Cars with history: Ford Sierra

From 1986 and for several years beyond, until today, one of the most coveted cars was the Ford Sierra Cosworth, a special version of the Sierra, a car that was very well exploited by Ford in motorsport and that represented the peak of a car that was revolutionary in its styling.

The Sierra originated from the Ford Probe III, presented at the Paris Motor Show in 1981. At first, it was an almost experimental car boasting a very low Cx value, in favour of fuel economy. But the Ford Taunus/Cortina, which had not sold well in Spain, needed replacing, and nobody was better suited to do it than the Sierra.

The Sierra was marketed worldwide with many engine and trim options, including diesel models with an engine of Peugeot manufacture, as well as the XR4i (with the Capri’s V6 engine), the XR4x4 with a five-door body and four-wheel drive, and the RS Cosworth (followed by the RS500), with a 2.0i DOHC engine developed by Cosworth with a Garrett T3 turbocharger and intercooler delivering 204 CV. The competition versions of the RS500 reached 550 horsepower. The XR4 also reached the USA, in the form of the Merkur XR4i with a 2.3 turbo engine, though it did not sell well.

A car that was more advanced in styling than the rest when it first appeared, quite thirsty for fuel, by the way, in its versions with larger engines, and a little heavy to accelerate, yet with an enviable presence. Progress buried the Sierra under the weight of the Ford Mondeo in 1994, another heavyweight from Ford in Europe.

Source | Wikipedia