Ford · 1984–1986

Ford RS200

The Ford RS200 is a mid-engined, all-wheel-drive sports car that was produced by Reliant Motor Company for Ford Motorsport in Shenstone, UK, from 1984 to 1986. The road-going RS200 was the basis for Ford's Group B rally car and was designed to comply with FIA homologation regulations, which required 200 cars to be completed. The car was first displayed to the public at the Belfast Motor Show.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Predecessor: Ford Escort RS1800 · Successor: Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

All Ford RS200 data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

History

Following the introduction of the Mk3 Escort in 1980, Ford Motorsport set about developing a rear-wheel-drive, turbocharged variant of the vehicle that could be entered into competition in Group B rally racing. Ford had dominated Group B's predecessors, Group 3 and Group 4 in the late 1960s and throughout the 1970s with the Mk1 and Mk2 Escorts. It dubbed the new vehicle the Escort RS 1700T. A problem-filled development, plus internal apathy against the car (which had little in common with the production version of the Mk3 Escort) led Ford to abandon the project in frustration in 1983, leaving them without a new vehicle to enter into Group B. Not wanting to abandon Group B or simply "write off" the cost of developing the failed 1700T, executives decided to make use of the lessons learned developing that vehicle in preparing a new, purpose-built rally car. In addition, Ford executives became adamant that the new vehicle would feature all-wheel-drive, an addition they felt would be necessary to allow it to compete properly with all-wheel-drive models from Peugeot and Audi. The new vehicle was a unique design, featuring a plastic-fiberglass composite body designed by Ghia, a mid-mounted engine and four-wheel drive. The cars were built on behalf of Ford by Reliant, a British car manufacturer known for their expertise in producing fibreglass bodies. To aid weight distribution, designers mounted the transmission at the front of the car, which required that power from the mid-mounted engine go first up to the front wheels and then be run back again to the rear, creating a complex drive train setup. The chassis was designed by former Formula One designer Tony Southgate, and Ford's John Wheeler, a former F1 engineer, aided in early development. A double wishbone suspension setup

Production

FIA homologation rules for Group B required the construction of at least 200 road-legal vehicles, and Ford contracted Reliant Motors PLC to construct these 200 units at their Shenstone facility, with spare parts for another 20+ units put aside for the racing teams. Those chassis and spare parts were later also used to build a couple of non-genuine, so-called bitsa cars. The Ford RS200 originally cost £49,995 in 1985. However, due to its cult status and Group B legacy, the car's value has increased to over six figures, with the highly sought-after Evolution (EVO) models selling for significantly more. For example, in 2017, a Ford RS200 Evolution sold for $550,000 at a Bonhams auction in the US, which is the record auction price for the car. In November 2023, another Ford RS200 Evolution sold for £486,000 at Iconic Auctioneers. Evolution (E/E2). Group B required any modifications and upgrades had to be homologated by building a further batch of 20 road models to certify the revised specification. Even though Group B had been banned by the time the evolution model was ready, Ford produced the road cars regardless. A total of 24 of the 200 original cars were reportedly later converted to the so-called "Evolution" models, mostly marked by their owners as "E" or "E2" types. Ford's first intention was to mark the FIA-required 20 "Evo" cars as series numbers 201 to 220 but as this was actually not necessary according to the FIA rules they later kept their original series numbers (e.g. 201 = 012, 202 = 146, 203 = 174 et cetera). Changes were mostly mechanical, with the engine being designated BDT-E. Additional cool ducts were fitted above the roof, on either side of the main engine intake. 'S' Version. During the sales programme a Canadian entrepreneur, Murray H. de Weerdt, appr

Specification (Group B rally car)

=== Engine === Longitudinally-mounted, mid-engine, four-wheel-drive layout Head/block aluminium alloy/aluminium alloy 4 cylinders in line, Nikasil integrated liners 5 main bearings. Water cooled, electric fan Bore: 86 mm (3.39 in) Stroke: 77.6 mm (3.06 in) Capacity: 1,803 cc (1.8 L; 110.0 cu in) Valve gear: Dual overhead cams, 4 valves per cylinder, toothed belt camshaft drive Compression ratio: 7.2:1. Bosch Motronic engine management system and fuel injection. Garrett T3 turbocharger/boost pressure 23 psi (1.6 bar). Max. power: 450 PS (331 kW; 444 hp) at 8,000 rpm Max. torque: 360 lb⋅ft (490 N⋅m) at 5,500 rpm Transmission. 5-speed manual, AP twin plate paddle clutch with cerrametallic linings Final drive: Spiral bevel, ratio 4.375 to transfer ratio of 1.15 Suspension. Front, independent, double wishbones, twin coil springs and telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar Rear, independent, double wishbones, twin coil springs and telescopic dampers, anti-roll bar, adjustable toe control link Steering. Rack and pinion, a small quantity of cars also had hydraulic power assistance. Steering wheel diameter 14 in, 1.8 turns lock-to-lock Brakes. Dual circuits, split front/rear. Front 11.8 in (300 mm) diameter ventilated discs. Rear 11.8 in (300 mm) diameter ventilated discs, no vacuum servo. Handbrake, mechanical fly-off and hydraulic centre lever acting on separate, mechanically operated rear calipers. Wheels. Ford magnesium alloy, 6–8 in rims (8¾ in and 11 in option for racing tyres). Tyre dependent on conditions (Pirelli Monte Carlo intermediates 245/40 16 on test car), 16 in diameter, pressures dependent on tyres used. Dimensions and weights. Length: 157.5 in (4,000 mm) Width: 69.0 in (1,753 mm) Height: variable Wheelbase: 99.6 in (2,530 mm) Track (Front/Rear): 59.1 / 58.9 in (1,5

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Ford RS200
Manufacturer: Reliant Motor Company for Ford Europe
Production: 1984–1986
Assembly: United Kingdom: Reliant Motor Company, Shenstone, England
Layout: Mid-engined four-wheel drive
Class: Sports car (S)
Body style: 2-door coupé
Engine: 1.8 L Cosworth BDT straight-4, 2.1 L Cosworth BDT-E straight-4
Transmission: 5-speed manual
Wheelbase: 2540 mm
Length: 3988 mm
Width: 1752 mm
Height: 1320 mm
Designer: Tony Southgate, John Wheeler, Ian Callum, Filippo Sapino at Ghia
Predecessor: Ford Escort RS 1700T
Successor: Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1349841CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ford_RS200CC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1372731486 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ford_RS200.jpgCC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo: see file page · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.