Thursday 21st June 2007

RS200 for sale

Legendary Group B car in as-new condition

---

Just 540 miles on the clock

Usually, a Ford RS200 coming up for sale is cause for excitement around here, so when it’s an example that has barely left hibernation for 15 years and clocked up a mere 540 miles, then we’re temporarily lost in a mental fog of heavily boosted BDTs and flame-strewn gearshifts.

With C61 SAO, the vendor has documentation from constructors Mike Little Preparations to suggest that this is perhaps the last RS200 built. It was apparently a special order for Sir Douglas Hall – chairman of Newcastle United Football club at the time – and then remained in his private collection.

Don't expect this to drive like a Scooby...

Quite how you could own this creation and then clock up such a tiny mileage during all those years remains a mystery to us.

Nevertheless, the debate here now, surrounds whether to leave it pristine and standard, or head off in the pursuit of power. Looks like the ‘ears’ are already there, after all…

If you’re interested, give Drew Wheeler or Simon Bartlett a call on 01428 653924

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[PhantomPH]

Douglas Hall and Fat Freddie both own cars they have never even sat in.

[GR1FF1F]

Blimey, don't like that aerial. Is he a CB Radio fanatic ?

[chrisbr68]

Oh yes, lovely car!

Whats the other gearstick for? fwd? different ratios? diff lock?

[VladD]

chrisbr68 said:

Oh yes, lovely car!

Whats the other gearstick for? fwd? different ratios? diff lock?

Ejector seat.

[T.J.]

Drive it!! Drive it as hard as you can!

And when that gets boring, get more power. But the main thing is - drive drive DRIVE!

If you buy an RS200 and do >600miles in it over 15 years, you're a plastic car enthusiast. Ford should have taken it back and given it to someone more deserving.....

Edited by T.J. on Thursday 21st June 14:48

[Road_Terrorist]

chrisbr68 said:

Oh yes, lovely car!

Whats the other gearstick for? fwd? different ratios? diff lock?

IIRC it has three settings, RWD only, 35/65 F/R power split or full 50/50 power split. It wasn't standard fit though, you had to tick the options box, so not all RS200s have this lever. It doesnt say if it has the standard engine tuned to a miserable 250bhp or the power upgrades they offered with over double that power. I wonder how good the condition is if it's just been lying around not used all that time as well.

I guess it hasn't been driven much because they are supposed to be a bit trickey/crappy to drive, especially the clutch/gearshift, certainly not something you can just jump in to nip down the shops for a litre of milk in leather comfort like you could in say an Audi Sport Quattro, and not the finely balanced RWD chassis of a Lancia 037 for sheer tail out driving fun. I suspect it might be a bit of a 'Lamborghini Countach' in that the reality doesn't live up to the childhood fantasy, but the hell with it, I'd still have one

[astrsxi77]

Well, whatever it's like to drive (and the owner of this one clearly had no idea), I think it is a piece of automotive sex from one of motorsport's greatest ages.

Edited by astrsxi77 on Thursday 21st June 15:06

Edited by astrsxi77 on Thursday 21st June 15:06

[CaptiV8ted]

That red steering wheel and gear knob are crimes against humanity. I've never seen a garish add on like that in an RS200. Shameful. I'd still have it though!

[irs]

"The car has covered a total distance of 540 miles with two owners and is completely original "

TWO OWNERS......... They both deserve a slap for keeping this under lock and key.

Bloody lovely car, good drive or not, I'd still have one.

[thefrog]

Fernhurst is where I bought my TVR some time ago, maybe I should pop down for a sneaky test drive

[rgracin]

This brings back memories. I managed to get a ride around Ford's Boreham test rack in one with Stig Blomqvist (is that spelt right?) at the wheel. It was a road going version but I still remeber that drive like it was yesterday. It felt plenty quick enough I can tell you. Needed clean side windows put it that way!

[andyt427]

I remember years back when I was getting my Sierra Cosworth sorted at the RS Ford dealers in Redditch, talking to their senior mechanic, who relayed a story about one of these that had been in storage for many years unused. They had carefully run it on axle stands for a number of hours to check the engine and drivetrain. When they thought all was well, they excitedly took it for a ride up the road, only to find it went bang in a very expensive cloud of oil and water - one new engine required. It looked very sorry for itself sitting in their workshop. Guess whoever buys this needs to be warey, they might need more than the £70k asking price to make sure it still drives!! Remember seeing a row of these outside the old Reliant factory in Tamworth once where they built the bodies, wonder where they all are now? Bit distant from the old plastic pigs that sat next to them!

[Elmo B. Strokes]

thefrog said:

Fernhurst is where I bought my TVR some time ago, maybe I should pop down for a sneaky test drive

Wow - you own/owned a TVR.

It's highly unlikely that any old Jo Soap will get a test drive, even someone who has driven a TVR.

With that sort of mileage, with the Clubman spec (or "lameboy 250 spec" to those in the know) it'll require an engine overhaul in order to achieve its paltry 250bhp.

Top whack £50,000, I think it should have stayed in the museum where it belongs.

Elmo.

[George 500]

Elmo B. Strokes said:

thefrog said:

Fernhurst is where I bought my TVR some time ago, maybe I should pop down for a sneaky test drive

Wow - you own/owned a TVR.

It's highly unlikely that any old Jo Soap will get a test drive, even someone who has driven a TVR.

With that sort of mileage, with the Clubman spec (or "lameboy 250 spec" to those in the know) it'll require an engine overhaul in order to achieve its paltry 250bhp.

Top whack £50,000, I think it should have stayed in the museum where it belongs.

Elmo.

Erm- I think he means that its being sold by people who sold him a TVR not that the owning of a plastic Blackpudlian entitles one to a test drive.

Pretty certain that when I loooked at this yesterday it said it had 350ps so a bit bemused as to why that has been removed.

Seems a pretty unique opportunity to me too...

[Caddyshack]

I know Fernhurst TVR and just spoke to Drew, the car has a recent Dyno print of 340 bhp.

Proper bit of Rally car and Ford History.

[Richybaby]

I you go to the Fernhurst web site, their ad states Ford 2.1L Turbo 340 bhp. I'd love to have a pop either way.

[Elmo B. Strokes]

George 500 said:

Elmo B. Strokes said:

thefrog said:

Fernhurst is where I bought my TVR some time ago, maybe I should pop down for a sneaky test drive

Wow - you own/owned a TVR.

It's highly unlikely that any old Jo Soap will get a test drive, even someone who has driven a TVR.

With that sort of mileage, with the Clubman spec (or "lameboy 250 spec" to those in the know) it'll require an engine overhaul in order to achieve its paltry 250bhp.

Top whack £50,000, I think it should have stayed in the museum where it belongs.

Elmo.

Erm- I think he means that its being sold by people who sold him a TVR not that the owning of a plastic Blackpudlian entitles one to a test drive.

Pretty certain that when I loooked at this yesterday it said it had 350ps so a bit bemused as to why that has been removed.

Seems a pretty unique opportunity to me too...

Erm - calm down - I was only complimenting a fellow PHer on his choice of horseless carriage.

I only wanted to point out that with that sort of mileage, this RS200 will require a not insubstantial amount of work, i.e. it won't be a case of "turn the key and hit the rallycross circuit". Now I hate cliches, but as it stands I very much doubt that this car has the grunt to pull the skin off a rice pudding.

Cheers
Elmo.

[Caddyshack]

Drew has driven it and said that it was like a TVR but faster (he drives a modded Griff 500) so I guess the above is wrong

[mat205125]

CaptiV8ted said:

That red steering wheel and gear knob are crimes against humanity. I've never seen a garish add on like that in an RS200. Shameful. I'd still have it though!

Those are factory items.

[George 500]

Apologies Elmo I (incorrectly) thought I sensed a certain degree of sarcasm in your original post.

Welcome to PH by the way