Think of the most stirring motoring moments you’ve ever witnessed and there’ll almost certainly be a Group B episode or two in there. Group B left an impression like no other branch of motor sport. The problem was, it left too big an impression for all the wrong reasons: deaths were an integral part, so it was no surprise when the series was canned before many of the key cars had even been fully developed.

One example was the RS200, set to crush its rivals only to have the plug pulled before it had even got going.

The RS200 project started in 1983; Ford needed to get a competitive rally car developed and built as quickly as possible. It would have four-wheel drive, and a unique shape so it wouldn’t immediately be obsolete. There would also be an incredibly rigid chassis of honeycombed aluminium, steel and composites, over which was to be draped a composite bodyshell, the whole lot powered by Ford’s 16-valve BDT twin-cam engine.

October 1985 saw the first production cars built. By then the RS200 had already won its first works outing, the Lindisfarne Rally. It won a few more rallies at the start of 1986 but the writing was now on the wall for Group B. The final production cars were made in January 1986 but, by the time they were delivered to their new owners at the end of that year, the RS200’s competition career was over.
Because of the cancellation of the Group B series, some potential owners decided they no longer wanted their cars. As a result Ford never made the full quota of 200 vehicles: records show 158 vehicles sold. Ford apparently stripped down 50 cars already built, to resell them with extra equipment fitted.

By the end of 1988 they’d all found new owners but it wasn’t until 1990 that the final cars were delivered.

Motoring historian Graham Robson, who had close contractual links with Ford’s motor sport department, ran  a series of RS200s: ‘On the open road nothing was faster, safer or more nimble, but in traffic the RS200 could be a pain. Long journeys were at first exhilarating because of the car’s poise and performance but became tiring as the noise, heavy steering and poor rearward visibility took their toll.

‘Traffic jams were best avoided, for it was all too easy to overheat that precious engine or to cook the clutch. But the RS200 was a miraculously fast car on ordinary main roads: if the turbo was on song, there was always space to overtake slower traffic.’

Steve Stripe runs XWorkss, which maintains Ford’s own trio of RS200s plus many privately owned examples. He comments: ‘There’s always a steady demand for RS200s, because they’re perfect for track days. Expect to pay £50,000 for a well-maintained example that’s ready to roll. A decent Evo is another £30,000, while the ceiling is £100,000 for an ex-competition car – but it’s got to have an interesting history to be worth so much.

‘Values have remained pretty static for a while and will probably continue to do so. The RS200 isn’t an investment as such but you won’t lose your shirt on it.’

Surprisingly, there are usually plenty to choose from at any one time. The best place to find one is online at Justin Smith’s website www.rs200.org, an essential site for anyone who owns or aspires to own an RS200.

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