Photography Courtesy of RM Sotheby’s

We’d apologize for all the Group B coverage as of late, but we assume you don’t mind us saturating the topic! After all, has there ever been a more exciting class of motorsport? From tarmac to gravel, compressed suspension to mud-chucking tires, massive leaps to violent power slides. The bangs and pops from the bellowing turbocharged mechanical cores… it really was the “Golden Era” of rally.

Thankfully, the FIA required entry participants to drive “production” vehicles, so we got a lineup of homologation racers for public roads. This 1985 Ford RS200 Evolution is one of those very cars. Only a couple hundred road going Ford RS200 were produced in order to satisfy FIA regulations, of which, just 24 were ramped up to Evolution spec—making this car one of the most desirable examples available, and likely the least used among them. The odometer tallies less than 450 kilometers since new (around 280 miles). Before we launch into the details of this factory fresh Evo, let’s cover the car’s origin.

After dominating the 1970s World Rally Championship with its legendary Escorts, Ford was an established competitor in the world of rally. By the early ’80s, Ford naturally set its crosshairs on the new Group B series with its 1700T project—a rear-wheel drive Mk III Escort with a snail-equipped four cylinder. Lucky for us, the development team ran into production hurdles that were deemed too difficult to clear, so Ford started from ground zero.

With a fresh start, Ford decided in order to stay competitive an all-wheel drivetrain would be required to hang with the AWD rivals. British engineer and Formula One designer Tony Southgate and Formula One engineer John Wheeler Formula One were brought on board to mock up an all-new chassis.

Cosworth provided the turbocharged 1.8-liter four-cylinder which was mounted amidships while the transmission was stuck up front for optimal weight distribution—making the RS200 one of most balanced of the Group B bunch. Packing more than 400 horsepower in a fiberglass/composite body, the RS200 could launch from zero-to-60 mph in just over 3 seconds, making it the fastest accelerating production car—a title it held in the Guinness Book of World Records for 12 years!

Ghia was tasked with penning the now iconic body, which is aggressive and solely purposeful. The Evolution models are easily identifiable, too—thanks to their massive roof scoop.

The primary difference between the competition RS200 versus the homologation streetcars lies within the cabin. Obviously, the racers sported little more than a cage and pair of bucket seats while the production variants were fully upholstered from Tickford. All road cars came standard with grey carpet with complementing door inserts and red Sparcos with matching steering wheel—Not quite luxury, but enough to call “civil.”

The Evolution models came with revised suspension, upgraded brakes (a weak point for the standard RS), additional ducting, and the standard 1.8 was punched out to 2.1-liters. Depending on the tune, Evolutions could put out well over 500 horsepower. This particular RS200 was tuned to the song of 600. That’ll suffice.

Oilman Dennis O-Connor, who owned three other RS200, originally purchased this Evolution. O’Connor passed away in 1997, leaving the Ford in his estate until 2010, when DirtFish Rally School founder Steve Rimmer acquired the car. In 2014, Rimmer sold the RS to a UK-based collector who’s now offering sale at Amelia Island on March 12.

The car has been lovingly maintained and is said to be in near-flawless factory condition, inside and out. So, what would you do with a ‘new’ RS200 Evolution?

Buy it, plastic-wrap-it, and stuff it in a climate controlled storage facility, forever hiding it from the elements? Or would you strap in, fire it up, and peg the 8,000 rpm redline down the first dirt path you run across? I wonder if DirtFish would extend a coupon for old time’s sake…

History

– One of only 24 RS200 Evolutions built

– Upgraded by the factory to 600 brake horsepower

– Less than 450 original kilometers

– Long-standing Guinness record for “fastest accelerating car in the world”

Specifications

~600 hp, 2,137 cc DOHC 16-valve turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine with Bosch electronic fuel injection, five-speed manual transmission, front and rear independent double wishbone suspension, and four-wheel ventilated disc brakes. Wheelbase: 99.6 in.

Vehicle information

Chassis no.: SFACXXBJ2CGL00070

Serial no.: 213

Engine no.: BDT 0018

Valuation

Auction house: RM Sotheby’s

Estimate: $475,000 – $675,000

Price realized: Auction on March 12