First RS500 to go on sale

By Marc McLaren
News
 | 4 May 2018
First RS500 to go on sale

It's already one of the most historically significant fast Fords – and now the first ever Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth could become the most expensive too.

Chassis number one is up for sale with Silverstone Auctions later this month, with an estimate of £90,000-£120,000. And if it makes that top figure it would surpass the £114,750 paid for an RS500 with the same auction house late last year – which as far as we know is a world-record for a non-competition model.

And there's every chance it could go for that kind of figure, because this Cossie really has quite the history. 

First RS500 to go on sale

Back in 1987, Ford started work on the successor to the original Sierra RS Cosworth, a homologation classic that'd been a huge success both on and off the track. 

That car was the RS500, and Ford engaged noted coachbuilder Tickford to produce 500 of them – the minimum number it needed to compete in Group A racing.

Of those 500, four were pre-production cars, but one – chassis number one – was made by Ford itself, rather than Tickford, and was used by the company to test all aspects of the car’s special components before the final sign-off.

Driven hard throughout testing, it ended up being re-shelled by Ford before being sold to a private buyer in March 1987.

Over the following 20 years it went through five further owners, ending up in Norway in October 2007. After a decade in Scandinavia, it was sold to its current owner in February of this year.

First RS500 to go on sale

There has been some debate about the car's provenance, but Silverstone Auctions asked RS500 specialist Paul Linfoot to conduct a full report on the car, and in his view there's no doubt.

“It’s chassis number one, the first Sierra Cosworth RS500 ever built! This car is truly a one-off, and for any serious Ford collector, this must be the car to have – the one that started it all,” said Nick Whale, managing director of Silverstone Auctions.

Chassis number one will be sold in near-mint condition, with the original front bumper and lower splitters, and the special rear spoilers all present. The top section of the dashboard – which was notorious for cracking – has been replaced, as has the exhaust; a stainless-steel Magnex system now sits round the back.

"Recently we have seen a growing interest in fast Fords, and the prices have risen to record-busting levels. I can’t recall there ever being a Ford prototype coming to auction, and I can’t see this happening again," added Whale.

"This is a very special and rare RS500 that presents very well and is a car that can be driven, enjoyed and is a great addition to any collection.”

The auction takes place on 19 May, and we've gone into a bit more detail about this car and three other Sierra Cosworths up for grabs that day in this gallery feature.

View Ford Sierra RS Cosworth classic cars for sale here