A 1980s Fast Ford collector’s car broke all records this weekend by selling at auction for a staggering £596,250.
The 1987 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 squandered its presale price of £150,000-180,000 on Saturday, selling for a bid four and a half times the previous world record amount paid for one of these limited edition modern classics.
Described as “perhaps the finest example” of the rare RS500 breed, the amazing price paid for the Sierra at the Silverstone Auctions Race Retro Sale is 30 times the original price when it was sold 36 years ago for £19,950 in stood in the exhibition rooms.
The fast Ford was sold for an unfathomable figure! This 1987 Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 smashed all previous world records this weekend by being auctioned for a staggering £596,250
While already considered one of the most appreciated modern classics, the weekend sale price has pushed values into a new stratosphere for these rare souped-up ’80s family cars.
Prior to Saturday’s hammerfall, the previous world record amount paid for a Cosworth Sierra at auction was a non-RS500 model with 9,000 miles on the clock that changed hands for £132,750, also at a Silverstone auction last year Year.
The highest known price paid for one of the rarer RS500 cars – of which only 500 were built – in the block was £122,400 in 2017.
This 1987 example, registration E378 TKN, is considered to be one of the finest surviving today as it was preserved in pristine condition and has a documented mileage of just 5192 miles.
The fast ’80s Ford blew its pre-sale price of £150,000-180,000 when the hammer finally fell at Saturday’s Silverstone Auctions Race Retro Sale, held at Stoneleigh Park in Warwickshire
While already considered one of the most appreciated modern classics, the weekend sale price has now pushed values into a new stratosphere for Sierra Cosworths
The £596,250 price paid for the car over the weekend is four and a half times the previous world record amount for one of these limited edition modern classics
It is not known how many of the original 500 street-spec Cosworth RS500s remain today, especially as many were crashed by young racers who got their hands on the high-performance cars in the 1980s.
Many of them have also been heavily modified or converted into racing machines during their lifetime, which will have influenced their value in the currently thriving classic car scene.
When sold new in 1987 it had a list price of £19,950.
That means the winning bid this weekend has increased in value by a mind-boggling 2,889 percent in 36 years.
Even accounting for historical inflation, that 1987 list price is equivalent to £62,360 today, as shown by our historical inflation calculator.
That means this stunning, low-mileage Cossie sold for nine times its original inflation-adjusted price this weekend – an 856 percent increase in value in just over three and a half decades.
Described as “perhaps the finest example” of the rare RS500 breed, the amazing price paid for the Sierra at the Silverstone Auctions Race Retro Sale is 30 times the original price when it was sold 36 years ago for £19,950 in stood in the exhibition rooms
The example from 1987 with the registration “E378 TKN” is considered to be one of the best examples still in existence today. It has been preserved in pristine condition and shows only 5,192 miles from new
Adjusting its original price for historical inflation, the Sierra’s 1987 showroom tag would be £62,360 today. That means this stunning low-mileage Cossie has sold for nine times its original inflation-adjusted price – an 856% increase in value in three and a half decades
Silverstone Auctions said ahead of Saturday’s auction that “the attention to detail that has gone into the maintenance of this car cannot be underestimated”.
Silverstone Auctions described Saturday’s successful bid as “incredible”.
The auction house had said ahead of the event that although the car was used very little during the seller’s tenure, during that time it was regularly serviced and maintained by Southampton-based Tremona Garage, a local specialist widely recognized as extremely knowledgeable, when it comes to Fords from the seventies, eighties and nineties.
“The attention to detail in the maintenance of this car cannot be underestimated,” it said.
It even comes with a selection of – extremely rare – genuine oil filters, fuel filters and other parts.’
It went on to describe some of the extreme lengths the previous owner went to to preserve the car’s value.
“This ‘forensic’ attention to originality is further illustrated by our vendor’s purchase of a set of historic RS500 rims and tires so that TKN’s date-stamped originals can be carefully stored and not have to support the weight of the car for long periods of time . ‘ it went on.
“This meticulous approach explains why this lustrous black RS500 may be the best you’ve ever seen.”
Silverstone Auctions said it “hoped and believed it could break the previous record for a Sierra Cosworth RS500” but even it would have been shocked by this weekend’s whopping winning bid.
It went on sale in July 1986 and was based on the 3-door Sierra body. It was designed by Ford’s Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE) and powered by a Cosworth-designed 2.0-litre turbocharged engine with a now legendary reputation
The record car was sold at the Race Retro Show on Saturday 25th February at Stoneleigh Park, Warwickshire
As the odometer here shows, the Sierra Cossie RS500 has only driven 5,192. That equates to an average of 144 miles per year since new in 1987
The original Ford Sierra RS Cosworth was the first Ford to wear the Cosworth badge and was unveiled to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1985.
It was introduced to homologate the Sierra for Group A touring car racing, with 5,000 cars to be built and sold.
It went on sale in July 1986 and was based on the 3-door Sierra body. It was designed by Ford’s Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE) and powered by a Cosworth-designed 2.0-litre turbocharged engine with a now legendary reputation. At the time, the Sierra Cosworth was a new breed of high-performance car – a “workman’s hero” capable of humiliating real sports cars.
Announced in July 1987, the RS500 featured a mechanically upgraded Cosworth engine (more like that used in the competition), with power increased to 224 hp, modified bodywork and the hallmark of being hand assembled
This makes the RS500 the ultimate fast Ford of the 1980s.
The seller made a huge profit on a 4×4 investment he bought in 2009 when, after a diligent search for the best example in the country, he added this Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth to his collection
The fully original car comes with matching engine and chassis numbers and is said to be one of the best maintained Sierra RS500 Cossies in the country
The Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth is famous for its enormous “whale tail” spoiler. The value of these cars has skyrocketed in recent years, with a number of examples fetching well over £100,000 at auction. However, the sale price of almost £600,000 this weekend will have shocked everyone in the classic car world
A total of 5,545 cars were built, of which 500 were sent to Aston Martin Tickford to be converted to the Sierra ‘RS500 Cosworth’.
If the RS Cosworth was a homologation car, the RS500 was an evolution special.
After Ford built the required 5,000 RS Cosworths, ‘Group A’ rules allowed the introduction of an improved ‘Evolution’ model. This could bring changes focused on improving its racing potential, assuming Ford sold 10 percent of the original number as street cars, hence its 500 nameplate.
Around fourteen years ago, the seller, described as a ‘knowledgeable and particularly discerning enthusiast’, decided to add this RS500 to his collection and went in search of the finest example available.
He knew what he wanted, but enlisted the help of a friend, who was a marquee expert, to be on the safe side, Silverstone Auctions tells us.
They had considered a range of cars but were focused on finding the best possible RS500.
A number of other competitors were rejected before stumbling upon the ‘E378 TKN’ which they believed was – and still is – the best-condition Cossie in the country.
The originality of this example is second to none, the mileage is nominal – an average of 144 miles per year from new – and the car has clearly been maintained throughout its estimated lifetime.
The car was even sold with a selection of absolutely original spare parts, which today are like gold dust, they are so rare
When purchasing this car in 2009, the seller also purchased a set of period RS500 wheels and tyres. This allowed him to remove the date-stamped originals for safekeeping, rather than letting the factory wheels and tires support the car’s weight for extended periods of time
The car looks hardly used, the seats show no signs of wear. Even the carpets have been carefully preserved and are covered with Ford logo paper protection at all times
It is one of 392 black RS500s produced.
Ford had intended to produce all RS500 examples in black, but the Belgian factory in Genk, where the Sierra was assembled, did not have enough of that color available at the time to send it to Tickford.
The rarest color option is moonstone blue, of which there were 52 vehicles. The remaining 56 models were full Essex specification Diamond White.
As fast Fords of this era have skyrocketed in value in recent years, the whopping £596,250 paid for this Sierra Cosworth RS500 shows that demand for these once-modest performance cars shows no signs of slowing down.
Other top sellers at Silverstone Auctions included a top bid of £109,125 for a 1990 Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth 4X4.
A Lancia Delta Integrale Evo II, which was part of actor Rowan Atkinson’s classic car collection, also fetched £87,750 when the hammer fell.
Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500: A Brief History
The Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 was developed to allow high-strung versions to be used for racing in series such as the British Touring Car Championship
The Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500 uses a purpose-built 2.0-litre turbocharged Cosworth engine producing 224hp – which could be boosted to 400hp if modified for competition.
The automaker had to produce at least 500 examples for road and racing use in order to qualify for participation in touring car series and other championships where road models were used.
These cars featured numerous aerodynamic improvements that have since become legends among collectors.
These include the 30mm lip spoiler fitted to the tailgate to increase downforce, the swept front splitter and larger cooling ducts for both the brakes and engine intercooler.
The cars were available exclusively from 90 nominated RS specialist dealers and went on sale in the UK on 1 August 1987 priced at £19,950.
The Cosworth RS500 became a popular model among racing teams and dominated the paddocks of touring car championships
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