Historics Auctioneers will hold their “Pace of Autumn” sale at the Ascot Racecourse this coming weekend with viewing available though September 13 and the auction itself starting the morning of September 14. An assortment of cars will be on offer, some with and some without reserves, that range from classic post-war British sports cars to practically new SUVs and even an Airstream trailer circa 2018.
Fast Fords
One thing they seem to have an abundance of is Fast Fords, most of which are powered by engines from Cosworth Engineering. These are the hot hatches from which legends were born.
The Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth was developed to use the remainder of the 2.0L turbocharged inline four-cylinder engines from the 15,000 that Ford agreed to purchase from Cosworth when developing a version of the Sierra to rebuild Ford’s reputation in the racing world. The Sierra Sapphire Cosworth was still powered by the YBB engine and actually proved to be more aerodynamically efficient than the two-door model that preceded it. This reduction in drag co-efficient allowed it to reach a top speed of 150 mph and go from 0 to 60 mph in only 6.1 seconds.
The example being offered by Historics Auctioneers is finished in the rarest color, Crystal Blue and has undergone a restoration over the past six years. As it was produced prior to the switch to 4×4 drive this is a desirable car, albeit not the rarest as Ford built more than 13,000 examples from 1988 through 1989. Aside from the OEM radio that needs to be sourced by the next owner, the car is as close to a perfect example of the Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth as anyone can find.
The auction company estimates this will sell for £26,000 – £33,000.
Estimate: £26,000 – £33,000 (about $34,000 – $43,000 USD)
This is a single-owner, low mileage example of the Ford Escort RS Cosworth that was styled after the Mk V Escort, although it was actually built on a shortened Sierra 4×4 base. That resulted in permanent four-wheel drive through the five-speed manual transmission – a nice way to deliver the 227 horsepower to the street.
This model was only produced for four years with just 7,145 examples completed. The one being offered by Historics Auctioneers has only covered 17,450 miles and still wears a number of stickers from the factory. Although the wheels have been upgraded to 18″ rims and the suspension has been lowered somewhat, it is mostly stock aside from those two modifications.
The estimate from the auction company puts this around £75,000 – £85,000. Although that is high for this model in general, the low mileage and single-owner factors are likely enough to drive the bidding that high.
Estimate: £75,000 – £85,000 (about $97,800 – $110,800 USD)
Weighing in at less than 2,000 lbs, the Mk. II RS2000 was capable of quick acceleration and handling on the road and on rally stages thanks to its 2.0L engine that produced 115 horsepower and its specially tuned suspension. This model helped build Ford’s reputation as a dominant force in the rally racing world of the late 1970s.
The example being offered by Historics Auctioneers benefits from a restoration that includes a complete engine rebuild and presents nicely in orange paint that pays tribute to noted rally driver Mario Ketterers. Its clean interior is thanks to work from Aldridge in 2017 after it was imported to the UK from Finland. It includes a history file with original Finnish paperwork along with invoices for work completed since it arrived in the UK.
The auction company’s estimate of £20,000 – £25,000 appears to be a reasonable price range considering what similar examples have sold for recently.
Estimate: £20,000 – £25,000 (about $26,000 – $32,600 USD)
This is one of 200 examples built as homologation models for the RS Cosworth and benefits from the added power of the water injection system that’s concealed beneath the passenger seat along with quad-headlights, still wrapped RS Cosworth mats, and the correct Pirelli space saver spare wheel, raised to accommodate the four-wheel drive differential.
It’s equipped with 18″ wheels that seem more appropriate for this car than the stock 16″ set. It’s also equipped with upgraded RS steering wheel, with the original included in the sale, and looks excellent wearing its original paint. Its history file dates back to its first owner.
Although this has more miles than comparable models we’ve seen sell recently, showing 106,000 since new, it’s still a very limited production car and should hold its value better than the non-homologation examples. A similar model, though with fewer miles on it, sold for £65,250 last year so the auction company’s estimate may be a bit strong on this at £58,000 – £68,000, but if the right two bidders on in the room or online you never know.
Estimate: £58,000 – £68,000 (about $75,600 – $88,700 USD)
This 1987 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth benefits from some minor upgrades that increase power output to nearly 350 horsepower, certainly more than enough to drive this now-legendary model as fast as possible. The adjustable GAZ shock absorbers will assist with handling, though they are not original either.
At first glance the estimate on this might appear to be a bit low at just £35,000 – £40,000, but this was previously a write-off by an insurance company (a Category C write-off to be specific) so at some point there was enough damage to the car to make it more financially viable for the insurer to write-off the value of the car back in 2002, albeit with market prices being much lower at the time, than to pay for repairs. But that didn’t stop this car from making its way to a new owner who was willing to put the time and money into getting it back into fighting shape.
Without the full details as to what resulted in the write-off it’s difficult for us to fully endorse buying this car, but for certain collectors willing to overlook the history of this car, it could prove to be a very enjoyable driver.
Estimate: £35,000 – £40,000 (about $45,600 – $52,100 USD)