Featured Auction - 1986 Ford RS 200 Evolution - One of 24

Estimate (£): 375,000 - 500,000.

*One Of Just 24 RS 200 Evolution Examples Ever Produced

*Mind-Boggling Performance With Over 600 Horsepower And 0-60 Under 3 Seconds

*Highly Original Example In Same Ownership For More Than 25 Years

*The Ultimate Ford Group B Car

THE FORD RS 200 EVOLUTION

2,137cc DOHC 16V Turbocharged 4-Cylinder Engine

Fuel Injection

550-650bhp at 8,500rpm

5-Speed Manual Transaxle - All Wheel Drive

4-Wheel Independent Suspension

4-Wheel Disc Brakes

Masterminded by its European Motor Sports boss, Stuart Turner, the RS 200 was Ford's ambitious attempt at producing a championship winning Group B rally car. Immediately prior to the project's inception Ford's frontline rally car had been the front-engined, rear-wheel driven Escort RS1800, while its intended replacement – the Fiesta-based RS1700T - was another rear-wheel-drive design. However, by this time Audi's Quattro had convincingly demonstrated the efficacy of four-wheel drive in rallying, prompting a drastic rethink at Boreham.

Overseen by Ford Motor Sports Chief Engineer, John Wheeler, the RS 200 project commenced in 1983 with production of 200 cars planned in order to meet Group B requirements, hence the name. The design, by Tony Southgate, eventually crystallized as a compact mid-engined Coupe powered by a turbo-charged version of the 1.8-litre 16-valve Cosworth BDA engine (the BDT) and equipped with four-wheel drive. This engine produced 250bhp in road-going trim with up to 500bhp available in rally tune. Ford's Italian subsidiary, Carrozzeria Ghia, was entrusted with the styling, producing a purposeful yet elegant design that has stood the test of time like few of its contemporaries. Aston Martin-owned Tickford built the composite body-shells at Newport Pagnell.

The RS 200 was first publicly displayed in 1984 and homologated in February 1986 after the required 200 examples had been built, all apart from the initial six prototypes being completed at Reliant's factory at Shenstone, Staffordshire. Its first World Championship event was that year's Swedish Rally where the car driven by Kalle Grundel finished 3rd overall, a most promising debut. The RS 200 went on to achieve a total of 19 wins and 32 podium finishes at international level before the year's end, securing several national championships along the way. Sadly, that would be the limit of its rallying achievements, as FISA pulled the plug on the Group B supercars at the end of a season blighted by a number of fatal accidents, some involving spectators. Seeking to recoup some of the £10 million rumored to have been spent on the project, Ford stripped down 120 RS200s and rebuilt them as road-legal supercars to be sold at around £50,000 apiece.

Just 24 RS200's were converted by the factory into higher-performance Evolution trim. The Evolution RS 200 was able to embarrass more prestigious and expensive supercars of its time, and, 30 years later, is even capable of keeping up with the supercars of today.

Evolution models received a 2.1-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, rated at a minimum of 600 horsepower in "stock" trim, though the use of larger turbochargers, bigger intercoolers, a variable-boost controller and updated tuning could produce outputs up to 900 horsepower! Torque could be split three different ways, including 100-percent rear; 63-percent rear and 37-percent front; and 50:50, depending upon road conditions and driver preference. Performance of Evolution models, even in stock form, was impressive, with the run from 0-60 MPH taking just three seconds and the run from 0-100 MPH taking a mere five. Today, the RS 200 Evolution remains a sought-after collectible among Ford performance enthusiasts, especially those with a passion for WRC history.

Find the auction here on Gaukmotors: gaukmotors.co.uk/post/featured-auction---1986-ford-rs-200-evolution