1989 Ford Sierra Sapphire 2000E

This car has been in the same family a long time, having belonged to the current owners father before it changed hands to his son, who then drove the 2000E daily for several years in stock form, whilst keeping a Sierra Cosworth as a weekend toy. After driving it for a few years, in around 2013 the owner, a mechanical engineer, decided to sell his Cosworth and tweak the Sapphire into something more.

A running Ford Scorpio Ultima was bought for its 2.9 litre Cosworth tuned V6 which was transferred over to the Sierra along with the various other components from this donor as well as others and new parts, making it into the car it is now. But as a weekend hobby car it has been constantly improved and fettled more than it has been driven!

Originally the Ford was two-tone in Flint Grey over Moonstone Blue but in keeping with a Cosworth it was to be, it was re-painted in Flint Grey all over. It has a good finish and is generally in good condition and more than presentable with just a few small dings and scratches here and there, but it is possible to see the car has been painted looking in the door shuts and below the sills.

The car has been loaded with cavity wax regularly by the owner which has done a good job protecting it, there is a just a small area of bubbling on the drivers door edge but usual trouble spots like the rear arches are solid.

The Cosworth/Executive luxuries are present, the headlamp washers and wipers work, front fog lights and tinted windows are all there and completing the picture are a set of Ford Lattice alloy wheels and boot spoiler correct to the Cosworth version.

The tyres are a couple of years old - Continental on the front and Nexen the rear - but haven’t done many miles so still have very good tread remaining.

The 2000E was loaded with all the same toys as the Cosworth, even featuring a small leather steering wheel. This one came with black leather, so the electric armchairs from the Scorpio were swapped to the Sierra and look like factory equipment. The seats are in great shape with almost no wear, just a small scuff on the driver’s bolster.

The dash still has the oh-so-80s trip computer by the clock, but the original Ford radio has been replaced with a Kenwood CD head unit with USB, and the graphic equaliser below now has an air/fuel ratio gauge in place of it. There are electric windows all round, electric mirrors and a manual tilt slide sunroof.

The door cards are in good shape, the drivers one does have some marks however and the headlining has started to drop in the rear.

Under the clean boot carpet there is a full size spare Lattice alloy, there is surface rust in the wheel but the metal is solid.

As a project car this has been frequently checked over and worked on by a mechanically competent owner. It has had a couple of spots of welding under the car, but this is not unusual for a Ford of this age and better to have it caught, rectified and undersealed. It has been cavity and under floor covered during his ownership and looks to be in solid condition.

As some Sierras were fitted with V6 motors, upgrading the 2000E the 200bp 2.9 slots fairly easily into the engine bay.

It was the pinnacle of Ford’s power plant range, the Cologne based V6 was assembled by Cosworth and develops 206bhp, a big jump on the 2 litre’s 125bhp and makes 207 ft/lb of torque and mounts to the original MT75 5 speed gearbox by using the bell housing from an XR4x4 and upgraded to the stronger XR gear set. It had an Escort Cosworth clutch fitted at the same time. At the rear it has a Sierra limited slip diff and has more stopping power from Scorpio Cosworth brake callipers at the front.

Setting the ride height at a more sport saloon appropriate level, the Ford was fitted with a set of Spax shocks and springs all round, the rear ones have been updated recently.

The car has been very well maintained at home over the last decade or so, with frequent oil and filter changes and any problems being dealt with as they occur. A new exhaust was fitted in 2015 and the battery is just two years old.

The air conditioning was removed when the V6 was fitted in 2013, when the car was also painted by the owner and the gearbox modifications and uprated clutch fitted.

Sierras have become interesting and collectable recently and the values have shot up dramatically. This is an interesting example with the looks and spec of a Sapphire Cosworth but with the gloriously creamy and powerful V6 which is defiantly improved by having a manual gearbox behind it. This auction is NO RESERVE and we estimate it’ll fetch between £8,500 - £15,000.

It looks like a sensible and useable engine swap and upgrade which has been done well and the car appears to be in a solid condition having been well cared for by an owner who knows the cars and enjoys looking after them.

Inspection is always encouraged, within Govt. guidelines of course, and this particular car is located with us at The Market HQ near Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.