Ford Fiesta XR2 | PH Auction Block
The new fast Fiesta is no more, but a few classics remain - and perhaps none better than this
With the ST badge adorning so many fast Fords over the past 25 years, it’s easy to forget sometimes just how popular and famous the old XRs were. Not as iconic (or as pricey) as the various RS Turbos and Cosworths of this world, they were for many what a Blue Oval performance flagship should be all about: quick, cheap, good-looking and fun to drive. Whether Fiesta XR2, Escort XR3 or Sierra XR4i, with carb or with injection for the smaller stuff, they put a lot of smiles on a lot of faces back in the day. Which is why they all remain so revered.
Problem being, of course, that fast and cheap way back when tended to finish up one way. The fast Fords were certainly not alone in this. When various pocket rockets had big smashes or major mechanical maladies and weren’t worth very much, they were immediately written off. There was no point saving cheap, plentiful cars. Obviously nobody predicted how far values might rise, but it’s still sad to see so few remaining.
This XR2 is one of the survivors, being auctioned on PH right now, and it looks an absolute gem. Your eyes don’t deceive you, the screen isn’t overly flattering - this Fiesta really does look 40 days old rather than 40 years. That’s thanks to an extensive restoration that’s taken place over the past few years, the car recovered from a garage back in 2018 and now brought back to its best. Indeed better than its best, because this particular XR2 is also hiding a few choice modifications.
We must talk about the exterior first, however. A bare metal respray was part of the recommissioning process, the flawlessly glossy black set off perfectly with the XR2 decals and iconic (refurbished) pepperpot wheels. All Mk1 Fiestas are sufficiently old now that you just don’t see them, let alone XR2s; to be presented with one this good can’t help but raise the spirits. Interestingly, the interior didn’t require any remedial work, as it has survived this long looking this good. Even the standard long-wave radio remains in place.
It’s under the bonnet though where things get interesting for this particular XR2. An invoice in the history folder shows almost £4,500 being spent rebuilding the carb-fed 1.6, now bored out to 1,665cc with new pistons, a new Piper cam, a lighter flywheel, rebuilt carb and gas-flowed head. The gearbox was also refreshed and rebuilt at the same time. It isn’t clear how much additional power the modifications have achieved, though clearly a lot has been invested in getting the best from the engine. With precious little use since the work, whoever’s lucky enough to get the Fiesta will have to continue the running in process.
With better brakes and Gaz suspension on top, here’s an XR2 that might be just as good as your memory says they all were. With so few left on the road but a keen following that shows no signs of diminishing - especially with the Fiesta now out of production - expect bidding to be enthusiastic. The auction is open till next Friday evening - and the Ford Fair is at Silverstone in August…
…at least I thought it had until the moment that I found myself hanging from the seatbelt surrounded by broken glass and wondering how I would be able to get it back on its wheels again. As I kicked open the driver’s door, the A pillar collapsed and I realised that it would take more than simply turning it back over to make it drivable again.
It was wedged obliquely between the high muddy banks flanking a single track road, surrounded by fields and woodland so it took a flat bed with a crane to free the wreck, lift it above the hedgerows and reopen the road.
For these reasons, I want this XR2, to remind me of those first few months after I passed my test and how liberating my first car was in my teenage years. Have you got one in white please?
Objectively it will be crap, but it looks great and will still be noisy, course, slow but fun.
And it looks great.
My memories are mainly around valeting one for a lady locally, the lovely Fiona, I was smitten with the car, but also her, she was a stunner but I only ever got to bath the car being a spotty herbert of about 15.
Drove a coupel of these and they were fun, same engine as my 1969 Capri that I had as my first car, so the engine was quite old even then, the MK2 was a bit better to drive I remember, used to work for a car dealers so we got loads of them through, they were typically showing some rust after 5 years.
It's not my thing, but if you had a Mk1/2 in your youth and fancied a no-effort, totally clean example with a bit of extra go, then this would be a nice way to indulge yourself.
Objectively it will be crap, but it looks great and will still be noisy, course, slow but fun.
And it looks great.
My memories are mainly around valeting one for a lady locally, the lovely Fiona, I was smitten with the car, but also her, she was a stunner but I only ever got to bath the car being a spotty herbert of about 15.
Drove a coupel of these and they were fun, same engine as my 1969 Capri that I had as my first car, so the engine was quite old even then, the MK2 was a bit better to drive I remember, used to work for a car dealers so we got loads of them through, they were typically showing some rust after 5 years.
I had two of these back in the day, one black the same as this and one in red. Both got written off, not by me but after I’d sold them on.
Not sure about buying this for nostalgic reasons though. I’d also want to be nineteen again, not a care in the world, shoving a mix tape into the player and heading out to meet my friends/pick up a girlfriend. Quiet roads and not a speed camera or 20 mph limit to be seen.
Thinking the reality might be rather different!
It's not my thing, but if you had a Mk1/2 in your youth and fancied a no-effort, totally clean example with a bit of extra go, then this would be a nice way to indulge yourself.
My daughter is learning to drive and I've bought her a Mk7 Fiesta 1.4 Zetec which I'm quite fond of as it reminds me of the XR2 in the way it drives - I've worked out the XR2 had a 10% better power to weight ratio (83bhp/800kg v 94bhp/1041kg) so should still drive quite sweetly in my opinion - no Golf R but plenty of fun.
I saw one recently for £17K and if I had the money to waste on an ornament would have been sitting in my garage. Part of me would love to go for a drive in it listening to Britpop reliving my youth, part of me knows it would have been a massive disappointment and ruined my memories.
Nostalgia and wanting to be 21 again is the only thing that makes these cars worth money, as a car they were rubbish when most of us owned them second hand and feel utterly ancient and horrible to drive now.
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