Did you know that the three-times Formula 1 World Champion Jackie Stewart had a major hand in developing Ford’s Group B thoroughbred, the RS200? Or that its chassis was the work of the accomplished Formula 1 designer Tony Southgate?

The lesser-known facts go some way to explain just how much effort and expense Ford invested (£10m, in case you were wondering) in the mid-engined car with which it wanted to write the next chapter of its World Rally Championship legacy.

Alas, the writing was already on the wall for Group B by the time the RS200 hit the special stages and the Ford’s great potential was sadly curtailed. Everyone knew that had it been afforded the chance, the RS200 – in its 700HP-plus Evolution guise – would have wiped the floor with everyone. It was glorious Group B’s logical next step.

If the frenzy this car caused when we recently posted some photos of its on social media is anything to go by, the road-going Ford RS200 is a car that resonates with a great number of people. Okay, so it was a pussycat in comparison to the rally car, but that doesn’t mean it was a pussycat full stop.

Quite the contrary, in fact – this was a lightweight mid-engined four-wheel-drive sports car designed from the ground up as a rally winner and whose turbocharged BDT engine produced an ample 250HP, after all. Miraculously, the RS200 also errs on the right side of useable, unlike the majority of its Group B homologation counterparts.

Ford Motorsport in Boreham was supposed to build 200 RS200s in order to homologate the rally version, though the authority on the model Justin Smith reckons that as few as 147 were actually sold, 90 of which were left-hand drive.

The fabulous RS200 presented here is chassis number 142, which was assembled by Ford in 1986 and delivered to its original owner, one James McAlpine from the United Kingdom, in September of the following year.

A late-production right-hand-drive model finished in white, this RS200 was specified with the optional two-/four-wheel-drive locked differentials, which were operated by a smaller secondary lever beside the gearstick.

McAlpine also ticked the box for the ultra-rare ‘Stratton Pack’, which comprised darker and more plush carpets, darker ignition cowling and a signature Stig Blomqvist steering wheel, bearing the embossed signature of the 1984 World Rally Champion himself.

In August of 1992, chassis 142 was converted to left-hand-drive configuration at the request of the original owner. The process was undertaken by RS200 specialist Gordon Spooner Engineering using only original Ford componentry.

McAlpine parted company with the car in the mid-1990s, after which it passed through the hands of several further UK-based owners. In the June 1996 issue of Classic & Sports Car, this RS200 featured in an in-depth feature examining the historical context of the Group B homologation model.

A prominent Italian collector acquired chassis 142 at the dawn of the 2010s, exporting the car and registering it with the number ‘EN 109 XK’. In 2013, this Ford was purchased by another well-known collector, this time in Germany, with whom it’s remained since.

Such is the size and historical significance of said collection, an in-house team of mechanics has meticulously cared for this RS200. Most recently, in 2021, a major service was carried out which included replacement of the fluids, fuel pumps and filters.

A wonderfully presented example of the RS200 showing just 5,181 miles on the odometer and complete with bucket seats retrimmed in sumptuous leather hide, colour matched to the carpet, dash and steering wheel, chassis 142 wants for nothing except a great new home. It’s accompanied by a history file which includes the car’s original stamped Ford service interval booklet, the Blaupunkt radio manual and a copy of the Classic & Sports Car magazine in which i it features. 

Price Upon Application