Fast Fords from the eighties and nineties are currently rising in value like rare art, gold and fine wines – and this one is a pretty special example indeed.
The 1996 car is the last Escort RS Cosworth: the final rally-derived road car to come off the assembly line in Germany before production of the Ford family favourite ceased in preparation for the arrival of the Focus hatchback two years later.
Technically, it has one owner from new. And not just any normal former keeper but the head of Ford’s special vehicles department at the time, Dieter Hahne, who spearheaded the development of the Escort RS Cosworth.
The left-hand-drive, German-registered hot-hatch is being offered to the highest bidder in an online auction hosted by Collecting Cars and is expected to reach around £60,000 before the sale closes in a week’s time.
Ultimate nineties Fast Ford: This is the last ever Escort RS Cosworth produced. It is currently being offered to the highest bidder in an online auction
The car is one of two built at Ford’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) department at the Karmann factory in Rheine.
Series production of the Escort RS Cosworth ceased in January 1996, but the manufacturer still had enough parts to create two additional vehicles.
These were built to the final Escort’s 1991 original specification, albeit with a 1993 model year bonnet as this was the one component missing from the available parts bin.
This particular example was the second of the two cars made, making it the ultimate Escort RS Cosworth you can get your hands on.
The penultimate car was built for Wilhelm Karmann Jr, the then chairman of the family-owned company.
It is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged Cosworth engine, delivering 224bhp to all four wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox and limited-slip differential.
At time time of production it was considered one of fastest family cars on the planet, hitting 62mph from a standstill in just 6.1 seconds and heading up to a top speed of 144mph.
Technically, it has one owner from new. The vendor was head of Ford’s special vehicles department at the time the car was made and calls the motor ‘his baby’
Series production of the Escort RS Cosworth ceased in January 1996, but the manufacturer still had enough parts to create two additional vehicles – this being the second of them
The two cars were built to the Escort RS Cosworth’s 1991 original specification, albeit with a 1993 model year bonnet as this was the one component missing from the available parts bin
For the first two years of its life, it was driven by a Karmann project manager as a company vehicle.
However, because it was only used on trade plates without formal registration, its documents show as it having just one keeper from new.
That lone keeper is Dieter Hahne, who bought the car in 1998 and knows quite a lot about the Escort RS Cosworth’s life.
Mr Hahne headed up Ford’s SVO department in the mid-nineties, playing a pivotal role in developing the car for rallying and road-going purposes.
Having been personally involved in its inception, he said he bought this ultimate example as ‘his baby’.
It has been cherished by Hahne ever since for the last 24 years, and it is now offered for sale by him directly.
‘As Hahne turns 80 years old in 2022, he has decided the time is finally right to part with ‘his baby’ and allow another enthusiast to take care of it,’ says Collecting Cars.
This meticulously-kept example of the nineties Fast Ford is finished in the original Auralis Blue paint with a black leather interior featuring Recaro seats.
It is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged Cosworth engine, delivering 224bhp to all four wheels through a five-speed manual gearbox and limited-slip differential
The Escort RS Cosworth is fondly remembered for its wild rear wings and staggering performance
At time time of production it was considered one of fastest family cars on the planet, hitting 62mph from a standstill in just 6.1 seconds and up to a top speed of 144mph
It retains its period-correct RS Cosworth 16-inch five-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in Continental tyres.
The cabin is equipped with air conditioning, a replacement Ford-branded stereo with separate CD player, and electrically operated windows, sunroof and door mirrors.
Having recently been resprayed in the original paintwork, the exterior is in exceptional condition.
Inside, there are some minor signs of wear on the Recaro seats, and two screw holes in the centre console, where a mobile phone holder has previously been installed.
‘Otherwise, the cabin presents in very good order,’ the lot confirms.
The only non-original part on the car is a replacement air-conditioning condenser, while there is also a fault with the CD player, with Hahne reporting a crackling noise coming from one of the speakers.
The car’s most recent service was in October 2022, having recently had the clutch replaced.
The odometer shows it as covering just over 60,000 miles (97,882km) in its 26-year lifetime, with the cam belt replaced in August 2017 with the car’s mileage at 96,388.
Collecting Cars believes the value of a late-production Escort RS Cosworth with similar mileage in the same condition is worth between £43,000 and £60,000 today.
However, given the significance of this being the ultimate Escort RS Cosworth, a spokesperson for the auction site said they wouldn’t be surprised to see it sell for even more than that.
Therefore it could be won with a winning bid that’s significantly more than what it cost when new. In 1996 an Escort RS Cosworth retailed for £21,380.
Inside, there are some minor signs of wear on the Recaro seats, and two screw holes in the centre console, where a mobile phone holder has previously been installed
The odometer shows it as covering just over 60,000 miles (97,882km) in its 26-year lifetime, with the cam belt replaced in August 2017 with the car’s mileage at 96,388
Collecting Cars believes the value of a late-production Escort RS Cosworth with similar mileage in the same condition is worth between £43,000 and £60,000, though it could exceed even those values given its significance as the ultimate example made
Using the This is Money historic inflation calculator, that translates to 43,800 in today’s money.
‘The car has been maintained to a very high standard and benefits from a prior full respray in the striking Auralis Blue colour,’ the online auction company states.
‘Now ready to be enjoyed by a new owner, it would make a lively weekend toy for a keen driver – and would of course be an unrepeatable addition to any dedicated Ford collection given its significance as the very last Escort RS Cosworth to leave the Karmann factory.’
The auction is live for bids, and will end in the evening of Monday 7 November.
While this final-edition Escort RS Cosworth is expected to go for a stellar sum, it’s unlikely to breach what is believed to be the UK record price paid for one set in 2017.
That example was a timewarp-condition 1996 car with just 837 miles on the clock that changed hands at auction for £91,000.
This post first appeared on Dailymail.co.uk
