Damn motoring journalists. You send them to a motor show of brand new, shiny road cars, and they come back cooing about the old ones that you can't buy any more.
Not your typical motor show fare!
Same happened at Geneva. Ford brought along the new Fiesta ST, which very few people appeared to get excited about. But it also populated its stand with some classics too, including an Escort Cosworth road car, an Escort Mexico rally car and a Focus WRC.
Not just any Focus WRC either, but the 1999 Safari car driven by Colin McRae and Nicky Grist. It looked fantastic at the Palexpo, raised up high on its suspension and with full Safari get up including a bull bar, snorkel and knobbly tyres. The Martini livery is still spot on as well.
And wouldn't you know, the LAT archive has a few pictures of McRae and Grist on that rally 18 years ago. The car looks even better sideways in the sand, McRae demonstrating that all or nothing style that endeared him to so many. In fact the pair went on to win the event, ahead of three Corolla WRCs.
So thanks for the nostalgia fest Ford, very much appreciated. We look forward to seeing a current M Sport Fiesta at Geneva in 20 years time!