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Ford Sierra set to sell for record NINE times its original price due to rare upgrade that thrilled TV viewers
A FORD SIERRA is set to sell for NINE times its original price due to a rare upgrade that has thrilled TV viewers.
The 1987 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth is one of only 500 ever made and is highly prized by collectors.
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This legendary "Cosworth RS500" was one of a handful to receive an upgrade, making it into a racing vehicle that dominated championships.
Its price has been rocketing in recent years, but the example is up for grabs at Silverstone Auctions this Saturday, February 25.
And it's expected to set a new world record.
It's predicted to sell for nine times its price tag when it was produced back in 1987.
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The auctioneers have been swamped with enquiries from around the world, and their guide is £150,000 to £180,000.
That would easily eclipse the existing record paid for a Sierra Cosworth, £132,750, for a model with just 9,000 miles on the clock at Silverstone last year.
Asked to produce a 'fast' car for racers, Ford made 5,500 Cosworths.
Five thousand were 'ordinary' Cosworths, but the other five hundred were specials, with more power and an extra fin for stabilisation mounted at the back.
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That was so 200 could be used for on-the-track racing.
Once those 200 went to racing drivers, the remaining 300 of the legendary 'five hundred' were sold for use on Britain's roads.
And some were written off in crashes, but it's estimated that of the original 500, over 400 still survive, many in the hands of canny collectors abroad.
Its originality was unmatched, the mileage nominal - averaging 144 miles each year from new - and the car had patently been cared for.
Silverstone auctions said: "The attention to detail of this car's maintenance cannot be understood."
And the RS500 uses a specially-built 2.0-litre turbocharged Cosworth engine producing 224bhp - which could be upped to 400bhp when modified for competition.
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