2003 Ford

Few badges carry quite the same significance for Ford enthusiasts as the RS (Rally Sport). From the Escort and Sierra to the Focus, those two letters have identified cars with a particular combination of competition influence, purposeful engineering and everyday usability. Introduced in 2002, the first Focus RS brought that tradition into a new century, drawing on the visual appeal of Ford’s World Rally Championship contender and building upon the already accomplished chassis of the standard Focus.

Produced in a limited run of 4,501 examples, the Mk1 was a substantially reworked performance car. Its 2-litre, turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivered 212bhp through a five-speed manual gearbox, with a Quaife automatic torque-biasing differential helping deploy that power through the front wheels. Sachs dampers, Brembo front brakes and 18-inch OZ Racing alloy wheels underlined the seriousness of the engineering, whilst the widened bodywork and Imperial Blue paintwork gave the RS an identity that remains immediately recognisable.

Its appeal extends beyond the specification. Compact dimensions, responsive steering and a distinctly mechanical driving experience place the Mk1 firmly within an era of performance cars increasingly appreciated by enthusiasts. It offers the practicality of a three-door hatchback with the character and sense of occasion expected of the RS badge, without needing excessive power or elaborate electronics to make an impression.

The 2003 example offered here was acquired by our vendor for their private collection in 2015 and has remained with him for over ten years. It remains a two-registered-keeper vehicle, with those keepers understood to have been father and son. That limited registered ownership is complemented by a service book containing eight Ford service stamps up to May 2010, when the recorded mileage was 14,118.

Following approximately five years in storage, the car was purchased by our vendor with 14,983 miles indicated and immediately entrusted to their local Ford garage for attention. Its subsequent life within the collection has involved exceptionally little use, with the odometer now displaying just 15,020 miles at the time of cataloguing — an increase of only 37 miles since acquisition.

Ahead of the sale, the Focus has been refreshed and MOT’d, providing a welcome recent chapter to its maintenance history after such limited mileage. The combination of its early Ford servicing, long-term collection ownership and recent attention makes this a particularly interesting proposition for an enthusiast seeking a lightly used Mk1. We encourage your inspection of the car and its accompanying history to appreciate what is offered.

The growing recognition of the first Focus RS as a collectable Fast Ford has brought increased attention to the best examples. Recent auction results demonstrate the substantial premiums buyers will consider for exceptionally low-mileage cars, although condition, history and specification remain central to each individual result. For collectors who remember the model’s arrival, its combination of limited production, rally-inspired styling and involving performance continues to exert a strong pull.

With its modest indicated mileage, documented early servicing and more than a decade in our vendor’s collection, this example brings together many of the qualities that sustain that enthusiasm. A significant chapter in the RS story, ready to be cherished once more.

Please note: The registration number V7 WRC shown in the photographs is included as part of the sale.