In the 1980s Ford wanted to enter the most prestigious racing league, the Escort RS 1700T, based on the third generation of the bestseller. Yes, the car he was developing was supposed to have a 1.78-liter turbo engine, instead of standard rear-wheel drive. It reached the prototype stage, as many as 18 pieces were made, but the project was accompanied by prolonged problems, so much so that it was interrupted in 1983 after four years. Furthermore, the Blue Oval realized very quickly that only supercharged four-wheelers have a chance of success, as was clearly demonstrated by the Audi Quattro. The engineers had already acquired the necessary experience and the funds invested up to that point could not have been completely wasted… The regulations of the then Group B, GT class, not only for rallies, were very tolerant.
Under the leadership of the then new head of the sports department of Ford of Europe, Stuart Turner, he prepared a completely new RS200 special with a two-door body in the British Boreham, which was structurally different from the series. If we think about the competition, most had at least a production base… Not only the Quattro, but also the Peugeot 205 Turbo 16, the MG Metro 6R4, the Citroën BX 4TC, the Lancia 037 hatchback, 1983 world champion among brands, was based on the Beta Montecarlo production… True, the successor The Delta S4 was very far from the production cars of the same name…
Cosworth
The prototype, which originally carried the project code name B200, was displayed first at the local car show in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1984 and later in Turin. To power the new weapon, it used an all-aluminium Cosworth BDT 1803 cm3 inline four-cylinder with a 7.2:1 compression output of at least 170 kW (231 hp) at 6000 rpm. “drug addict” by a Garrett turbo and positioned longitudinally in front of the rear axle. The blower was an evolution of the T03 and T04 models.
The engine was based on the famous BDA (Belt Driven A-Series) version derived from the legendary Kent engine, but no parts were identical. It was said that the 1778 cc BDAs destined for the Escort RS 1700T had to be “cleaned” and then re-bored after two years of storage, but the truth is another. After multiplying by a coefficient of 1.4 for turbocharged engines according to the FIA regulations of the time, the RS200 did not fall into the two and a half liter class, not even slightly (2524.2 cm3). Why? It was on purpose, it was too heavy for her. For the category up to 2.5 l the minimum weight was 890 kg, for the three liter category it was 960 kg.
It had an 88 bore and 77.62mm stroke, dry crankcase lubrication (which the BDAs lacked), DOHC timing, four-valve technology, and Bosch Motronic fuel injection. The camshafts were driven by a toothed belt, the crankshaft was put back five times. The cylinders had Nikasil dry coatings. Ford improved the water and fuel pumps, there were also three oil pumps.
Reverse change
The reverse system represented a technical uniqueness “transaxle”, specifically a five-speed ZF manual gearbox at the front in a magnesium case. From the centrally located engine, a cardan led to her, the other mast shaft then to the rear. It couldn’t be more complicated, but the construction helps distribute the weight better, which is why it was used.
The torque of 280 Nm/4500 min-1 was transmitted in a ratio of 37:63 under normal circumstances, but the driver could divide it in half directly from the cockpit with the lever to close the center differential, then in extreme cases only traveled in the rear. The trio of limited-slip differentials came from Ferguson, who had many years of experience driving both axles. After all, the Ferguson P99, among other things the last front-engined Formula 1 single-seater, appeared as early as 1961 and was powered by a fifteen-cylinder Coventry Climax FPF four-cylinder. “Quad” Jensen FF (Ferguson Formula) also used this company. The ceramic double disc clutch for the Ford RS200 was supplied by AP Racing, the exhaust manifold was welded with heat resistant steel pipes. The powerplant was the work of a team led by John Wheeler, who was head of Ford’s motorsports division.
Four metres
All wheels were independently suspended on double wishbones, the 2530 mm wheelbase chassis made of steel and carbon composites used adjustable coil springs and telescopic shock absorbers, one pair on each wheel, there were also transverse torsional stabilizers. The stiffness of the back could be adjusted, as could the brightness. The floor was aluminum honeycomb. Rubber bushings connected the lower arms to it at the front and rear. The shock absorbers were attached to the tubular subframes, as well as to the rear upper arms.
Naturally, there was no comfort in the cabin… Rack and pinion steering with 1.8 turns between extreme positions in most produced examples lacked a hydraulic brake booster, but some had it. It was originally from the Sierra, but has been modified. The internally cooled disc brakes, even without assistance, had a diameter of 285 (later also 300) mm and four-piston calipers made of aluminum alloy, the parking brakes of the rear wheels were purely mechanical. The very well balanced chassis was designed by the famous Tony Southgate, who became famous above all in Formula 1, Wheeler helped him in the initial stages of development. The driver and passenger sat in a self-supporting shell, the transmission was housed in the aforementioned tubular frames riveted together. Access to the mechanical parts was easy, useful for any repairs after accidents.
The cars with a maximum speed of 190-240 km/h depending on the gears (Ford never officially declared this) were exactly 4 m long, 1.77 m wide and 1.32 m high as a standard. It was capable of sprinting from 0 to 100 km/h in just 2.9 seconds, which once held an entry in the Guinness Book of Records. It was fitted with sixteen-inch aluminum and magnesium alloy wheels with 225/50 Pirelli P700 tyres, spaced 1502 and 1497 mm respectively. Former three-time F1 world champion Jackie Stewart also contributed to fine-tuning the driving characteristics.
Laminate
The bodywork, designed by the Turin studio Ghia, or more precisely by Filippo Sapina, was produced by Reliant Motors Plc. in Shoston. Why? Well, because it was made of plastic and fiberglass and this company, famous (not only) for tricycles with lightweight materials, had the appropriate experience. This, of course, except for details, such as the door donated by Sierra. The rear reflectors and the windshield also came from it, as required by law. Also, it had a good front window angle where the sun didn’t dazzle the crew as much, which is why this was used too.
The side and rear windows were made of plastic. In addition to glass, the designers used carbon and aramid fibers for the roof material. At first many people surprisingly didn’t like the design, they found the RS200 ugly. Someone fell in love years ago… The Ghia brand is practically the only one left to this day, even if it still has the blue oval, but it no longer even uses it to indicate the luxury equipment of series cars. For Ford, Ian Callum participated in the shapes.
Standard Ford interior
In the passenger compartment for two, a safety cage could not be missing behind a pair of black or red Sparco anatomical seats, obviously also in leather, obviously only in the road version. There were also two fuel tanks with a total volume of 105 litres. The steering wheel with a diameter of 355 mm came from the Escort Just what the house gave.
The production version, which weighed 1,180 kg, had to be produced in twelve months for the car to be homologated. Its rated power is 186 kW (253 hp), but there were also kits that brought it to over 224 kW (305 hp). In Britain the base had a list price of £49,950, but not only right-hand drive units were built, but also left-hand drive units. But only in white and blue. In the Federal Republic of Germany, i.e. in the western part of the then divided Germany, each amounted to 150,000 marks.
Best third
The racing versions had engines initially calibrated at 261 kW (355 hp), by the end of development up to 500 hp (368 kW) were achieved. However, the RS200 arrived late and made its debut with great commitment only at the end of 1985. And it was not as successful as, for example, the Lancia Delta S4 and the MG Metro 6R4, even though it appeared practically at the beginning at the same time. It also didn’t follow the triumphs of the first and second generation Escort RS… It was difficult to drive, the tough competition beat it in terms of performance and weight. The weight of the rivals dropped to 900 kg, but the Fords reached 1,050 kg due to the aforementioned complex design of the powertrain. The engine also had a big hole in the turbo, the supercharging didn’t work at low speeds, then the crew gave it a good boost…
Although the RS200 won the local Lindisfarne Rally in September 1985, immediately following extensive testing and making its debut with Malcolm Wilson at the wheel, it sadly never won the World Championship. However, he too is a legend. He didn’t make it to the 1985 RAC Rally, not enough were made. The homologation was valid only from 1 February 1986, so Monte Carlo, as the first race of the following year, was also prohibited for new Fords. These restrictions did not apply to the national competition.
Karl-Erik “Kalle” Grundel’s best season result in 1986 was bronze on the car’s debut in the World Championship in Sweden and fifth in the British RAC. Incidentally, Stig Blomqvist drove for a long time at home, but fell several times, so he did not reach the final. In short, even a master carpenter will be cut down… At the beginning of June, under the Greek acropolis, the engines of both pilots broke and they had to retire from first and third place respectively. During the rally they even took turns leading. Grundel was sailed by Benny Melander, the Stig “read scores” Bruno Berglund.. It was therefore the only two cuts in the Top 10, but in only four starts. But the death knell for group B has been sounding for some time now. The cars had potential and many considered them the best built “basin” Above all, it came too late…
Tragedy
During the ill-fated Rally of Portugal on 5 March 1986, Joaquim Santos with the third official Ford RS200 tried to avoid the spectators who rushed directly onto the track on the first lap, but ended up in the middle of a large crowd. He killed three of them, a woman and two children, another died later in hospital, not to mention the 33 seriously and slightly injured. Yes, back then the spectators were generally undisciplined, they stood close to the track without any protection and often their barriers were opened just before the passage of individual cars… The videos of those races are terrifying today. Ford withdrew from the venture, other factory teams followed suit.
Although the Hesse rally was not part of the world championship calendar, but only the European and West German championships, there was another death there. Swiss Marc Surer lost control of the devilish car, went off the straight asphalt road, first hitting a small tree, which split the car in half. Subsequently he stopped for another break and his RS200 immediately caught fire. The accident cost the Arrows F1 driver his career due to fractures and burns, having been (fortunately) thrown from the car, but unfortunately also the life of his co-driver and friend Michel Wyder… He was trapped in the flames, but he was died immediately after the second impact.
Outside the law
After the Tour de Corse, however, the FIA lost patience. The competition on the Mediterranean island cost the lives of Henri Toivonen and Sergio Crest. He and the factory’s Delta S4 fell off a cliff, the tank burst and the car was immediately engulfed in flames, none of the men surviving the crash. It took place without witnesses and off camera. All that remained was the tubular frame and the ashes, nothing more… Group B was built in the competitive World Championship starting in 1987 “outlaw”. The Fédération Internationale de l’Automobile found the Monsters too fast and dangerous on narrow roads, despite protests from factory teams and car manufacturers who had invested considerable resources in the development. There was no even more brutal S group, instead of both, the peak became a relatively serial one “A”, at least 5,000 units of the initial models were to be produced within twelve months. Group A, together with B and N, appeared as early as 1982, replacing the previous groups 2 and 4.
Robert Droogmans still managed to win the Belgian championship in 1986 at the wheel of an RS200, Mark Lovell the British one and the Swede Stig Andervang the Dutch one. So, at least locally, some laurels came their way, as did six individual ME feats thanks to Droogmans, Blomqvist and Santos. Understandably, some firms covered each other, falling into national and European leagues.
Evo
British Ford recalled all the cars for overhaul, because the workmanship in the workshop was not the best. He only sold the last one to a private individual in 1989. A fully equipped RS200 was sold in Germany for 200,000 marks. The evolutionary version with the 2137 cm3 Cosworth BDT-E engine was no longer used in special tests. It was created to fit into the three-litre turbo category (multiplying by 1.4 the displacement comes out to 2991.8 cm3), but world car competitions follow a different path. The person responsible was tuner Brian Hart and, depending on the turbocharger pressure, its output varied between 410 and 608 (!) kW (557-826 hp). Thus, the RS200 Evolution could accelerate from standstill to 100 km/h in 2.1 s, which of course also depended on the gear ratios.
These aggregates, however, understandably had a very short lifespan, at full throttle they lasted a maximum of 10 hours, a third of the time of the original 18 racing ones. They also received modified cooling, extended collectors on the roof appeared earlier. The key structural difference was a block of cast iron rather than aluminum. “Evolutionary” the engines also appeared in several road cars.
IMSA Rallyecross
Like many competitors, the RS200 E2 cars eventually found use in at least rallycross, with more than a dozen of them racing there. The legendary Norwegian Martin Schanche won the European champion crown in the 1991 season. In 1988, 1989 and 1990 he always placed silver in the general classification. In the 91st, compatriot Thor Holm joined him on bronze, a year later the British Pat Doran finished second and the Finn Pekka Rantanen third. At the end of the 1992 season, however, the first expired “basin” also in this discipline. To this day, however, RS200s appear in regional races in Great Britain and Ireland.
The second division specials generally had around 650 horsepower (478 kW), not just Fords, they weren’t up to par. Brake and chassis changes went hand in hand with this. Another with chassis number 016, originally a road car, raced in the USA in the IMSA GTO category, i.e. circuit endurance racing! Of course without factory support as it was purely private and unfortunately unsuccessful, despite at least 750 HP (552 kW).
On the hill
Furthermore, in 2004 he was still jubilant “the one and only Stig” with totally “carved out” beasts of the Unlimited class on the then abbreviated Pikes Peak… It was a car built in England with spare parts, Ford must have produced twenty pieces of the RS, but perhaps many more, they were called “call” (from an English slang expression “pieces”). Blomqvist, world rally champion in 1984 (albeit with an Audi Quattro) and Ford factory driver since 1986, drove this car up the famous hill in the 1998, 2001 and 2002 seasons. His special had up to 850 hp ( 626 kW). In 2009 it was driven by former Islander rallycross champion Mark Rennison and was said to have a monstrous output of 846 kW – that’s 1150 horsepower! Pat Doran crashed with another car on the same track. These cars also took part in hillclimb races in Europe. And another was used by Ken Block in one of his Gymkhan.
The number of units is very inadequately estimated, since according to available data 24 common examples were converted to the Evo. Although the FIA had prescribed them for the next 20 versions, the Evolution was no longer officially homologated… At least it didn’t cause confusion, as Ford intended to rename them with the numbers 201-220. Other sources claim that only 140 cars were created, plus six early prototypes. Some pieces were discarded by the blue oval, others, never completed, were used as spare parts, and the rest of the two hundred remained in this form. In any case, only about one hundred and forty of them have survived to this day. The car, dressed in British police colours, including flashing lights and appropriate equipment, is well known. Of course, it was mainly about promoting the car and the institution itself…
Despite the fact that the RS200 was a purpose-built racing special and the road version was just a by-product, he continued to build them even after the ban was announced. Only he couldn’t sell them, up to twenty pieces (of which four “Evolution”) installed more comfortable and wider seats, better cooling and more efficient cabin ventilation. Four cars received red paint. By the way, the abbreviation RS alias Rallye Sport is still registered in Great Britain by Ford. Mladoboleslavská Škoda also uses it and that’s why in Albion they have to mark their series models with higher performance vRS.
Car kits
The body was purchased by Banham Conversions in 1990. Its replicas were, however, based on Austin Maestro (mostly MG Turbo sharps). This meant an “all front” concept, a 2+2 layout and a luggage compartment at the rear. No, the Banham 200 is not really an original, even if it seems that way at first glance. Paul Banham sold his company to Rally Sport Replicas in 2004, but went bankrupt midway through the following season.
Sources: Author archive, Juwra WRC, Wikipedia, eWRCresults.com, Auto World Press, Autorevue.cz
Photo: Ford of Europe
2024-01-22 17:52:00
#Ford #RS200 #Btype #special #unique #allwheel #drive #arrived #late
:quality(85)/cloudfront-us-east-1.images.arcpublishing.com/infobae/RHWJEWGON5HAXCIEURZXWUUBWI.jpg?w=150&resize=150,150&ssl=1 "Unique: the car invented by Henry Ford's son, its meaning for the brand and why in Argentina they took it as a challenge")
