, and has been left as found. The car rides on the original and correct 15-inch cross-spoke alloy wheels with the original centre caps.

Inside, the grey and red cloth upholstery is in excellent condition for a car that will soon be 35 years old. There is none of the heavy wear that is usually found in fast Fords of this vintage, and the cloth wears its age remarkably well. The dashboard and door cards are superb, with no cracking or wear, as is the headlining, and the car is equipped with a Kenwood radio cassette head unit and two Blaupunkt speakers in the parcel shelf. Its steering wheel and gear knob are also original and in great shape. There are no electrical faults, and all of the switchgear works as it should.

After being transported back to the UK, this RS Cosworth was given a recommissioning service by Brodie Engineering at 22,152 km. This included replacement of the cambelt, a new central exhaust box, and general servicing to ensure the car was in excellent running and driving order.

In August 2020, the car was also given a service at the Ford main dealer in Paterna, Spain, when it was also put through a ‘Inspección Técnica de Vehículos’ (the Spanish equivalent to the UK MOT test), reporting no advisories or defects whatsoever. The underside of the car is in remarkable condition, very clean and rust-free as shown by the photos in the gallery, which provides further evidence of the low mileage.

It is fitted with Dunlop tyres on the front axle and Bridgestone items at the rear. While they have virtually full tread, the vendor advises that they are now more than 20 years old – date-coded to 1994 and 1998.

This Ford Sierra RS Cosworth is an iconic hot hatch, which had just two owners for the first 34 years of its life, and spent some 13 years preserved in a private museum. The car appears to remain totally original, wearing its near 35 years with pride. It represents a rare opportunity to acquire a superb ‘time warp’ example with very low mileage, which has escaped the clutches of overzealous modifiers.

The description of this auction lot is, to the best of the seller's knowledge, accurate and not misleading. Collecting Cars requests a range of detail about the lot from the seller, and performs a level of due diligence. However, bidders must satisfy themselves as to the accuracy of the description, and conduct any research they feel is necessary before committing to a bid. Please see our Terms and Conditions for full details.

Please note: while this car is now in the UK, it remains registered on Spanish number plates. It can either be supplied to its next owner as-is on the current Spanish registration, or the vendor is happy to take care of the import and re-registration with DVLA for an additional cost, to be negotiated post sale.