Ford Focus ST | Spotted

New Focus STs are done for good; appreciation (of every kind) for the old ones is only getting started

We all know the rule. There can’t be mention of a new hot Vauxhall (this time the new Corsa GSE) without also featuring a fast Ford. Call it balance and impartiality, call it yin and yang - it's the PH way. Despite offering up less to enthusiasts in recent years than in the good old days (putting it mildly), both the Blue Oval and the Griffin mean too much to too many people not to remain hugely significant. Who here hasn’t done a handbrake turn in a Ford or a Vauxhall? Exactly. It’s a rite of passage.

While Vauxhall’s latest foray into fast (or faster, at any rate) cars is welcome, the demise of fun Fords other than the Mustang and Ranger Raptor is a sorry state of affairs. It’s hard not to dwell on the fact, even allowing for its furtherance of the V8 story. The Fiesta ST was the best small hot hatch, after all, and the Focus was one of the better larger ones - but, no less importantly, they were both decent value. And now you can't buy either. Pity.

Everyone will have their favourite fast Ford hot hatch from the history books, but the second Focus ST was surely the most important in establishing a formula for success in the 21st century. The Focus RS was largely bespoke (and awesome), but lost money; the ST170 and first Fiesta ST just weren’t good enough against various Clios, Cupras and Civics. For this ST, however, Ford nailed it, and the template sort of stuck for almost 20 years after. Think about it: lusty turbo power, smart looks (without costly modification), some cool colours to choose from, a cheap base model that gets all the headlines (but nobody will buy) and great handling. That’s the modern ST way, and it began with this car.

It would go on to even greater things, of course, with the iconic RS, but that’s never going to be an affordable hot hatch classic. Immediately after launch in 2008 was probably the most affordable its flagship model ever got. But the ST, with the 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbo, six-speed manual and famously flickable Ford handling, remains a whole lot of fun for not much money.

The interior will be basic, as it always was, but no one buys a fast Ford for ambience. And one man’s basic is another’s simple: the steering wheel is unadorned, the gearlever is just that, the buttons are big and the handbrake manual. Modernise the entertainment (or dig out your CDs) and this’ll still be a perfectly serviceable interior. Even the cloth seats have survived almost 20 years pretty well.

The latter is doubtless aided by a mileage of just 45,000. A couple of owners appear to have really cherished this Focus, with a full Ford service history and an overall condition that would suggest a decent amount of time garaged. Last month’s MOT noted some rust creeping in, which is sadly par for the course when it comes to just about any Ford ever made. Get that tended to as a priority, make sure the cambelt is changed on time, and enjoy a fast Ford hero for £10k. They really don’t make ‘em like they used to anymore. Because, well, they don’t make them at all.

SPECIFICATION | FORD FOCUS ST

Engine: 2,521cc, five-cyl turbo
Transmission: 6-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 225@6,000rpm
Torque (lb ft): 236@1,600-4,000rpm
MPG: 30
CO2: 224g/km
First registered: 2007
Recorded mileage: 45,000
Price new: c. £18,000
Yours for: £10,450