1986 Ford Sierra XR 4x4

Inherited from her father, ‘C898 BOR’ is his much-loved Ford Sierra XR4x4. Bought approximately 20 years ago after a long search for the right car, it quickly became, along with his BSA motorbike, the favourite in his collection.

Finished in the iconic colour of Diamond White and boasting grey upholstery, it comes with a very good service record that includes a recent service by a Ford dealer in September 2023.

While it could do with a tune-up after lying unused, the fact it’s got a long and advisory-free MoT certificate is very reassuring and the seller tells us it was always very well received at the local classic car and transport shows her father displayed it at over the years.

With a clear HPI report and very good shutlines, the Sierra’s Diamond White coachwork (Rosso Red was also available as standard, while Nimbus Grey and Black were extra-cost options) tells only a good story.

It’s also got a decent shine to it still, and given white is one of the easiest colours to match and machine polish, maintaining and improving it over the next 40 years would be straightforward.

As you can see from the online MoT record, it accrued relatively few miles in his hands, being stored under a cover when her father wasn’t polishing it in anticipation of driving it to a local classic car show.

His hard work and diligent curation have paid off because the lamp lenses are all good too, as are the badges.

The seven-spoke, 14-inch Ford alloy wheels are also in a good condition but then they’re fitted with (by modern standards, at least) relatively fat-walled tyres that protect the rims much better than the rubber bands Ford fits these days.

The tyres themselves are a matching set of 195/65R14 Falken ZE326 jobbies and despite being date-stamped 2004 and 2005 and therefore in need of replacement, we are heartened to see high-quality tyres like this as they’re indicative of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner.

As for other flaws, there is a very small amount of rust on the offside front wheelarch plus some staining under the rain gutter on the same side. The nearside of the rear bumper has a small crack in it too.

If you’re of a fastidious nature, the glass sunroof appears to be delaminating, the nearside rear wheelarch has been repaired, and the nearside door mirror casing is scuffed.

Other than that, it just looks like it would benefit from routine valeting work like cleaning the black rubber trim.

The cabin is every bit as well preserved as the coachwork. A riot of grey tweed and velour upholstery, the seats are in fine fettle and still look plump and comfortable.

They’re free of damage too, and even the side bolsters have stayed firm and supportive, which’ll be important if you plan to exploit that sublime 4WD chassis.

The rear seats are almost as good as the ones in front with the only sign of the passage of four decades being some light wrinkling to the face fabric and the elasticated pockets.

The door cards are all good too, as is the headlining. The latter is an attractively patterned blue tweed-effect fabric that matches the seats, and even incorporates a sliding louvered blind for the factory glass sunroof.

Other signs of above-average care include good pedal rubbers, excellent carpets that include an intact driver’s heel protector, bright white lettering on most of the switches and controls, and the presence of the original Ford radio-cassette and audio control unit underneath.

There’s a cassette rack underneath the armrest too, plus a very good, undamaged parcel shelf.

The boot floor looks good and solid, and it contains a spare alloy wheel fitted with a 195/60R14 tyre. The grey floor mat is in a good condition, as is the offside side trim panel. The nearside though, is damaged as is the trim on the boot lid.

The eagle-eyed among you will also have noticed the use of a length of wood to keep the (very good) tailgate open, from which we’ve used our decades of experience to conclude the boot struts are probably weaker than they should be.

Other flaws seem to be limited to a repair to the outer edge of the driver’s seat, a crack on the offside of the top of the dashboard, mildew on the sunvisors, and some marks on the offside rear ashtray lid.

The servicing work in the last 12,000 miles since the seller’s father bought it is recorded in the history file as follows:

• 05.09.2005 and 87,803 miles – service by Roundstone Car Supercentre
• 06.12.2005 and 90,679 miles – cylinder head work plus fresh oil and coolant by Motorforce
• 09.02.2006 and 92,299 miles – service by Motorforce
• 29.03.2016 and 98,875 miles – service by Birchwood Ford including a new balljoint and rear brake pipes
• 07.07.2020 and 99,359 miles – oil service by Wrights Garage of Shirebrook
• 26.09.2023 and 99,467 miles – service by Warsop Motor Company including new sparkplugs, fresh gearbox oil, new rear brake discs and pads, and both track rod ends replaced

There are more invoices on file for the work that’s been undertaken over the years, and it is worth browsing them to appreciate how well looked after the XR4x4 has been.

As you can see, it starts well but doesn’t idle as it should, and the battery charge warning light is illuminated.

The engine bay is a bit scruffy and could do with a deep clean. It seems to be largely original though and has dodged the indignity of being dressed with silicone hoses and anodized fittings, which is good news. We reckon a day or two with some cleaning products and a rattle-can of paint would work wonders.

The underside looks good too, with an older coating of protective underseal still in place – and before you think we’re damning with faint praise we’d always rather see an older coating of professionally applied underseal than thick gobs of newly applied stuff put there to obscure rather than protect.

There is the usual light surface corrosion to some of the suspension components and the like, along with signs of recent work including good copper brake pipes and new rubber bellows on the track rod ends.

If we’re being picky the big-bore exhaust system isn’t standard and while you might enjoy the exhaust note (we certainly do!) the smart move would be to replace it with a standard system to protect your investment.

Mind you, given how original the rest of the car is, putting the exhaust back to the same specification it left the showroom in isn’t likely to break the bank.

The Sierra’s MoT certificate, which is valid until December 2025, was issued with no advisories, and the recent Vehicle History Check is clear.

The history file also contains a wealth of old invoices and bills and some expired MoT certificates in addition to a V5 registration document.

At a time when the price of every fast classic Ford attracts a hefty premium, our estimate of between £5,000 and £10,000 proves you can still afford a Blue-Oval legend if you’re prepared to get in at the ground floor and don’t mind getting your hands a bit dirty.

Even better, it’s being offered with no reserve, so will sell from the very first bid – and this is, you’ll recall, a car that’s just passed an MoT with no advisories and comes to market straight from long-term ownership…

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located with the seller in Shirebrook. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.