Somewhat overlooked when compared to their French rivals, Ford hot hatchbacks of the 1990s may represent a case of ‘you don’t know what you’ve got until it’s gone’. The number of fast Fiestas in existence is now finite, but demand for retro Fords on the Car & Classic website is as high as ever.
Affordable prices, head-turning styling (check out those three-spoke alloys) and punchy performance from a 1,596cc turbocharged four-cylinder engine made the Fiesta RS Turbo popular with boy racers back in the day.
As a result, finding examples that haven’t been crashed or modified beyond all recognition is a real challenge. Helpfully, we’ve done the hard work for you…
Praise the Ford
This particular RS Turbo isn’t completely standard, but its easily reversible modifications include a Mongoose exhaust system for a throatier soundtrack, plus Roose silicone hoses for improved reliability.
The Recaro ‘Ascot in Raven’ seats are free of rips and tears, and everything else inside, from the door cards to the dashboard, is in excellent condition. The bodywork is also well presented, with Radiant Red paint that shines like new. The Fiesta wears a fresh set of Falken tyres, too.
Somewhat defying its reputation as a used and abused model, this RS Turbo has clearly been well looked after – with documentation to support this. Original Ford booklets, a large file of invoices, a stamped service book and an MOT until September 2024 (with no advisories) are all part of the package.
Farewell to the Fiesta
Since the Ford Fiesta production ended in July, Car & Classic has seen a sharp increase in the number of online searches for fast Fiestas (up 69.8 percent), with the biggest individual jump made by the XR2 (up 107.3 percent).
Prices seem to be rising as well. A 1991 XR2i sold for £11,750 in October, while a similar 1988 example went for £14,500 last month – a jump of more than 20 percent. The much rarer RS Turbo seems likely to follow the same trajectory.
Car & Classic’s auction for the 1991 Ford Fiesta Mk3 RS Turbo, in association with Retro Motor, goes live on Saturday 23 September 2023 and runs for five days. The sale price is expected to be between £12,000 and £16,000.
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