Guide price: £90000 - £105000. <ul><li>Production number 38 of 500 and showing verifiable mileage of 10,840 miles</li><li>Purchased six months after first registration by our vendor's late husband in 1988</li><li>Registered in our vendor's brother's name in 1993 and in our vendor's name since 1994</li><li>Impressive history file, showing the most recent service in 2010 at 10,817 miles</li><li>Having been on SORN since 2010, the car will be presented freshly serviced and MOTd</li><li>Described by Paul Linfoot, the UK RS500 Registrar, as “One of the most original RS500s I have seen.”</li></ul><p>Surprisingly slow sales of the distinctively shaped Ford Sierra after its introduction in 1982, suggested that a serious marketing boost was required, and it was the obvious choice to become the platform for Ford's new competition aspirations. It was rear-wheel drive, had good aerodynamics, albeit being prone to lift at high speeds, and it was available as a three-door. A wind-tunnel developed body kit and rear spoiler would sort out the lift issues but, more importantly, Ford still needed to build 5,000 units for motorsport homologation, somewhat worrying when Stuart Turner's initial approach to the dealer network came back with an estimate that indicated that they could sell around 1,500 units! The successful eventual sales record is of course history. Ford went on to sell 5,545 three-door cars including the RS500, of which only 500 were built to conform to the eligibility regulations relating to International Touring Car Racing, 'Group A'.</p><div><span style="color: #000000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #000000;">Aston Martin at Tickford were assigned to convert these 500 right-hand drive cars and that included upgrading the engine to 224bhp (with the potential to exceed 400bhp in full-race mode), numerous aerodynamic enhancements including a 30mm lip spoiler applied to the tailgate to increase downforce, a more effective chin spoiler known as a 'splitter', and larger cooling ducts for both the brakes and the engine intercooler.</span></div><div><span style="color: #000000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #000000;">It was originally intended that all 500 would be Black, but in practice 56 White and 52 Moonstone Blue cars were produced. Of the 392 produced in Black, this very special car was production number 38 and was first registered on the 26th August 1987. It returned to Calderford, the Ford main dealer in Wakefield, some six months later and was subsequently purchased by our vendor’s late husband, farmer Mr R Wagstaff, on the 19th February 1988.</span></div><div><span style="color: #000000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #000000;">The RS500 joined Mr Wagstaff’s 1987 Escort RS Turbo, and naturally as a farmer, the family’s Range Rover and remained correctly stored in the converted stone barn on the family’s farm in Wakefield. It was briefly registered to Mr Wagstaff’s brother-in-law in 1993 and then registered to Mr Wagstaff’s widow on the 1st November 1994 from whom we have the pleasure of offering this cherished RS on the open market for the first time since 1988. The car has been used sparingly by the family, with service stamps showing a mileage of 6,900 on the 9th May 1988, 8,713 miles on 31st October 1989 and the last service at 10,817 miles on the 20th May 2010. </span></div><div><span style="color: #000000;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="color: #000000;"><div>Paul Linfoot, a noted expert of the RS500 and registrar of the RS500 Owners Club was invited to inspect the car and we quote from the inspection report (the full report is available upon request):</div><div><br /></div><div><em>“It’s one of the most original RS500s I have ever seen and although presented in an untouched condition I advised the vendor to not do anything to the car in any way regards cleaning or polishing. </em></div><div><em><br /></em></div><div><em>It is my opinion that to find a car like this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and a buyer may wish to leave it exactly as is and not do anything other than enjoy it, and should a buyer wish to clean and detail the car they have the chance to do this to their standard or how they feel they wish to present the car. The car is exactly as it left the Tickford factory and has had no changes (other than 4 new tyres for the MOT in June 2019) and with just over 10,000 miles is a real treasure.</em></div><div><em><br /></em></div><div><em>In all my years being involved with these special cars, this is the first real barn find I have come across and it has been a real pleasure to view this car and to be asked to give my opinion on.”</em></div><div><br /></div><div>Although described as a “barn find” and indeed correctly stored in a barn since 2010, the car, bar a little light dust, is in very good condition with no sign of corrosion and with its fresh service and an MOT until June 2019 is ready to grace the road once again. As such the car, as advised by Paul Linfoot, will be presented “un-detailed” on the auction floor for the buyer to decide the car’s future. It will be accompanied, for the sake of originality, by its four original Dunlop D40, although unroadworthy due to age.</div><div><br /></div><div>In conclusion and to quote Mr Linfoot “find another” RS500 with an odometer reading of 10,840 miles, lovely family provenance, and a history file that is bursting with receipts, previous MoTs, and SORN notices. Touchingly, the proceeds of the sale will go towards the purchase of a retirement bungalow for our vendor, Mrs Wagstaff.</div></span></div><p> </p><p> </p>