Though it existed only for a few short years, the Group B racing era nonetheless gave way to some of the most legendary rally cars in history, with extremely lax regulations toward safety, weight, and peak power figures ultimately making for something of the perfect storm to yield these now-iconic competition cars. One such vehicle was Ford’s mighty RS200, of which only 200 specimens were ever produced in order to satisfy homologation requirements. Despite the Rallye Sport 200’s immense rarity, a particularly clean, heavily upgraded example has recently come up for sale.
Believed to be one of only 57 RHD examples ever produced, this modified RS200 still retains all of the car’s key traits, with its distinctive Ghia-designed bodywork, mid-engined configuration, advanced chassis design, four-wheel-drive system, adjustable boost from the cockpit, rally-spec seats with five-point harness belts, Monobloc Speedline alloy wheels, and variable shift lever. This particular specimen also sports a hood-mounted light pod and the car’s original engine cover — both of which are rare and hard-to-find items in their OEM form.
Powering this example is a Cosworth BDT turbocharged 1.8-liter inline-four engine that’s been heavily upgraded to produce a whopping 350hp — a 100-hp boost over the regular road-going version of the RS200. And, while it may have been thoroughly massaged, the forced-induction four-banger at the heart of this car reportedly boasts only 1,200 miles — though it’s unclear if these are original miles or miles added since a rebuild (or addition of a new odometer). This exact RS200 was also displayed at a museum for an extended period — a factor that’s no doubt contributed to its low mileage and stellar condition.
Currently located in Chobham in the United Kingdom, this 1986 Ford RS200 by Carrozzeria Ghia is available now through RM Sotheby’s Private Sales listings, with an asking price of £250,000 (~$303,750). In addition to the car itself, this sale also includes several copies of period RS200 Club newsletters, a service parts manual from October of 1988, an original owner’s manual, and roughly $25,000 in receipts and maintenance records.
