1993 | Ford Escort RS Cosworth

Lot details

Year: 1993
Make: Ford
Model: Escort RS Cosworth Lux
Registration: K30 SYY
Chassis No: WF0BXXGKABNE93319
Engine No: NE93319
Mileage: 106,000
•: Large turbo version complete with water injection
•: Immaculate condition throughout
•: One of 200 Homologation special

The Escort RS Cosworth pretty much drew a line under the first hot-hatch era, not even Lancia's awesome Delta Integrale was keeping up with this. The RS Cosworth was a rally-spec, homologation special based on the fifth generation Escort. It was designed to qualify as a Group A car for the World Rally Championship in which it competed notably between 1993 and 1998. The radical styling that included flared arches and the unmissable whale tail rear spoiler displayed only a small part of the potential however, with the remaining fulfilled by the fitting of the Ford power unit that lay under the bonnet boosted by one of two sizes of turbo charger.

The first 2,500 were fitted with a larger Garrett hybrid turbo with transmission-mounted boost control and a water injection system hidden under the front passenger seat although this was rare with most disconnected. It was viciously quick with 0-60mph coming up in 5.7 seconds catapulting it firmly into Porsche territory. It also used the Sierra 4x4's five-speed manual transmission which featured permanent four-wheel drive to split the power 34/66 front/rear.

In road trim alone, the RS Cosworth produced 227bhp and with that horsepower in a nimble, compact car, performance was outstanding. The end came too early for many enthusiasts with production ceasing in January 1996 with only 7,145 cars produced over a four-year period. Nowadays, the model is firmly established as a modern classic and benefits from all the attention lavished on other RS Fords. Values for the best survivors have often neared six figures.

This spotless Lux example belies its mileage and benefits from a fully connected water injection system fitted under the rear seats. A true homologation model, this represents one of just 200 examples in this guise with uprated quad-headlights, brand-new RS Cosworth overmats (still wrapped) and the correct &unused Pirelli spacesaver wheel to the rear, raised to clear the rear 4WD differential. The well-appointed cockpit benefits from an uprated RS steering wheel (original supplied) and a Sony head-unit supplying the desired soundtrack. The beautifully appointed engine starts immediately settling to a beguiling burble. Keeping everything on the straight and narrow are a set of practically unused Toyo 225x40x18 tyres on oversized 18” alloy wheels, fitting the wheelarches far better than the standard 16” items. The paintwork is hard to fault with no corrosion visible. A new MoT test certificate has been supplied with no advisories and it also comes supplied with not only the correct owner's pack but a fully comprehensive history file right back to its genesis. Immaculately presented, this extremely collectable example represents one of the fast Fords that are now very hard to find.

Consigned by Edward Bridger-Stille