Despite an association with and history of almost every performance car niche on the planet - from hot hatch to supercar, muscle car to sports coupe - Ford and fast estates don’t have quite the same track record. It’s odd too, because they’ve definitely co-existed (including all bar one generation of Focus ST), yet seldom do you put the Blue Oval and mega wagons together.
Seemingly it was even true at the time of the Mondeo ST200. The overwhelming majority of the cars made were hatchbacks, because that was the one that looked like the touring car and offered plentiful practicality already. Moreover, the standard Mondeo estate could be had with a V6, if required (though a workhorse would probably better suit a diesel) and there were rivals out there with lots of useful turbo torque. We might love the idea nowadays, yet there wasn’t a tremendous appetite for the ST200 wagon at the turn of the century.
Which, of course, makes it all the more interesting 25 years later. These were bonafide STs, don’t forget, not just the badge and Imperial Blue paint, with the same 205hp from an overhauled V6 and chassis tweaks to make the best of what was always a fine chassis. Add to that the double helping of cool that is being a rare and fast estate car - plus a £4k price - and the ST200 looks like something of a classic fast Ford bargain. We all know there aren’t many of those left.
It isn’t perfect, of course. Even in another 20 years, 175,000 won’t seem especially low mileage, so anyone with hopes of bagging a barely used minter best look elsewhere. Hopefully the ST200 lived the life a fast estate should, taking lots of people and things to lots of faraway places, making a nice noise in the process and travelling more than fast enough. It also doesn’t have an MOT right now, and the last ticket expired in 2020. Which is quite a long time ago. That said, the first line of the ad is promising a new one on the completion of a sale, and anything that does require sorting could be used as a good negotiating tool. It’s hardly like the average car buyer will be clamouring for a 24-year-old Ford Mondeo estate, after all. But if you know about ST200s - and are aware that there might be as few as 15 wagons left - then you’ll probably be a little more intrigued.
Furthermore, what MOT history there is looks encouraging, with lots of green, several first-time passes without advisories during the 2010s and no mention of rust. The Mondeo is likely to need some fettling to bring it back to its best, but not a total recommissioning. Seems to present well enough in the pics, too; the rear arches aren’t brilliant, but find a Ford of this era with good ones. In the plus column the ST200 can boast nicely preserved wheels, a decent interior and paintwork that only looks a proper polish away from looking great again.
Don’t forget the £4k thing, either. At a time when a Sierra RS500 can command £350k, those fast Fords that remain attainable and accessible are to be cherished. An ST200 is never going to be a megabucks classic, because there’s not the allure of the homologation cars, yet the fast Mondeos will always survive as reminders of the time when the hotted up repmobile was an essential part of every line-up. And Ford made some of the best. With a little bit of love this could surely be put back into regular service if desired - what’s another few thousand miles on 175k? - as well as used for Ford fairs across the land. With the family, for the really keen. All the Cossies will look positively common by comparison.
SPECIFICATION | FORD MONDEO ST200
Engine: 2,495cc V6
Transmission: 5-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Power (hp): 205@6,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 173@5,500rpm
MPG: 30 (hatch)
CO2: 235g/km (hatch)
Year registered: 2000
Recorded mileage: 176,406
Price new: £23,000 (hatch)
Yours for: £3,999
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