Ford Sierra RS Cosworth for sale
4 cars in stock right now, inspected in the European country where they are located, priced landed at a US port with the import paperwork done.
1992 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth 4×4
duty at rate in effect
1991 Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 4×4
duty at rate in effect
1991 Ford Sierra Cosworth 4×4
duty at rate in effect
1986 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
duty at rate in effect
The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (1986–1992) is the homologation Ford that Europe got and America did not: a Cosworth-developed 2.0-litre turbo four, 204 hp in the first three-door with the enormous rear wing, then the four-door Sapphire, then the four-wheel-drive Sapphire Cosworth 4×4 of 1990. Ford of Europe built them to win touring car championships, and none of them was ever sold through a US dealer.
Why Americans want it
It is the car from Group A touring car footage and from the early Gran Turismo games: rear-wheel drive, a big single turbo, a whale-tail wing that Ford only put on because the rules required it. The 4×4 is the usable one, quick in the wet and still analogue. Americans have had the Mustang and the Taurus SHO; the Sierra Cosworth is the Ford they were never allowed.
What the US never got
- Sierra RS Cosworth three-door (1986–1987), about 5,500 built, the one with the wing.
- Sierra RS500 (1987), 500 built for homologation, the collector car of the family.
- Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth (1988–1990), the four-door, rear-wheel drive.
- Sapphire Cosworth 4×4 (1990–1992), four-wheel drive, the fastest and the most usable.
Eligible years (25-year rule)
Every Sierra Cosworth is eligible now. Production ran from 1986 to 1992, so even the last 4x4s passed 25 years in 2017.
What to look for
- Identity: these cars are cloned and re-shelled more than almost anything else of their era. We check the chassis number, the engine number and the body stampings, and we photograph them.
- Rust: rear arches, the sunroof surround, the boot floor and the strut tops.
- Engine: the YB block is strong but the head gasket, the turbo and a modified boost map are the three things to establish. A standard car with history beats a tuned car with a dyno sheet.
- 4×4 driveline: the viscous coupling, the transfer case and the MT75 gearbox.
- Interior: correct Recaro trim and the original radio are expensive to replace and tell you how the car has been kept.
Typical landed price
Europe: roughly €14,000–€70,000, from a usable Sapphire 4×4 to an excellent three-door with the wing; RS500s are a separate market again. Landed at Newark or Baltimore with duty at the rate in effect on entry: roughly $27,500–$110,000. Container freight recommended.
Registration notes
- California: built after 1967, gasoline; CARB lab certification applies, not guaranteed.
- Fuel: gasoline.
- Title: 17-character VIN. US title from Salvage Motors LLC. Right-hand drive cars are legal to register in every state.
Our take
Buy the documentation. On this model, provenance is most of the value: a plain Sapphire 4×4 with a clean history and matching numbers is a better purchase than a cheap three-door whose paperwork does not line up.
FAQ
Was the Sierra Cosworth sold in America?
No. It was a European homologation model and never reached US dealers, which is why the 25-year exemption is the only route in.
Three-door, Sapphire or 4×4?
The three-door with the wing is the icon and the most expensive. The Sapphire 4×4 is the one to drive.
How do I know a car is genuine?
Chassis and engine numbers, body stampings and continuous history. We check all three before buying and send you the photographs.