1986 Ford RS200 Evolution Coupe

Ford UK Motorsport director, Stuart Turner, was the brainchild behind the RS 200 (for Rallye Sport - 200 examples were built). Ford's RS 200 was their entry at contesting the Group B rally series. Their prior entry was the rear-wheel driven, front-engined Escort RS 1800. The Fiesta-based RS 1700T was intended to be a replacement, yet it was another rear-wheel drive design. Audi's Quattro had proven the effectiveness of four-wheel drive in rallying, prompting Ford to reconsider its options.

Work on the RS 200 project began in 1983. It was overseen by Ford Motor Sports Chief Engineer, John Wheeler, with production of 200 cars planned in order to comply with Group B requirements. The design, by Tony Southgate, eventually penned by Filippo Sapino as a compact mid-engined coupé with four-wheel drive and powered by a turbocharged version of the 1.8-liter 16-valve 5-cylinder Cosworth BDA engine (the BDT). In road-going guise, the engine offered 250 horsepower while the rally versions produced up to 600 bhp. Carrozzeria Ghia was tasked with the styling and Aston Martin-owned Tickfort built the composite body-shells at Newport Pagnell.

In 1984, the Ford RS 200 was first publicly displayed. It was homologated in February 1986 after the required 200 examples had been built. All but the initial six prototypes were completed at Reliant's factory at Shenstone, Staffordshire.

The inaugural World Championship outing was at that year's Swedish Rally where Kalle Grundel finished 3rd overall. Before the year's end, the RS 200 went on to achieve a total of 19 wins and 32 podium finishes at the international level, securing several national championships along the way.

At the end of the season, FISA ended the Group B supercar racing due to a number of fatal accidents, some involving spectators.

Of the 200 models built by Ford, 24 were converted by the factory into higher-performance Evolution trim. The Evolution RS 200 received a 2.1-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine rated at a minimum of 600 horsepower. When larger turbochargers, bigger intercoolers, a variable-boost controller and updated tuning were added, outputs rose 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.

This RS 200 is a factory Evolution model. It entered the current ownership's care in 1989 when it was purchased from the founder of the Colorado Grand Rally, the late Mr. Robert 'Bob' Southerland. It has remained in the United States ever since. It was on display for the past decades at the Auto Collections in Las Vegas, Nevada.

This car has the iconic Evolution decals in blue. It has a full array of spot and fog lights mounted up front. The interior features the red bucket seats with 4-point Sabelt harness and matching red steering wheel.

By Daniel Vaughan | Oct 2017