Sierras. Please educate me.

[radiodanno]

Most of the time I spend my life utterly confident that I've got it right, and others have it wrong. It's not arrogance, just a good level of aplomb.

But every now and again I think: Maybe I'm wrong and everyone else is right.

Take the Ford Sierra. I spent 10 years of my childhood in terminal boredom being the backseat passenger in both shapes. It was crap. When I was long enough for the seat belt to rest below my left ear I was promoted to front seat duties where, without hyperbole, the most exciting thing was the joystick that adjusted the speakers. You could also flick the DIGITAL clock from 12h to 24h mode, but that's so banal I feel embarrassed to even mention it anecdotally.

So why do these cars have such a following? More bemusing for me, why do they command such good money when there were infinitely better cars being made at the time available at similar budget.

As I say. Maybe I'm wrong.

Edited by radiodanno on Tuesday 20th January 21:29

[LP670]

Because Cosworth

[luckystrike]

A healthy mix of nostalgia and it being one of the last 'regular' RWD cars I'd guess. Cossies are performance icons too so bit of halo about them. I'm sure plenty of current cars will be seen in a similar light in 30 years time.

[RobinBanks]

I think that people go for the RS Cosworths and the XR4s or whatever other nice models there were. No one seems bothered by the myriad 1.6L models and so on which were out there (and very boring).

[TheAngryDog]

RS Cosworth models and XR4(x4) models. The rest was mediocre really.

[radiodanno]

LP670 said:

Because Cosworth

Don't you think that's the same as choosing heterosexuality because of Megan Fox - even though you end up with Megan Trainor?

There's a world between the 1.8lx and the Cosworth.

[Tickle]

Some Sierras were better than others.

[Rich1973]

Surely the same could be said for pretty much most mainstream cars of the era, but they all have their followers and enthusiasts.

[V8forweekends]

I had an Xr4x4, and later on a 2.0 GL. I also drove a 2.3 diesel quite often. They were decent and competent at the time.

I had no idea they were fetching daft prices - are they?

OP can you give us an example of what you mean - i.e where you've seen one for sale and thought "car X which I could buy for the same would be infinitely better" I'm not arguing, just want to understand your logic.

As an aside - most old Fords seem to rise in value once the majority have rotted away and/or been turned into kit cars.

Edited by V8forweekends on Tuesday 20th January 21:52

[gazza285]

radiodanno said:

So why do these cars have such a following? More bemusing for me, why do they command such good money when there were infinitely better cars being made at the time available at similar budget.

Such as? The Montego? The Mk 2 Cavalier?

[marmitemania]

Why do people yank their belly sticks over MK1 and MK2 Golfs? They are dull and tedious. We all like different cars and that's what keeps it interesting.

[Liquid Tuna]

gazza285 said:

radiodanno said:

So why do these cars have such a following? More bemusing for me, why do they command such good money when there were infinitely better cars being made at the time available at similar budget.

Such as? The Montego? The Mk 2 Cavalier?

Yes, I'd like to hear about this infinite number of better cars too. Not to start an argument, but I was a child of the 80s and I must've forgotten a lot of cars if what you say is true?

I remember the Sierra was one of those cars that would rarely start in the snow, or at least everyone in my road who had one seemed to have cold starting problems, but other than that they seemed a competent car. I always fancied an XR4x4 and smile when I see one (which is rare these days).

[V8forweekends]

Liquid Tuna said:

Yes, I'd like to hear about this infinite number of better cars too. Not to start an argument, but I was a child of the 80s and I must've forgotten a lot of cars if what you say is true?

I remember the Sierra was one of those cars that would rarely start in the snow, or at least everyone in my road who had one seemed to have cold starting problems, but other than that they seemed a competent car. I always fancied an XR4x4 and smile when I see one (which is rare these days).

None of mine ever had any starting problems - and the XR4x4 was quite good in snow - although it was strongly rear drive biased.

[S0 What]

A decent car comapired to most other manufacturers back then.
B est of the RWD Fords, best bulit, best handling,,, you get the idea.
C osworth.
D rifters have pushed the prices up of all RWD bangers.
E kids who lusted after them or were driven by a loved/respected adult are now at the age to spend cash on getting back that feeling.

sorry i could get E to start the reason off

[xRIEx]

radiodanno said:

LP670 said:

Because Cosworth

Don't you think that's the same as choosing heterosexuality because of Megan Fox - even though you end up with Megan Trainor?

There's a world between the 1.8lx and the Cosworth.

There is a world of difference between a 1.8 and a Cosworth, but when people are swinging their pants about Sierras, they're not talking about a 1.8, they're talking about Cosworths et al.

It's like wondering why people get excited about a 1980s' 3 Series without realising it's about the M3 specifically, rather than a 316.

[M4cruiser]

radiodanno said:

Take the Ford Sierra.

So why do these cars have such a following? More bemusing for me, why do they command such good money when there were infinitely better cars being made at the time available at similar budget.

As I say. Maybe I'm wrong.

Edited by radiodanno on Tuesday 20th January 21:29

I owned a Ford Sierra and drove it most days for 3 years, so perhaps I can comment with some experience:

It was one of those cars with an extra factor that you couldn't quite put your finger on, but which made it pleasing, you felt in tune with it. It was more than the sum of its parts.

May seem strange looking at it now, but remember it's now a 35 year old design, so I'm not saying it stacks up against a new Mondeo, or even a Kia Cee'd. But it was great at the time. I loved it.

[anonymous-user]

When I sat in a Sierra XR4i...comfiest seats I've ever sat in. Granted, I'm sure there's comfier car seats in existence, but they were damn nice.

[s m]

V8forweekends said:

Liquid Tuna said:

I remember the Sierra was one of those cars that would rarely start in the snow, or at least everyone in my road who had one seemed to have cold starting problems, but other than that they seemed a competent car. I always fancied an XR4x4 and smile when I see one (which is rare these days).

None of mine ever had any starting problems - and the XR4x4 was quite good in snow - although it was strongly rear drive biased.

Yes, never remember any of ours being terrible starters in the snow - even in the cold weather when the tyres froze to the drive in -20 deg C
Engines do sound "different" when it's that cold though
Heated windscreens on the later ones saved a lot of scraping the screen

Edited by s m on Tuesday 20th January 22:23

[IanMorewood]

Nostalgia, it does strange things to people who may have wanted dad to have one thirty years ago instead of a Austin Maestro.

[stevensdrs]

I had the 1.8l Sierra Sapphire as a company car. Had it 3 years and did 120,000 in it and all it needed was a core plug. Comfortable, reliable rep-mobile and good for it's time. In some ways better than the strangled rubbish we have now.