Not everything was going to be the RS Cosworth.
He Ford Sierra It was one of Ford’s banners during the 1980s and early 1990s, a model that included coveted versions such as the R.S. Cosworth. We tell you his story.
In the early 80s, the oval brand was in the process of replacing the Ford Taurus / Cortina (as it was called in England) to stay in shape in an increasingly competitive European market.
In 1981, at the Paris Salon, he presented the Probe III, a model that a priori was only going to be experimental, focused on aerodynamics. Developed in wind tunnels (a novelty at the time), it featured solutions such as faired rear wheels or a double rear wing, which allowed it to achieve a Cx of 0.32, one of the best at that time.
Taking it as a base, the first Sierra began to be developed under the code name ‘Toni Project’, with a much more down-to-earth approach, which dispensed with the eccentricities of the prototype. The work of Uwe Bahnsen, Robert Lutz and Patrick Le’Quement, we only had to wait until the 1982 Frankfurt Motor Show to see the production version.
The change compared to its predecessors was palpable, sporting a much more modern image, with an incisive and aerodynamic front end… which initially did not catch on with consumers. However, it only took a few months for the situation to change, to the point that it came second in the European Car of the Year voting in 1983.
Initially it was offered with several mechanical gasoline options between 60 and 114 CV, but only with a 67 CV diesel. Little by little the range was expanded with the arrival of the three-door body, the XR4i, which mounted a 150 CV engine and sported a double wing that reinterpreted that of the Probe III; he XR8 with a 205 hp V8 engine or the XR4x4, which had all-wheel drive.
The incredible story of the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth: with Senna and Sainz!
In 1985 the version that fell in love with all ‘petrolhead’ of the time appeared, the Ford Sierra RS Cosworth. Striking like few others thanks to its huge rear wing, it also produced 204 CV and was capable of reaching 240 km/h at the top.
In 1987 it received its first update, with slight aesthetic innovations focused on the front and rear, as well as additions such as the four-door body. It did not take long for the second to arrive, in 1989, which introduced a slightly larger grill, changed the instrument panel and added new engines, raising the bottom of the range to 80 CV, expanding the diesel blocks to two and continuing as the most powerful engine with that of the RS Cosworth, yes, even more forceful thanks to its 220 CV.
The Ford Sierra reached its end of life in 1993, when it was replaced by the mondeoa model that improved its results by winning the Car of the Year award in Europe in 1994.
