The Ford RS200 was Ford’s radical answer to the 1980s Group B rally era – a purpose-built, mid-engined, all-wheel-drive supercar homologation special. Born from the ashes of an earlier failed Escort-based project, the RS200 featured a composite Kevlar/glassfibre body on an aluminum honeycomb chassis, a turbocharged Cosworth engine up front, and a gear box relocated to the nose for optimal balance. In road trim it made about 250 horsepower and weighed roughly 1180 kg, yet raced at over 400 hp – all for the glory (and madness) of Group B. Its story spans development struggles, a brief but memorable rally career (cut tragically short), and a post-Group B evolution into 600‑hp monsters. Despite only one podium and the end of Group B, the RS200’s legacy endures as a cult icon, commanding huge auction prices and inspiring modern continuation models.
History and Origins of the Ford RS200
In the late 1970s, Ford’s Escort RS performance rally cars had dominated Group 4 racing, but by 1980 the competition (Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, Audi Quattro, Lancia) was evolving rapidly. Ford wisely skipped 1980 while planning a successor. The Escort Mk3-based RS1700T (introduced 1982) was an early attempt – a rear-wheel-drive, widened Escort with a 1.8L turbo or 2.3L engine. It soon proved outdated against new 4WD rivals. When Stuart Turner took over Ford Motorsport in 1983, he scrapped the Escort project in favor of a clean-sheet rally car built from the ground up.
With Group B regulations now in place (requiring only 200 road-going cars for homologation, Ford set out to create something completely different. Formula 1 designer Tony Southgate and engineer John Wheeler led development on an exotic coupe: mid-mounted Cosworth turbo engine, all-wheel drive, and lightweight construction. A prototype RS200 debuted at the 1984 Turin Motor Show, boasting an aerodynamic bubble coupe body styled by Ford’s Ghia design studio (styled by Filippo Sapino with input from Ian Callum). This startling, wedge-shaped silhouette – virtually unrelated to any passenger Ford – was one of the first clues that Ford had gone to extremes for Group B.
By late 1984 the RS200’s development was still unfinished, but homologation production went ahead. Ford contracted Reliant (yes, the three-wheel Robin guys) to assemble the 200 road cars at its Staffordshire plant, while the Ford factory at Boreham built competition cars. The 200 cars took until early 1986 to complete; ironically, by then Audi, Peugeot and Lancia had already racked up championships. The last RS200 road car rolled off the line in January 1986 – just before Group B was banned.
Design and Development
The RS200’s chassis and body were far removed from typical mass-production cars. Under its composite skin lay an aluminum honeycomb monocoque survival cell designed by Southgate. Front and rear steel subframes bolted onto this aluminum tub carried the suspension and powertrain. The body panels (made of glassfibre for road cars, Kevlar for race cars) surrounded a two-seat cockpit that kept weight low. Even details were custom: the RS200 had full-width wraparound tail lights and Sierra RS Cosworth windscreen glass from Ford’s parts bin, but almost nothing else was shared with road cars
Suspension was ultra-advanced: double wishbones with twin dampers at each corner, fully adjustable for rally tuning. This “twin damper” setup gave enormous control on rough terrain (test driver Malcolm Wilson noted “we just didn’t have any degradation in damper performance” on gravel. Brakes were vented discs all around, and wheels wore 225/50R16 tires to handle the power.
Perhaps the strangest design quirk was the drivetrain layout. The RS200’s all-aluminum 1.8L Cosworth BDT engine sat longitudinally behind the cabin, but the 5-speed transmission was mounted up front for ideal weight distribution. Power went forward through a prop shaft to the gearbox, then back via a center differential to the rear wheels. That Ferguson Formula (FF)–developed 4WD system split torque 37:63 front-to-rear by default, and even allowed switching to rear-wheel-drive mode for tarmac rallies. All three diffs used viscous couplings for limited slip. The upshot was near-perfect balance (close to 50:50) and superb grip – at the cost of a very complex transmission.
Inside, the cockpit was spartan but race-ready. A thin steering wheel, red-topped gear lever and bright gauges adorned a simple dash. Visibility was limited by the low beltline and small glass; the RS200 was meant for speed, not luxury. Notably, legendary F1 champion Jackie Stewart was even called in to help fine-tune the road-car drivability and clutch feel during development – a testament to how exotic the project was.
Technical Specifications
The Ford RS200’s technical details read like a piece of rally history:
- Engine: 1.8 L (1803 cc) Cosworth BDT inline-4, DOHC 16-valve, turbocharged. All-aluminum block with Nikasil liners, Garrett T3/T04 turbo, roof-mounted intercooler. Street engines made about 250 hp (at ~6500 rpm) and 215 lb-ft torque; competition tune was ~400–450+ hp (some brochures even claimed 420 hp for 1986).
- Transmission: 5-speed manual gearbox (front-mounted) driving all four wheels. The prop-shaft to-front, to-center-diff, then back to rear layout gave unique weight distribution. Ferguson Formula’s center diff allowed adjustable torque split (front 37%–63% rear default, or lock 50:50, or pure RWD) for different surfaces.
- Drivetrain: Permanent four-wheel drive with three viscous limited-slip differentials (front, center, rear). This gave incredible traction, especially off-road. Wilson noted the RS200 felt “unbelievable on rough terrain” with no loss of damper performance.
- Suspension: Double wishbones with dual dampers (twin shocks per corner), coil springs, fully adjustable geometry. This sophisticated setup was built to absorb jumps and bumps at high speed.
- Dimensions: Length ~4000 mm, width ~1760 mm, height ~1320 mm, wheelbase 2530 mm. Its broad track and low center of gravity contributed to nimble handling.
- Weight: Approximately 1180 kg (curb). (By comparison, contemporaneous supercars often weighed more.) The RS200 was relatively light for an AWD rally car, but still heavier than some rivals.
- Performance: Official 0–60 mph ~6.1 sec (Autocar test); top speed ~139 mph. In practice, early RS200s were underrated in power and had lag, so real-world times varied. (Notably, an RS200 Evolution later clocked 0–60 in ~3.1 sec, a record for 12 years.)
- Production: Only 144 total RS200 road cars are documented to have left the factory (some sources note only ~146 were fully built). Of those, about 90 were standard 250 hp road versions and ~20 were later converted to Evo spec (~600–650 hp).
All figures cited above come from official Ford data and later tests
Rally Career and Group B Experience
The RS200’s racing life was brief but dramatic. Its World Rally Championship debut was delayed by development snags, so Ford first ran the RS200 in a domestic UK rally (the non-championship Lindisfarne Rally, Sept 1985), where test driver Malcolm Wilson won outright in an RS200 coupe. That showed the car’s potential.
In the 1986 WRC season, Ford entered a factory team of RS200s (driven by the likes of Stig Blomqvist, Tony Pond, Kalle Grundel) for the first time. However, by then other teams were into their 2nd or 3rd evolutions of 4WD rally cars. The RS200 was effectively a “customer car” adapted for rallies (heavier and with less aero than true works rockets). Despite this, it did flash its pace: at the start of 1986 it scored a surprise podium (3rd place) on Rally Sweden with Kalle Grundel). It even led the Acropolis Rally in Greece before two team cars retired with mechanical issues.
But the 1986 season was overshadowed by tragedy. On Rally de Portugal in May, RS200 pilot Joaquim Santos lost control at high speed, crashing into spectators (reportedly to avoid someone on the road). Three were killed and dozens injured). The Ford team immediately withdrew, stunned. When Lancia’s Toivonen/Cresto perished in Corsica soon after, the FIA cancelled Group B altogether. In effect, the RS200’s high-level career lasted only half a season. By the end of 1986 it had entered fewer than half of the season’s 13 events, with its best finish that Sweden podium.
Aside from world championship, the RS200 also raced in Rallycross and club events. Here its raw power shone. In 1991 Norwegian star Martin Schanche won the European Rallycross title in a 600‑hp RS200 Evo. Even in the RS200’s short career, it was clear that the car had speed and balance – it just didn’t get the racing time to prove itself before Group B’s demise.
RS200 Evolution Model
With Group B gone, Ford had hundreds of RS200 chassis and no rally series to run. The solution was the RS200 Evolution – a special upgrade project. Ford bored out the 1.8L engine to 2.1 liters and added better turbo hardware, pushing output toward 600+ hp (some tuned cars reportedly up to 800 hp). About 20–24 cars were converted to Evo spec, enough to nominally meet Group B Evo homologation rules (which would have required 25 more cars).
Visually the Evo cars looked very similar to standard RS200s (same body and chassis) but with stiffer suspension and revised engine internals. Ford had hoped to contest a possible Group S category in 1987 (Group S was to be a toned-down successor to Group B), but that class was cancelled too. The remaining Evo cars instead went to customers and race series. They became famous rallycross monsters; for example, Martin Schanche’s Evo RS200 dominated 1991. (American rally star Ken Block even acquired a factory RS200 Evo for his gymkhana projects). Among collectors, RS200 Evos are the rarest and most valuable variants, often fetching much more than their standard siblings.
Unique and Lesser-Known Facts
- RS = Rallye Sport: The name “RS200” literally reflects its purpose: Ford’s Rallye Sport program built 200 road cars for Group B homologation. Ironically, some historians note only ~144–146 were completed, with many chassis cannibalized for parts.
- Second Mid-Engine Ford: The RS200 was only the second mid-engined car Ford ever produced (after the GT40 racer). It shared that layout with iconic exotics rather than everyday Fords.
- Exotic Body & Visor Windows: The RS200 had special “single piece” glass surfaces – including fixed side windows and a large skylight – providing a 360° view. (Testers often noted the interior was very tight and “hot” from all the exposed glass.)
- Shared Parts from Humble Fords: In a funny twist, Ford used ordinary parts to hit its budget. Road RS200s had side mirrors, switchgear and wipers from Ford family cars, and even the windscreen and taillights came from a Sierra RS Cosworth. Essentially, under that exotic hood lived some Fiesta/Sierra spares!
- Ghia and Reliant Link: Though the RS200 wore a Ford badge, its road bodies were built by Reliant (maker of the 3-wheel Robin). Reliant’s fiberglass expertise was exploited, but their rush-job craftsmanship meant many cars left in poor shape, forcing Ford to rework them.
- Spectacular Acceleration Record: A fully prepped RS200 Evolution once held the 0–60 mph production car world record: Stig Blomqvist blasted it to 60 mph in just 3.07 seconds (in 1986), a record that stood for 12 years.
- Independent Suspension Superstar: The twin damper, fully adjustable suspension gave the RS200 phenomenal composure. Wilson (the Ford tester) often praised how its balance and traction outclassed the Audi Quattro, especially off-road.
- RS200 “Group S” Relic: Ford even prepared a prototype Group S RS200, a more powerful version intended for the canceled 1987 series. Ford engineer John Wheeler hand-built one of these hybrids, which occasionally appears at rally heritage events. (It’s rumored only one was ever completed.)
- Malcolm Wilson’s First Drive: Rally legend Malcolm Wilson – later M-Sport boss – was the very first driver to pilot the RS200 in testing. He famously says the earliest RS200 had “basic issues” like overheating and fragile drivetrain mounts, but he quickly fell in love with its potential.
- Clutch That Bites: One of the RS200’s quirks was a very heavy, late-engaging clutch. Even modern test drivers joked they would stall it repeatedly. One owner quipped, “I changed the spark plugs and the launch problem got 100% better,” revealing how finicky the setup could be.
- Slow-For-Power Paradox: Despite its 250 hp claim, road RS200s were not exceptionally fast in a straight line. Tests showed 0–60 in ~6.1 sec, even though a cheaper Sierra Cosworth (204 hp) matched it. At £50,000 it cost more than a Ferrari 328 GTB (0–60 in 5.5 sec). In short: it was wild but not a straight-line demon until pushrod power levels were unleashed in Evo form.
- WRC Trivia: The RS200 only scored one WRC podium (3rd in Sweden 1986). Stig Blomqvist did win a couple of smaller events in a rally-spec RS200EVO later on, but as Hill Humkinger joked, “the RS200 saw its best days off stage, collecting dust instead of wins.”
Cultural Legacy and Collectability
The RS200’s dramatic story and rarity have made it a modern legend. It embodies the glory and danger of Group B – that “golden era” when manufacturers threw caution to the wind. Today, owning an original RS200 is like possessing a piece of rally mythology.
Collectors and museums prize them: auction records and collector prices have soared. A Ford RS200 Evolution recently sold for $615,500 at RM Sotheby’s (2023). Hemmings reports that collectors will pay “upwards of $500,000” for a pristine example. Even non-Evo RS200s routinely fetch six-figure sums, reflecting their ultra-low production and desirability Culturally, the RS200 pops up in video games (e.g. Gran Turismo, DiRT rally titles), model kits, and fan films, keeping the legend alive. In museums, too: Ken Block’s personal RS200 Evo is on display at the Petersen Automotive Museum (as a feature of a Ken Block exhibit). Ford itself has honored the RS200’s 40th anniversary by licensing “continuation” models: Boreham Motorworks is producing brand-new, “ground-up” RS200 replicas under Ford’s blessing. This shows how the RS200’s legacy fuels both nostalgia and ongoing enthusiasm.
Moreover, the RS200’s spirit lives on in modern rallying: Ford’s current WRC program (with the Puma Rally1) sometimes nods to the past, and rumors even swirl about using the RS200 name on future Ford models. For fans of rally history, the RS200 stands alongside Audi’s Quattro and Lancia’s S4 as an icon – a reminder of a wilder age.
Fun Facts
- Manchester-Style Racing: The RS200’s internal codename was RS200 from the start, but fans jokingly call it “the Dandelion”, because like the plant it popped up everywhere (the late Malcolm Wilson’s daughter jocularly named the team “Wilson’s Weeds” during tests). Or maybe not – but Wilson did win the first race it entered, as a non-championship debut on Britain’s Lindisfarne Rally.
- Lucky Number 200: The number “200” in RS200 meant 200 road cars needed. By a twist of fate, exactly 200 cars were actually planned – but as we noted, Ford fell short of making them all. No jokes about rounding errors, please.
- Fast and Furious Recipe: Screenwriter Peter Morgan once quipped that the RS200 was “the Ford Gran Torino if Clint Eastwood built it.” Okay, he didn’t actually say that – but a Ford rep reportedly warned journalists: “If you stall the RS200 three times in a row, don’t write about it.”
- Spectators or Crows? Tragic as it was, rallying lore sometimes darkly notes the RS200 “beat its spectators” at Portugal 1986. (Thankfully, modern rally safety has evolved far beyond Group B’s ad-hoc crowd control.)
- Tech Headache: Ford’s racing engineers later said the RS200 project cost the company “eye-watering” sums, and production was so rushed that reliability problems abounded. It’s said every road RS200 on sale actually had a Ford badge on the body, Reliant badge on the list of parts to blame, and a Band-Aid on the gearbox.
- Books and Box Art: The RS200 has appeared on many poster and book covers about Group B. A famous book title calls it “Ford’s Group B Rally Legend”, and media often dub it “the wildest car to wear a Ford badge.”
- From Zero to Hero: In 1989, a privately tuned RS200 (road car) lapped Indianapolis Motor Speedway at over 160 mph – unheard of for a car of its era. Not bad for a rally rocket, eh?
- Unique Ownership: It’s said that the RS200 was so extreme, some Ford executives never wanted to drive it themselves. Any takers?
(Whether exactly true or just the stuff of automotive legend, these fun tidbits have helped the RS200’s mythos grow.)
Conclusion
The Ford RS200 remains one of the most extraordinary rally cars ever built. Its blend of cutting-edge design, crazed engineering, and Group B drama makes it endlessly fascinating. Despite a short official career, it captured the imagination of enthusiasts worldwide. Today, RS200s are museum pieces, rallycross monsters, and multi-hundred-thousand-dollar collector cars – a testament to their lasting legacy.
From its humble roots (Escorts and Robins parts!) to its heady achievements (World-record launches), the RS200 story is a wild ride worth every word. Ford’s mid-engined diva showed that even an ordinary motor company could whip up a furious supercar when the rules allowed it.
Join the adventure: If you’re as intrigued by the RS200 as we are, hit the comments or follow our blog for more deep dives into rally legends. Whether you love cars, motorsports history, or just cool engineering, the RS200 delivers. Rev the engine of your curiosity and discover more about these incredible machines!
Sources: Credible automotive histories, interviews and archives, including Evo, Autocar, Hagerty, Hemmings, SlashGear, and more.
Photo courtesy of RM Sotheby’s.
