1991 Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth 4X4

According to the VIN, this Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth 4x4 (shame we don’t get paid by the word or we’d keep mentioning the name in full) rolled out of Ford’s Genk factory in June 1990 but wasn’t registered to its first owner until 9 December 1991, over a year later.

However, once in the hands of a happy customer, it was quickly used and enjoyed; covering 1400 miles in the first two weeks. It would seem to have spent all its life in various parts of Gloucestershire with its current owner also living between Gloucester and the Malvern Hills.

We understand that the previous owner laid up the car in 2008 due to a revving issue. Nearly a decade later in 2017, a work colleague bought it - literally from a barn - with a view to returning it to the road.

Having had the car recommissioned with new water pump, cam belt, plugs and so on at European Car Services of Malvern in late 2018, he then had the car sat in his own auto-electrics workshop and it wasn’t until early this year that the car was given an MOT and returned to road-ready use.

Never was there a more appropriate finish for an ‘80s-’90s Ford-loving “geezer” than Diamond White - having the same name as his girlfriend’s favourite fizzy tipple and a matching colour to her stilettos.

The white paint and bodywork on this Sapphire is pretty good; there are a few issues but nothing serious. There are stone chips on the front edge of the vented bonnet - to be expected of any fast car, a scrape and attempted repair on the nearside bumper side return and a small scrape on the rear of the boot spoiler.

Aside from a small bubbling in the driver door window rubber, the trims, fixtures and glass around the car look in good order too - with the glass having been security etched to show the chassis number. Although the earlier 2WD Sapphire Cosworths have standard rear light clusters, these later 4x4 cars are fitted with smoked glass versions, which contrast nicely with the white bodywork.

The Cossie sits on its original 15-inch lattice alloy wheels, which have recently been repainted by hand - possibly with Hammerite - and they were fitted with matching Uniroyal Rainsport tyres just last month.

The interior has Ford’s Raven grey vinyl trim with Mallory cloth - almost like velour - across its Recaro front seats and comfortable rear bench. It all appears in very good condition with no undue wear or damage evident, although the driver’s seat shows some patina and the side bolster has become creased and slightly ruched with use.

The steering wheel and gear knob too have the burnished look of the nearly 100K miles driven but are otherwise in good order, as are the dash and centre console which show no signs of cracks or fading.

In the central panel are the car’s original-type Ford radio cassette player with its accompanying balance/fader control and 5-band graphic equaliser - a real throwback to the period with an equally retro cassette storage rack in the centre console. We had a little trouble getting the radio to work but the vendor - who is an auto electrician - assures us that it does and would feel rather professionally embarrassed if not.

The lamp and door closure indicator panel above seems to be working fine as do the electric mirrors and windows and manual sunroof. The driver side seat adjustment, however, appears a little temperamental.

The grey carpeting looks mostly clean and intact, with just a little discoloration in the rear and up above, the headlining appears undamaged but is sagging towards the rear and down the C-pillars.

Under the bonnet, everything appears clean and in order with not even any surface rust that we could see. The cam covers are their original bright red, signifying the YBJ 220bhp (non-catalysed) engine. The bonnet lid itself appears in good order, with a heat resistant patch on the acoustic lining above the Garrett turbo.

The undersides of the car are largely tidy and free from any obvious corrosion or damage. There is a good coating of underseal across the floor pans and the suspension components look in good order. Curiously, the exhaust pipework toward the rear has been painted with silver Hammerite. Whilst it would cover up surface rust, there doesn’t seem to be any obvious sign of more serious corrosion and the back box, which hasn’t been painted looks relatively recent and in a good condition.

Inside the boot is clean and tidy, with carpets and linings intact. Under the floor cover is a full size spare alloy wheel. There are no signs of corrosion to the boot floor or in the spare wheel well and the boot lid itself also seems in good order.

The car has a current MOT valid until March 2022, which it passed after receiving a new CV boot and front springs. Prior to that the car was off the road - and untested - since 2008.

The car doesn’t have its original service booklet but there are invoices and service inspection checklists that show the progression of the car’s mileage and diligent routine maintenance all through the 1990s as follows:

Dec 1991 - 1,450 miles

Jul 1992 - 12,212

Nov 1992 - 18,444

Oct 1993 - 33,676

Dec 1993 - 36,368 (clutch bearing)

Jan 1994 - 37,366

Jul 1994 - 44,239

Oct 1994 - 49,883

Jul 1995 - 63,211

Dec 1996 - 83,129

May 1997 - 88,490

Dec 1998 - 90,905 (plus immobiliser fitting)

Jul 1999 - 91,789

Dec 1999 - 92,153

Dec 2018 - 99,689 (including timing belt)

There are also recent invoices showing the purchase of new tyres, CV boot and coil springs for the MOT. The car comes with two keys and a master.

The HPI check is clear, showing no warnings on mileage or any other factor.

At first sight, the Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth 4x4 might look like a relatively humble saloon car - even in white - but underneath it has supercar-rivalling performance. When the turbo kicks in around 3,000rpm, the acceleration is immense but the four-wheel-drive helps to retain its poise and grip through the corners.

This particular example has developed a tapping noise which we believe to be the new wheel balancing weights rubbing on a brake caliper. Otherwise it drives well and, whilst it may not be the best we’ve driven, we would rate it as a good one… and it is a Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth after all.

Like all fast Fords, the Sapphire Cossies have seen asking prices rising steadily over the past 6 or 7 years, with the absolute best well into upper 5-figure sums. This is a solid example that we think will sell for between £22,500 and £30,000.

Although a proper “diamond geezer” might go for the earlier high-winged 3-door Sierra RS Cosworths, the thinking man would go for the Sapphire 4x4 as it is every bit the performer that the original incarnation was, but in a much more practical package that doesn’t now scream “mid-life crisis” quite so loudly!

Viewing is always encouraged, 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’.