AN EMACULATE fast Ford is set to be sold for a huge price at an auction – after spending the last 21 years in storage.
The fan-favourite motor is one of the Blue Oval’s most famous high-performance models and was inspired by a legendary rally driver.
The original Ford Focus RS was released in 2002 with a 2.0-litre turbocharged Duratec RS engine – capable of 0-60mph in 6.4 seconds – and an aggressively sporty new look.
Only available in Ford’s Imperial blue, just 4,501 cars were built – with just under half of these sold in the UK.
The RS model was released to coincide with Ford’s exploits in the World Rally Championship, which had captured the imagination of petrolheads thanks to the brilliance of iconic driver Colin McRae.
This particular Focus RS is extra special as it was part of the Focus on Ford Collection, meaning it has been kept in storage for the last two decades – with the odometer reading just 16 miles from new.
To be sold as part of Iconic Auctioneers’ partnership with the upcoming Silverstone Festival, the listing claims the car has been meticulously inspected.
That includes a valet service to give the Focus RS a “fresh from the showroom look.”
The listing adds that “factory stickers and plastic trim covers remain in place and the cars have been cleaned to a standard one might expect at initial delivery.”
Inside, the car features Sparco front seats “trimmed in contrasting black and blue leather” with Alcantara inserts.
The rear seats are similarly trimmed, while the handbrake and gear knob are finished in machined aluminium.
However, it does not come with a current MOT as the vendor has chosen not to register the car on the MOT system.
Tipped to sell for £70,000, the listing concludes that the Focus RS “may still split drivers’ views, but what isn’t in doubt is that this is now a prized modern classic.”
In April, a saloon version of the Mk1 Focus in showroom condition was unearthed with less than 200 miles on the clock.
This comes just months after it was revealed the Focus was set to be discontinued by Ford, having been on the market since 1998.
