The Sierra Cosworth, Ford's Last Great RWD Rally Car

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Back in the late '80s, Ford had two versions of the Group A Sierra it could run in rally: there was the XR4x4 that had AWD but a weak old motor, and there was the RS Cosworth that had power to match its rivals but only RWD. This combination didn't make a WRC champion; it made a beast.

The Sierra Cosworth wasn't what you'd call slow, but it wasn't what you'd call a class-leader either. The car won '88 Tour de Corse, but that was its only victory in the WRC, and it was a tarmac event. By 1990, Ford finally managed to marry the chassis of the XR4x4 with the power of the RS Cosworth, and the old rear-driver became obsolete.

Obsolete, but awesome. Here it is, shooting flames and smoking tires out on the stages. Legend.


Contact the author at raphael@jalopnik.com.

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