Ford Escort Cosworth | An Unsuccessful Success?

Ford Escort RS Cosworth

The Ford Escort Cosworth is yet another icon in the history of fast Fords. Anything with a blue oval and the word 'Cosworth' on the rear was always going to be a hit, and here we are, more than thirty years on, still reminiscing about the legend.

This whale tailed hatchback had its work cut out though, having to follow on from its Sierra Cosworth older sibling, and you can start all manner of debate in putting forward which one you think is best, but there's no denying as time moves on, any 'Cossie' is always going to command interest, and with it, high values and nostalgia.

Contents:

• The Birth of the Escort Cosworth
• Turning Failure into Success
• The Whale Tail spoiler
• Nostalgia
• Escort Cosworth Values

The Birth of the Escort Cosworth

Developed to go rallying, the Ford Escort Cosworth had to meet homologation requirements, and so a number of road cars had to be made to comply. The sum was 2,500 units in total, yet despite this, 7,145 were built between 1992 and 1996 (more on this later).

Developed by Ford's Special Vehicle Operations (SVO) in Borehamwood, Essex, the Escort Cosworth was loosely based on Ford's fifth generation Escort, albeit with the four-wheel drive drivetrain from the Sierra Sapphire 4x4, which was modified to fit the Escort's much shorter wheelbase. To be honest, it didn't really have much in common with the 1.6-litre standard Escort, which was perhaps a good thing.

With 224bhp, from its 2.0-litre inline-four YBT engine, the number sounds relatively tiny in today's world of 300bhp Volkwagen Golfs and the like, but at circa 1,300kg, the Escort Cossie doesn't weigh that much in today's world. 0 to 62mph took just 5.7 seconds, which was seriously fast back in 1992, as the Ferrari 348 from around the same time did it in 5.6 seconds and cost a lot more.

And despite being developed in the UK, Escort Cosworth models were actually made in Germany, in the city of Rheine by Karmann. And, if you think you've heard that name before, you'd be right in thinking it is associated with some Volkswagen models, such as the Karmann Ghia.

Turning Failure into Success

Despite being created to go rallying, with the goal of winning rally championships, those championships never came, with the Cosworth making do with winning just ten times between '93 and '97 in Group A and World Rally Championship events, before being replaced by the newer Ford Focus.

However, seeing the car being driven in anger on a rally stage was still iconic, and even without the whale tail, as in some rallies it used a different rear wing, it still looked and sounded the part. And besides, off the rally stages, the road car punched well above its weight. This was the early nineties, and a 224bhp hatchback with a huge wing was quite a statement. It was sometimes dubbed as the working man's supercar, as it could catch out those in modern exotic stuff easily enough.

And who doesn't want a racing car for the road, despite the Cossie's 'failure' in rallying, it was still a cool, unique racing car for the road, and this was a time when 'Win on Sunday, sell on Monday' was marketing gold, despite the wins being less than Ford would have hoped.

The Whale Tail Spoiler

Some cars have a distinguishing feature, but perhaps the most iconic part of any Cosworth, whether it be the Sierra or Escort is undoubtedly the rear wing, yes, the iconic whale tail spoiler.

The 'Cossie' was designed largely by Stephen Harper, although it was Frank Stephenson who was tasked with designing the wing - or whale tail in this case. Interestingly, it was originally put forward as a triple-decker wing, for Ford to say it would be too expensive to produce, so the double-decker whale tail was signed off instead, following the foundations set by the Sierra Cosworth.

In hindsight, it was probably the best decision, as it continued its iconic foundations, and the triple-decker wing was controversial to say the least. As automotive design details go, the iconic whale tail spoiler is up there with the best of them.

Nostalgia

Upon launch in 1992, the Escort Cosworth cost a smudge over £21,000, or around £45,000 in today's money. It was one thing to afford one, but the main issue was insuring them, with a certain Jeremy Clarkson having one on a long-term loan from Ford, with the now famous 'K38 FMC' number plate, the latter part standing for 'Ford Motor Company'. And, despite one insurance company quoting him £20,000 to insure it due to the 'Cossie' being a target for thieves, it perhaps just made people want one even more.

Today it's a rare sight to see an Escort Cosworth on the road, they tend to be driven on warm sunny days, which of course are few and far between in the UK. Although, they are pretty common at shows, with people wanting to show off their immaculate, restored or factory original 'Cossies'.

Despite the homologation target being just 2,500, almost three times this number got built. Like many manufacturers, even more special edition versions and tweaked editions followed suit. Most cars were built in 1992 (3,448), with the option for a 'Standard' model or 'Lux' model, the latter getting luxury items for the time like a CD player, air con, heated washer jets and leather heated seats.

Perhaps the most sought-after is the Monte Carlo versions, which were built to celebrate the 1994 Monte Carlo rally victory. These were available in Mallard Green, Ash Black and Jewel Violet. There's said to have been around 200 made, and feature OZ Racing wheels, Monte Carlo stickers, Recaro motorsport seats and a few other small details - although they were not mechanically changed.

Escort Cosworth Values

Has the Escort Cosworth followed suit and increased dramatically in value, like that of its Sierra Cosworth predecessor? With a Sierra Cosworth RS500 selling for £596,250 in 2023 with around 5,200 miles on the clock, the closest the newer Escort Cosworth has reached was £163,125 - with just 76 miles on the clock, back in 2023.

In recent years, circa 2024, Sierra Cosworth models tend to fetch anywhere from £50,000 to circa £120,000 for low mileage or rarer RS500 models, whilst some can go over this depending on condition.

The newer Escort Cosworths follow a similar £50,000 entry point, with immaculate cars rising up to six figures, with ultra-special versions, such as Monte Carlo editions commanding in the £120,000 region too.

With Ford never making a Focus Cosworth or similar, the Escort Cosworth or similar will never be repeated. Only time will tell if they climb even further.

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