Ford SportKa | Spotted
The next collectible fast Ford? You might be looking at it...
Of the many joys of competing in a Ford Ka - success as a team, door-to-door competition on great circuits, learning how to race for hour after hour - that the little shopping car has proved such an adept racer ranks very highly. With a few choice mods the Ka's excellent chassis has really come to the fore; it's how all front-drive hatchbacks should behave, agile and lively but also progressive and forgiving. My first race laps at Oulton Park will live fondly in the memory, the car slipping and sliding in horrendous conditions yet never feeling spiky or unpredictable - were it not wasting so much time the whole race could have gone that way...
Anyway, such a delightful chassis only makes you crave more power in the Ka, as 60-something horsepower is not the most thrilling down the straights. Or between corners. Or anywhere, really. What we need to race, really, is a SportKa.
You remember the SportKa; launched alongside the StreetKa convertible in 2003, it used a 1.6-litre engine instead of the standard 1.3 to liberate a heady 95hp - 50 per cent more than standard. It was a wider, stiffer, lower Ka which, with a couple of Puma bits thrown in for good measure, worked wonders: Evo called it "fantastic", with "thoroughly entertaining" handling, and Auto Express said it was a "great performance car"; the Telegraph review spoke of "dynamic excellence". It's the perfect template for a more powerful Ka racer.
Well, that's assuming one can be found. Like so many similar vehicles, the number of SportKas in the UK has plummeted over recent years. They were cheap (£10k) and not considered all that remarkable when new - it's not an ST or an RS, basically - which, combined with the Ka's propensity to rust and the plethora of scrappage schemes, has meant scores of them have disappeared. From a peak of more than 8,000 a little over a decade ago, HowManyLeft says that just 1,800 remain today between standard and SE models. Cars that are plentiful are rarely deemed worth saving, often until it's too late, so now might be the time to grab a SportKa.
Because, in all honesty, this one would be too nice to do anything with. The fact it appears to be rust free is perhaps more remarkable than its 25,000 miles, the car having been serviced 12 times at the same Ford specialist by its one original owner. It's an absolute gem, with surely no better examples around.
Let's not forget, either, that the SportKa was the first and only fast Ka, from a time when there was also a Fiesta, Focus and Mondeo ST in the range. Small, cheap, fast(ish) cars won't happen again, the demand and profit simply not there, so one day cars like the SportKa, Swift Sport and Twingo 133 will be seen as the last of the breed. And while it's unlikely to ever be seen as an icon, many less illustrious Fords have become collectible over time - so let's see.
£3,500 is probably more than a SportKa has cost for many years, and enough to buy almost a whole grid of standard ones for an EnduroKa race. You probably don't need us to point out, either, that cars like the Twingo, Panda 100HP, Swift Sport and even Clio are available for much less money. But none are in quite the condition of this Ka, and arguably none will have quite the following in the UK of an Imperial Blue hot hatch with a Blue Oval on the front. So while it won't be the ideal candidate for a cheap, fun shopping car of the old school, we can absolutely see why a fast Ford fan might be tempted. When an Orion is more than £5,000, who knows what might happen...
SPECIFICATION - FORD SPORTKA
Engine: 1,599cc four-cyl
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 95@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 100@4,250rpm
MPG: 37.2
CO2: 182g/km
First registered: 2007
Recorded mileage: 25,000
Price new: £9,995
Yours for: £3,495
My wife had a StreetKa. As everyone else has said the engine is awful. It doesn't rev high and sounds very gruff.
It's a massive shame they couldn't have put one of the Puma engines in there then it would have been absolutely brilliant.
I can't see these ever becoming a cult car due to that really.
Great little car to steer with a terrible 8 valve engine.
It ran really hot all the time, even on the way home from the dealer after buying it on the motorway at 70mph. It went back and forward to Ford for a new thermostat, better coolant, a new water pump and a new head. Then they said there was nothing wrong with it and they where all like that. It did about 26mpg too.
We then sold it after a few months.
The Sport Ka should have had the 1.6 Zetec SE 16V engine or the 1.7 as in the Puma. Can't see it being a classic.
The gearshift however is brilliant
The only thing that would basically fit and was a current production engine was the Brazilian 1.6 RoCam SOHC unit.
As I can't seem to start it anymore after the usual battery change and fresh fuel, we are seriously considering getting rid before the rust takes hold. Shame as It's been a decent little car.
It pulled well enough and was good to drive though.
Someone did a cosworth conversion on a SportKa, that would be worth having.
cant imagine what the 50% hike in power would feel like from a 1.3 but I bet its a real joy to have at least a bit of straight line poke.
funny though how this 25k car serviced by one original owner is now up for such a high price amongst prices that barely break the £1000 mark.......has that original owner been "relieved " of his "not worth much " part ex by a trader only for said trader to know what he has got and is now trying to cash in (albeit being a bit too hopeful at £3495)?
Pity that original owner wasnt just plonking it on Gumtree or Ebay at some bargain price for one lucky new owner to grab.........
As I can't seem to start it anymore after the usual battery change and fresh fuel, we are seriously considering getting rid before the rust takes hold. Shame as It's been a decent little car.
I loved mine, an unusual one in that it avoided rust (but not sensor issues), as enjoyable on typical British roads as my 172 Cup.
Gear shift is superb but economy worse than the Cup by some margin.
The tyre/suspension combination was also not very well chosen dreadful ride over poor surfaces.
Ford balsed this model up - it could have been fantastic ( the base ka was a great starting point) they got the looks right but it never drove as good as it should, if they’d used Puma 1.7 (or even the 1.25 zetec) and more compliant suspension this could have been a brilliant little mini hot hatch.
Just buy a Puma instead.
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