The Ford RS200

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.

This Ford RS200

A left-hand-drive example with the rare full leather Recaro seats, this RS200 left Ford’s Boreham factory in 1986. It was sold new via Pleasurable Developments in the US to the New York-based motorsport magnate Jeff Elghanayan. Elgahanayan was the founder of Marco Polo Motorsport, which is where he had his RS200 maintained.

So fond was he of this Ford that he kept it for over 20 years, selling it in 2009 to Steve Rimmer, the renowned British rally enthusiast and collector and founder of the Dirtfish digital rallying empire.

Rimmer quickly opted to have this RS200 stripped to its tub and repainted, before shipping the car to England to be rebuilt and finalised by the renowned rally preparation specialists at BGMsport in Oxfordshire. The UK registration ‘C250 URP’ was also assigned at this time. Shortly after, with the mileage noted as 11,111 miles, this RS200 was sold to its third owner, one Matthew Knowles from Leicestershire. Knowles used the car sparingly, selling it after three years having driven just 77 miles.

On 14 October 2015, this Ford was acquired by its fourth and current owner at an H&H Classics sale at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford. Once again, the RS200 has been used sparingly since. Most notably, it was photographed for and featured in Graham Robson’s 2020 book, RS200 – Ford’s Group B Legend, a copy of which accompanies the car.

In March of this year, the RS200 received an MOT certificate, and in April, it was sent back to BGMsport for a major service. The works, which totalled £4,717, included the replacement of fuel filters, spark plugs, fuel pressure sender unit, brake fluid and alternator belt. As with all the cars we offer for sale, it was also sent for professional detailing, at a cost in excess of £1,000.

With just 11,517 miles on the odometer, four documented owners from new and a signature red leather-bound Girardo & Co. history file, this beautifully presented Ford RS200 is a fantastic example of the Group B breed from Boreham. And we can confirm this car drives as well as it looks – peppy and agile, and on the sweeping country roads surrounding Belchers Farm, every bit the diluted Group B rally monster it was designed to be.

Price: £250,000 (GBP)