This week’s Wednesday Want is a little different from usual. Normally it involves our team plucking a car from our thousands-strong Car Suggestions forum and giving it some time in the spotlight, but this week we’ve found something truly special in the classified adverts and thought it really deserved some attention. You can check out past Wednesday Want entries right here.
Perhaps the most famous of all the fast Ford cars from the ’80s is the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth. Now you have a chance to own a piece of Ford history with a mint condition RS500 hitting the auction block next month.
As part of a wide array of cars available at the November 11–12 auction hosted by Silverstone Auctions, the RS500 is a real stand out. This is saying something too, since the auction features a 1969 Shelby Mustang GT350 and a 1971 Aston Martin DBS.
With only 500 examples produced for the UK market, the RS500 definitely ticks the rarity box. What makes this example even rarer is the color. 492 cars came in black, while Ford only made 56 in white (and 52 in blue).
Of the 500 to roll off the line, the RS500 isn’t your standard Sierra either. Almost everything in the driveline is tuned for the race track. A larger turbocharger, bigger intercooler, and race spec fuel system give the car a respectable 222hp, up from the 204hp the standard Sierra Cosworth put out.
In addition to the horsepower increase, the car also had subtle exterior changes. A small spoiler under the whale tail gave the car better aero. The front fog lights also were replaced by brake cooling ducts to help with the rigors of track driving.
These changes don’t sound particularly impressive on paper. At the time though the RS500 was a track monster. At only 2,700 lbs it was light, nimble, and quick. The Cosworth hit 60 mph in just 6.2 seconds and if you kept your foot down would take you all the way to 154mph.
While the Cossie is special for sure, this one is a little extra special. With only 6,000 miles on the clock, it’s practically new. It’s not as factory fresh as the McLaren F1 we told you about, but this Cossie is pretty close.
The backstory on the car explains that it was part of large classic Ferrari collection in Germany. Exotic car dealer Joe Macari found the car and snatched it up for himself. After enjoying the car for a little while, Macari then put the car up for sale. A private Ford collector in the UK paid Macari ₤28,000 ($37,000) for the car, a considerable sum for an ’80s Ford. The buyer then put the car in climate controlled storage and never really experienced the epicness of the Cossie engine.
The car is now up for sale with an auction estimate right around ₤110,000 ($145,000). We bet Macari is kicking himself for selling it so cheap now.
While the RS500 sat for a considerable amount of time, it did get its regular services. Recently a $5,000 tune up brought the Cosworth up to snuff with new fluids, belts, and battery. Chances are whoever is lucky enough to buy this car can drive it home. They probably won’t, but the option is there. Silverstone Auctions will even give the car a full MOT for the buyer.
We do hope the winner of this masterpiece at least enjoys it a little bit, even if it’s only for a few hundred miles. Hearing the glorious howl of a Cosworth engine is worth the price of admission alone.
See more articles on Cosworth, Ford, and Wednesday Want.
