Congratulations! Ford RS turns 50

Ford RS turns 50, and to celebrate it we have taken a look back at some of its most iconic models. Congratulations!

2020 marks half a century since the Ford RS brand was launched. There had been Ford fast cars before, most notably the Lotus 1963 Cortina, but the arrival of the Rallye Sport badge, RS, changed things.

In the 1960s, Ford’s German and British divisions operated separately, and when the former decided to launch a special edition, the Taunus 15M Rallye Sport, it marked the beginning of something big in 1968. However, once Ford Britain had set up its Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) division in 1970, there was no stopping it. AVO was joined by SVE (Special Vehicle Engineering) in 1980, by which time the RS brand had attained cult status.

Now, 50 years after the RS brand first appeared, its popularity shows no sign of waning. Here is why the Ford RS is special.

Ford Escort RS1600 (1970)

The Ford Escort RS1600 was the first car to emerge from the new Advanced Vehicle Operations division of Ford UK. Launched in 1970 and equipped with a 130 hp, 1599cc engine, these Escorts are now fabulously collectible; only 1139 were made between 1970 and 1974.

The twin-cam BDA engine featured a four-valve head and was a development of the reliable Kent engine from Ford. The RS1600 was capable of 0-100 km/h in 8.9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 181 km/h.

Ford Escort RS2000 (1973)

Created to offer similar performance to the RS1600 but in a simpler, less highly strung package, the RS2000 was equipped with a 1993cc Pinto engine producing 100 hp.

Sold for just one year and priced just 5 euros less than the RS1600, 5334 healthy examples were made. The RS2000 reached a top speed of 173 km/h and could manage 0-100 km/h in 9.0 seconds.

Ford RS200 (1984)

After giving up on the RS1700T, Ford created a car specifically for the Group B rally scene, although as a homologation special at least 200 examples would have to be built, including road editions.

The result was the RS200, with a turbocharged 1.8-litre BDT engine sending its 250 hp to all four wheels. In competition form there was 460 hp available. But shortly after the RS200 arrived, the Group B series was scrapped.

Ford Escort RS Turbo (1984)

A product of Ford’s Special Vehicle Engineering (SVE) division rather than AVO, the Escort RS Turbo was based on the RS1600i and came only as an all-white car with a butch-looking body kit.

A Ferguson limited-slip differential was fitted to tame the 132 unruly horses that gave the car a top speed of 201 km/h.

Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (1986)

Ford had tried turbocharging, so from now on most RS models would be forced induction. Things got serious with the launch of the Cosworth-developed Sierra, with its 1993cc YCC Pinto engine.

Boosted to produce 204 hp, the Cossie was capable of 0-100 km/h in just 6.2 seconds on its way to a top speed of 233 km/h.

Ford Fiesta RS Turbo (1990)

Using the same engine as the Escort RS Turbo, but with a smaller turbocharger, the Fiesta RS Turbo delivered a top speed of 233 km/h and 0-100 km/h in 7.9 seconds.

It was the quickest Fiesta Ford had offered up until then, but production ended after just two years, with the RS1800 taking over where the RS Turbo left off.

Ford Escort RS2000 (1991)

In 1991, Ford resurrected the RS2000 name for the Escort Mk5.

While the fifth-generation Escort had been poorly received in 1990, the RS2000 sought to put things right with a new 150-valve, 16-valve twin-cam engine that offered plenty of torque and a top speed of 210 km/h; 0-100 km/h arrived in 8.3 seconds.

Ford Escort RS Cosworth (1992)

Six years after the first Cosworth-tuned Sierras were delivered to their lucky owners, Ford was still using the same basic mechanicals with the 227 hp Escort RS Cosworth.

A further homologation special, 5000 had to be built when Ford commissioned Karmann to run off production, but FISA reduced this threshold to just 2500 shortly after production began.

Ford Focus RS (2002)

Once the RS2000 and RS Cosworth editions of the Escort had gone out of production, another six years would pass before the RS badge returned to showrooms.

In the meantime, Ford teased us with a Focus RS concept shown at the 1998 Geneva Motor Show; a production version was revealed three years later.

The wait was worth it, however; the 212 hp turbocharged 2.0-litre Duratec engine could take the Focus RS to 100 km/h in just 6.3 seconds and reach a top speed of 220 km/h.

Ford Focus RS (2009)

The original Focus RS was made for only one year, and with the last cars built in 2003, it seemed Ford had lost interest in the RS brand for a while.

But in 2009 we got a brand-new Focus RS, based on the second-generation car and looking stunning. This time, the turbocharged 2522cc five-cylinder engine produced 296 horsepower, with the car capable of 262 km/h and 0-100 km/h in six seconds.

Ford Focus RS500 (2010)

Seemingly inspired by the Sierra RS Cosworth, Ford offered 500 examples of the Focus RS, now producing 355 hp.

As expected, the cars sold out in double-quick time, each finished in matt black paint and 19-inch alloy wheels.

Ford Focus RS Mountune (2010)

Only 101 right-hand-drive Focus RS500s were built, but all was not lost for those who were too slow to buy one.

This is because Ford teamed up with the tuning company Mountune to offer an officially recognised upgrade for the regular Focus RS, which boosted power to the same 345 hp as the RS500.

Ford Focus RS (2016)

You have to wonder where it will all end; the Focus Mk2 offered low levels of performance, but Ford kept on turning up the wick with this third iteration.

Rather than the 90 hp available in the headset of RS models, this 2.3-litre Ecoboost engine could generate 345 hp that was sent to all four wheels, enough to give a 0-100 km/h time of just 4.5 seconds.

Ford Focus RS Mk4

Ford is planning an even faster, more powerful and more efficient Focus RS for 2020 or 2021, and it will use the new mega-hatch to showcase a set of 48-volt mild-hybrid technologies that the company is introducing on its global mid-size, long-range car.

Combining its combustion and electric motors, the car’s power is expected to exceed 400 hp, rivalling models such as the 415 hp offered by the latest Mercedes-AMG A45 S. It will be a welcome return to the market for RS.