In the glory – and occasionally gory – days of Group B rallying Ford entered the fray with the RS200. Unlike rivals which, loosely at least, based their championship contenders on road cars, Ford took the opposite approach.
The mid-engined, four-whee-drive RS200 was purpose-built for the rough and tumble of the world rally stage, but homologation rules meant the Blue Oval was supposed to also assemble 200 road-going versions.
Group B met an early demise in 1986 after a string of horrific accidents and Ford never actually made 200 road cars, with the finally tally reckoned to be 147. Of those, just 20 were upgraded to the S specification of the car you see here.
Canadian dealer Murray DeWert was the brains behind the upscale RS200 S, persuading Ford to offer a more luxurious part-leather interior, along with creature comforts such as electric windows and mirrors, thick carpeting, a stereo, and even air conditioning.
Chassis number 138 is a one-owner-from-new example and has its own fascinating back story. For a start it’s one of only four cars finished in Ferrari Red, and came with every option ticked. When the British buyer visited Ford’s Boreham motorsport facility he fell for the colour immediately, but the car had been put together in left-hand-drive. Not a problem, said Ford, and the mechanics set about switching it over to right-hand-drive before delivery.
Amazingly all the original components were supplied, so theoretically it could be swapped again, and the a/c unit is also provided separately for fitment if desired. A set of standard eight-spoke alloy wheels comes with the package as an alternative to the split-rim Speedline wheels that the RS200 currently wears.
The red rally car was delivered in October 1990 and has covered 20,000 miles since and has been meticulously serviced. It will be up for sales at Iconic Auctioneers’ Race Retro 2025 sale on February 22 with a guide price of £300,000-£350,000.
If you get outbid, then you could always hold out for Boreham Motorworks restomod RS200 which is set to be revealed later in 2025.
