Rare Car Archive

Makes › Ford United States › Sierra and Capri › Sierra RS Cosworth (3-door) · Factory competition · 1986–1987 Limited Production

Ford
Sierra RS Cosworth (3-door)

Original three-door Group A homologation Sierra Cosworth (the later Sapphire 4-door and 4x4 are far more numerous).

Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (Wikipedia article: Ford Sierra RS Cosworth)
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (Wikipedia article: Ford Sierra RS Cosworth)
Photo: Calreyn88 · CC BY-SA 4.0
5,042BuiltIndependently researched
0Chassis documentedin this archive
?SurvivingNot yet verified
Contents
  1. 01Overview
  2. 02Production & history
  3. 03Specifications
  4. 04Colours & options
  5. 05Individual cars
  6. 06Reference

01Overview

At a glance

Built
5,042 Built
Years
1986–1987
Engine
1,993 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,993 cc
Power
152 kW / 207 PSFactory: 204 hp · converted
Top speed
241 km/hFactory: 150 mph · converted
Body
Not yet verified
Designer
Ford Special Vehicle Engineering with Cosworth
In this archive
Not yet verified
Surviving
Not yet verified

Sources and any conflicting figures are in the sections below.

Why it matters

The Sierra RS Cosworth was the first Ford to carry the Cosworth badge. It was built as a homologation special for Group A touring-car racing and gave buyers a turbocharged, fast hatchback that could also be used every day.

How rare is it?

Six separate kinds of rarity – never combined into one number.

Model rarityLimited Production 5,042 · Built1
Specification rarityNot yet assessed
Colour rarityNot yet assessed
Individual rarityNot yet assessed
Historical rarityNot yet assessed
Survival rarityNot yet assessed

Each kind of rarity is rated separately and never combined.

02Production & history

Production

Every figure says what it counts.

What is countedFigureBasisStatus
Total model productionthree-door RS Cosworths built 5,0421 Factory production Independently researched

Independent counts (e.g. engine and colour) are never combined into a calculated figure. Surviving examples are never presented as original production.

History

The car was shown at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1985. Group A rules required 5,000 cars, and assembly of the road cars began in June 1986 at Ford's Genk plant in Belgium. It went on sale in July 1986, based on the three-door Sierra shell and designed by Ford's Special Vehicle Engineering department with Cosworth.

One source gives a total of 5,545 cars, including the 500 later converted by Tickford into RS500s. The three-door car ended in 1987 and was replaced by the four-door Sapphire RS Cosworth.

Variants

How each version differs from the standard Sierra RS Cosworth (3-door).

No variants documented yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

03Specifications

Technical specifications

Engine

Engine manufacturerCosworth2 Independently researched
Engine familyNot yet verified
Engine codeYB2 Independently researched
LayoutNot yet verified
Displacement 1,993 cc / 2.0 LFactory: 1,993 cc3 Independently researchedIconic Auctioneers rounds to 2.0 litres.
BoreNot yet verified
StrokeNot yet verified
Compression ratioNot yet verified
ValvetrainTwin-camshaft 16-valve Cosworth head3 Independently researched
Fuel systemWeber-Marelli engine management3 Independently researched
InductionGarrett AiResearch turbocharger3 Independently researched
Power 152 kW / 207 PSFactory: 204 hp · converted2 Independently researchedSource writes 204bhp for standard road trim.
Power at 6,000 rpm4 Independently researchedevo gives 201 bhp at 6000 rpm and 204 bhp in the acceleration paragraph.
Torque 278 NmFactory: 205 lb-ft · converted4 Independently researched
Torque at 4,500 rpm4 Independently researched

Transmission & drivetrain

GearboxManual5 Independently researched
Gears54 Independently researched
Driven wheelsRear4 Independently researched

Chassis, body & dimensions

ChassisNot yet verified
Front suspensionMacPherson strut4 Independently researched
Rear suspensionSemi-trailing arm4 Independently researched
Brakes283 mm ventilated front discs with four-piston calipers; 273 mm solid rear discs with single-piston floating calipers4 Independently researched
SteeringRack with 2.6 turns lock-to-lock4 Independently researched
Body constructionNot yet verified
WheelbaseNot yet verified
LengthNot yet verified
WidthNot yet verified
HeightNot yet verified
Front trackNot yet verified
Rear trackNot yet verified
Kerb weightNot yet verified
Dry weightNot yet verified

Performance

Maximum speed 241 km/hFactory: 150 mph · converted2 Independently researchedSource says "almost 150mph"; not a measured figure.
0–100 km/h 6.2 s4 Independently researchedSource figure is 0-62 mph (about 0-100 km/h).
Fuel tankNot yet verified

“Not yet verified” means no source has been checked for that value yet. Nothing is estimated to fill a gap.

04Colours & options

Factory colours & interiors

Original paint and trim, with the number of cars in each where a source gives it.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Factory options & codes

Codes are shown exactly as written by the manufacturer.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

05Individual cars

Chassis register

Every documented car, with its colours, history and where it is now. Open a row for the full record. Known chassis are not automatically authenticated originals.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Competition history

Every race result of the individual cars, in date order. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

Auction & sale history

Documented public sales of the individual cars. Click a chassis number to open its full record in the register.

Not yet documented. Have a source? Contribute it.

See one in person

Museums where an example of this car can be seen.

No example is documented on public display yet. Have a source? Contribute it.

06Reference

Identification guide

How to tell an original from a replica or later conversion.

Being verified against factory or registry sources before it is published. Have a source? Contribute it.

Sources

Each number links to the exact facts it supports.

  1. 1
    Supercar Nostalgia – Ford Sierra RS Cosworth Level C
    • 5042 three-door RS Cosworths built
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  2. 2
    1987 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth - 6,242 Miles from New (lot 262) Level C Iconic Auctioneers · 2026-07-25
    • Cosworth's ... turbocharged 2.0-litre YB engine
    • Cosworth's now iconic turbocharged 2.0-litre YB engine
    • producing 204bhp in standard form
    • capable of propelling the Sierra to almost 150mph
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  3. 3
    1990 Ford Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth (lot 38) Level C Bonhams · 2021-12-11
    • standard 1,993cc Pinto engine's cylinder block
    • Cosworth-developed, twin-camshaft, 16-valve cylinder head
    • Weber-Marelli engine management system
    • Garrett AiResearch turbocharger
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  4. 4
    Ford Sierra RS Cosworth: review, history and specs of an icon Level A evo
    • 201bhp at 6000rpm
    • 205lb ft at 4500rpm
    • five-speed Borg-Warner gearbox
    • torque to a rear axle fitted with a viscous-coupling limited-slip differential
    • MacPherson strut front axle
    • semi-trailing arm rear set up
    • 283mm ventilated front discs with four-piston calipers
    • quicker steering rack with 2.6 turns lock-to-lock
    • accelerate from 0-62mph in 6.2sec
    Accessed 2026-11-12
  5. 5
    1986 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth - Rosso Red (lot 886) Level C Iconic Auctioneers · 2025-05-17
    • Transmission Manual (Specification)
    Accessed 2026-11-12

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