Ultimate Fast Ford: Last Escort RS Cosworth to sell at auction

Fast Fords from the 1980s and 1990s are currently rising in value, such as rare art, gold and fine wines – and this is a pretty special example indeed.

The 1996 car is the last Escort RS Cosworth: the last rally car to roll off the production line in Germany before production of the Ford favorite came to an end in preparation for the arrival of the Focus hatchback two years later.

Technically it has one owner from new. And not just any ordinary former goalkeeper, but the then head of Ford’s special vehicles department, Dieter Hahne, who oversaw the development of the Escort RS Cosworth.

The Germany-registered left-hand drive hot hatch is being offered to the highest bidder in an online auction hosted by Collecting Cars and is expected to raise around £60,000 before closing on sale in a week.

The car is one of two built at Ford’s Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) division at the Karmann plant in Rheine.

Series production of the Escort RS Cosworth ended in January 1996, but the manufacturer still had enough parts to make two additional vehicles.

These were built to Escort’s original 1991 specification, albeit with a 1993 model year hood, as this was the only part missing from the available parts box.

This particular example was the second of two cars made, making it the ultimate Escort RS Cosworth you can get your hands on.

The penultimate car was built for Wilhelm Karmann Jr, the then chairman of the family business.

It is powered by a 2.0-litre Cosworth turbo engine, delivering 224 horsepower to all four wheels via a five-speed manual transmission and a limited-slip differential.

At the time of production, it was considered one of the fastest family cars in the world, reaching 100 km/h from a standstill in just 6.1 seconds and a top speed of 235 km/h.

For the first two years of his life, he was driven as a company car by a Karmann project manager.

However, since it was only used on trading plates without formal registration, the documents show that it has only one holder from new.

That sole keeper is Dieter Hahne, who bought the car in 1998 and knows a lot about the life of the Escort RS Cosworth.

In the mid-1990s, Mr. Hahne headed Ford’s SVO division and played a pivotal role in developing the car for rally and road use.

Being personally involved in its creation, he said he bought this ultimate example as “his baby.”

It has been treasured by Hahne for 24 years and is now offered for sale directly by him.

“As Hahne turns 80 in 2022, he has decided that the time has finally come to part with ‘his baby’ and let another enthusiast take care of it,” says Collecting Cars.

This meticulously maintained example of the Fast Ford from the nineties has the original Auralis Blue paint with a black leather interior with Recaro seats.

It retains its period-correct RS Cosworth 16-inch five-spoke alloy wheels wrapped in Continental tires.

The cabin is equipped with air conditioning, a replacement Ford stereo with separate CD player and power windows, sunroof and door mirrors.

The exterior was recently repainted in the original paint and is in exceptional condition.

Inside, there are some light signs of wear on the Recaro seats and two screw holes in the center console, where a mobile phone holder was previously mounted.

“Otherwise, the cabin presents itself in very good condition,” the party confirms.

The only non-genuine part on the car is a replacement air conditioning condenser, while there is also a malfunction in the CD player, with Hahne reporting a crackling sound from one of the speakers.

The most recent service on the car was in October 2022, after the clutch was recently replaced.

The odometer shows that it has covered just over 60,000 miles (97,882 km) in its 26-year life, with the cam belt replaced in August 2017 with a mileage of 96,388.

Collecting Cars believes the value of a late production Escort RS Cosworth with comparable mileage in the same condition is today worth between £43,000 and £60,000.

However, given the importance of this being the ultimate Escort RS Cosworth, an auction site spokesperson said they wouldn’t be surprised to see it sell for even more than that.

Therefore, it can be won with a winning bid that is significantly more than what it cost new. In 1996 an Escort RS Cosworth was sold for £21,380.

Using This is Money’s historical inflation calculator, that works out to 43,800 in current money.

“The car has been maintained to a very high standard and has been completely repainted beforehand in the striking Auralis Blue color,” says the online auction company.

Now ready to be enjoyed by a new owner, it would make a lively weekend toy for an avid driver – and would of course make an unrepeatable addition to any special Ford collection given its significance as the very last Escort RS Cosworth to leave the Karmann factory.’

The auction is live for bidsand ends in the evening of Monday 7 November.

While this latest edition Escort RS Cosworth is expected to fetch a staggering sum, it is unlikely to break the UK record price paid for one set in 2017.

That example was a 1996 car in timewarp condition with only 837 miles on the clock that changed hands at auction for £91,000.