WHEELY EXPENSIVE
Ultra-rare yellow Ford Escort RS Cosworth expected to sell for new auction record over £100,000
The Ford Escort RS Cosworth was, like many Fast Fords of its era, never really intended to be produced
AN ULTRA-rare Ford Escort RS Cosworth finished in bright yellow colour is all set to sell for a record price.
The legendary fast Ford Motor is the most unique version of the model that stands apart from the rest 7,144 units ever produced.
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And the reason is its unique Zinc yellow paint job that marks the only right-hand-drive model to ever roll out of the production line.
The car was specially made for the director of Cosworth - the car's engine supplier.
It was also one of the most expensive hatches ever sold at that time with a six-figure price tag.
The one-of-a-kind motor is all set to hit the auction on 24 August at the Iconic Auctioneers Silverstone Festival sale at the legendary race circuit in Northamptonshire.
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With 82,500 miles on the clock, experts predict the car could easily fetch between £65,000 and £75,000.
The Ford Escort RS Cosworth was, like many Fast Fords of its era, never really intended to be produced.
It only came about to allow a single version to race in the World Rally Championship between 1993 and 1998.
Under the championship's rules, at least 2,500 identical, road-legal versions of a car had to be produced over 12 consecutive months to qualify to enter.
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And so, in 1993, Ford did just that by handing over the fifth-generation Escort to partner firm Cosworth to create the new car, affectionately known as a "cossie".
However, from 1994, Ford responded to the massive demand for the model by producing extra road-going variants until 1996.
The standout feature of Ford Escort is undoubtedly its Cosworth 2.0-litre 16v turbocharged engine which produces 220 bhp - capable of reaching 60 mph in 5.7 secs and a top speed of 140 mph.
Ford Escort RS Cosworth specs
- Production: 1992-1996
- Gearbox: 5 Speed
- Drivetrain: Four-wheel drive
- Power: 220 bhp
- Top Speed: 140 mph
- 0-60 mph: 5.7 secs
This comes after a Ford Cosworth RS500 built in 1986 and with just 9,180 miles on the clock was sold for a figure "very close" to the £350,000 asking price.
The figure is the second-highest sum paid for a Cosworth at auction, after one sold for £596,520 last year.
Only 52 "Cossies" were ever made in the moonstone blue colour sported by the car sold in Peterborough.
Meanwhile, another Ford Escort RS Cosworth once owned by Jeremy Clarkson and dubbed his "all-time favourite" is heading to auction within weeks.
The stunning motor is a limited edition version of an already super-rare classic, with only three like it ever made.
It is rumoured to have cost £250,000 to produce at the time, equivalent to about £530,000 today.
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