See the amazing prices of these retro Fast Fords

Revealed: auction prices for amazing collection of fast Fords

Last year, auction website Collecting Cars sold a selection of classic fast Fords and other desirable cars – with some eye-opening results. Named the ‘Fast Fords & Friends Collection’, the ensemble majored on lightweight and analogue cars from the 1980s.

The Fords were hand-picked for their low-mileage status, with several award-winning vehicles included. They stretched from a humble Fiesta 1.3 Ghia to a Sierra RS Cosworth.

All were consigned from one single collector, and sold with no reserve price. Read on to discover why the era of the bargain fast Ford is long gone…

1987 Ford Sierra RS Cosworth: £65,500

No fast Ford collection would be complete without a Sierra RS Cosworth. Finished in Moonstone Blue, this ‘Cossie’ has certainly been driven, having racked up more than 115,000 miles since 1987.

Bought by the vendor as a retirement present, this particular car was used as the reference for the Corgi Vanguards 1:43 scale model, such is its degree of originality. The sale price of £65,500 seems steep, until you compare it to the £596,250 one enthusiast recently paid for a low-mileage Cosworth RS500.

1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo: £57,000

One of the best-known examples of the Series 1 Escort RS Turbo, this 1985 car will be familiar to Ford fans. It appeared on the show circuit during the 1990s, and had a boot packed with silverware and trophies as a result.

Painted in Diamond White, the Escort was subject to extensive restoration work between 2007 and 2009. The vendor believed it to be as close to factory condition as is realistically possible – hence the sale price of £57,000.

1983 Ford Escort RS1600i: £53,750

This fellow Mk3 Escort almost surpassed the RS Turbo in terms of value. Built for Group A homologation, the Ford Escort RS1600i was a limited edition developed by Ford Motorsport in Germany. A total of 2,600 examples were sold in the UK.

This is one of 530 cars finished in the combination of Diamond White with contrasting black stripes on the bonnet. Marking the RS1600i out from other hot Escorts were its Koni suspension and revised gear ratios.After 57 bids, the car sold for £53,750.

1983 Ford Escort XR3i: £14,250

The first of two Escort XR3i models in the auction, this 1983 car’s 1.6-litre naturally aspirated CVH engine develops 105hp. Wearing its original black paint, the XR3i comes complete with a rear spoiler and 14-inch ‘Cloverleaf’ alloy wheels.

Having covered just over 65,000 miles, this XR3i is ready to hit the road again. Let’s hope its new owner – who paid £14,250 – does exactly that.

1985 Ford Escort XR3i: £18,500

If black wasn’t to your liking, this Rosso Red Escort XR3i came with a lower mileage and a host of trophies. Prepared for concours events in the late 1990s, it won no fewer than eight awards in the ‘Standard Factory’ class at Ford Fair and Ford RS Owners’ Club National Days.

Having covered only 41,000 miles, both the exterior and interior are said to show only minimal signs of use. It sold for £18,500.

1987 Ford Capri 2.8 Special: £24,250

Undo your top button and reveal your chest wig: it’s a Ford Capri. Taken from the end of third-generation Capri production, the Special model features half-leather Recaro seats, seven-spoke RS wheels, a colour-coded front grille and a limited-slip differential.

The latter will help with delivering 160hp from the 2.8-litre ‘Cologne’ V6 to the rear wheels, done through a five-speed manual gearbox. For £24,250, we think it’s a bit of all-white (sorry).

1988 Ford Capri 280 Brooklands: £49,245

The crowning glory for the Mk3 Ford Capri was the Brooklands 280 run-out special edition. Painted in Brooklands Green and fitted with full-leather Recaro seats, the flagship Capri also came with a limited-slip diff and 15-inch alloy wheels.

A stainless steel exhaust is fitted, but the rest of this Capri is original. Recently recommissioned, and with 46,234 miles on the clock, it sold for £49,245 after no less than 78 bids.

1981 Ford Fiesta Supersport: £19,300

Performance Ford Fiestas have become an enthusiast staple, but the story started with the Supersport seen here. Based on the Mk1 Fiesta 1300s, Ford launched the Supersport in 1980. It boasted wheelarch extensions, special graphics and 13-inch alloy wheels.

The Supersport sold by Collecting Cars had covered 71,000 miles from new and is powered by a 65hp ‘Kent’ crossflow engine. New brake and suspension parts have been fitted, too. As one of only 3,000 examples made, this is a special part of Ford history. And at £19,300, still much cheaper than a new Fiesta ST.

1982 Ford Fiesta XR2: £16,500

The Supersport might be the start of the performance Fiesta line, but the XR2 is the model that made it famous. Introduced in 1981, it gained round headlights, new 13-inch alloy wheels and bespoke graphics.

A carburettor-fed 1.6-litre engine generates a healthier 84hp, making the XR2 feel notably quicker than its predecessor. Painted in Strato Silver, this is a rare example without a sunroof. It sold for £16,500.

1983 Ford Fiesta 1.3 Ghia: £7,600

Most of the cars in the Fast Fords & Friends collection were about performance, but this is the exception to the rule. It’s claimed to be a ‘timewarp’ example of the first-generation Fiesta, in luxurious Ghia trim.

With just 53,000 miles from new, the Fiesta is finished in New Light Red and comes with a retro-tastic light brown interior. This features a combination of Chatsworth cloth trim inserts, with the rest of the upholstery in brown velour. Topping this off is a brown dashboard with wood trim. A snip at £7,600.

1991 Volkswagen Corrado G60: £19,000

Not a Ford, but the Volkswagen Corrado is an icon of the late 1980s and early 1990s. Developed from the second-generation Volkswagen Golf, this squat and purposeful-looking coupe was launched at the end of 1988. Along with naturally aspirated engines, Volkswagen also created the G60 model, powered by a 160hp 1.8-litre supercharged engine.

This Tornado Red example had covered less than 43,000 miles from new. Its 15-inch BBS wheels are original, but the Corrado has lowered suspension, along with a set of black Volkswagen badges. A sale price of £19,000 almost seems a bargain here.

1992 Peugeot 205 CTI 1.6: £17,500

The Peugeot 205 GTI is regarded as one of the greatest hot hatches ever made. Chopping the roof off to make the CTI convertible delivered a pretty open-top model, with design and some assembly being undertaken by Pininfarina.

Like most Peugeot 205 CTIs, the car up for auction is powered by the 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine. This makes for 115hp, sent to the front wheels via a five-speed manual gearbox. Incredibly, the CTI has covered less than 10,000 miles from new. Its 14-inch alloy wheels even wear the original Michelin MXV tyres from 1992. Let’s hope the buyer – who paid £17,500 – swaps them before he or she drives it.

2017 Caterham Seven Sprint: £23,500

The Caterham Seven Sprint was designed to be a limited-edition retro homage to the original Lotus Seven, with just 60 examples made. Power comes from a turbocharged 660cc Suzuki motorcycle engine, serving up 80hp. With skinny rear tyres and a five-speed manual gearbox, this really is no-frills motoring.

Even getting hold of a Seven Sprint was a big achievement, given that all cars were sold within a week of being announced. The vendor had added only 493 miles to the odometer, leaving this car – sold for £23,500 after 30 bids – essentially like new.

2018 Caterham Seven SuperSprint 60th Anniversary: £25,000

Another car created to help Caterham celebrate its 60th anniversary, the Seven SuperSprint special was revealed in 2017. It too was limited to only 60 examples, with 30 earmarked for the UK market.

Features included a racing-themed livery, adjustable Bilstein suspension and a limited-slip differential. The Sprint’s 660cc engine was tuned to deliver 95hp, making for a breezy driving experience with a Brooklands-style aero screen.

Like the Seven Sprint, the car available for auction has a miniscule mileage – just 449 miles in this case. Accordingly, it sold for a similar price: £25,000 when the timed auction came to a close.