Price: £200.00 - £299.99, Tyre Diameter: 15 | Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (3-door & Sapphire) 1985 to 1992

1980s performance icon. The standard tyre was a 205/50VR15.

 

It might seem unusual, but Ford's marketing policy of 'create a legendary performance version' of its everyday cars, works far more often than it doesn't. The Sierra hadn't got off to a great start in sales terms, so something truly epic was needed. Ford went for its proven recipe; get an engine from Cosworth, put it in a dramatic looking special, and go racing. Then sell lots of cars that look like the racer. The initial 1985 3-door, high-wing car over-performed if anything. The racing version (based on the later RS500 homologation edition) annihilated all saloon car opposition on a global basis, the roadcar had to be seriously detuned! It became a worshipped, and often stolen, halo product for Ford, not just the Sierra. 2 years later the Sapphire saloon replaced the 3-door hatch, appealing to the businessman in a hurry, rather than the racers, and a 4x4 version came in 1990.