1990 Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 4×4 |

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1990 Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 4×4

This vehicle has now been sold - click ‘Register Similar’ below to get notified when we consign a similar vehicle.

Sold Price

£15,852

Mileage~160,700
TransmissionManual
Engine2.0L
LocationSouth Cave

SOLD

1990 Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth 4×4

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Isaac Wass

Professional Consignor

With heritage stemming from rally stages and race circuits, the Sierra Sapphire Cosworth is an all rounder with more than enough grunt from the Cosworth tuned engine.

The Ford Sierra Sapphire Cosworth follows on from its motorsport bred predecessor,retaining much of the same feel albeit with subtly tweaked handling traits of the original. Packaged in a more practical, stiffer, and manageable car, the Sierra Sapphire was rolled out in 1988 with well-weighted steering and an excellent balance of agility and stability, the Sierra Sapphire makes for a genuinely engaging drive.

This 1990 example with Recaro fabric seats is one of the 4x4 models and comes with a healthy amount of service stamps, having been owned since 1991 by current owner Adrian. He bought the car as an ex demonstrator with ~5,000 miles recorded, and since then has covered many many miles. It hasn't seen as much use in the past 10 years, and comes to market positioned as a bit of a rolling restoration.

This listing was written from information supplied by Isaac after meeting Adrian the owner, and having visited and photographed the vehicle.

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Secure Auctions

We verify all our sellers and buyers to keep our community safe whilst also providing the highest levels of website security.

Full Transparency

8 out of 10 people that buy cars via our service don’t feel the need to visit due to the transparency and thoroughness of our listings.

Vehicle Delivery

We're there every step of your buying journey and will even arrange pick-up and delivery of your new vehicle.

Meet the owner

I wanted the best Ford saloon at the time and the Sierra was safe, fast, and had four wheel drive and four doors - it perfectly fit the bill!

Spending time as an architect for Ford dealerships during the 80s and 90s, Adrian was well accustomed to the Ford range of vehicles and when the time came to find himself a new car he was understandably drawn to Ford as his first choice.

Finding himself seeking a fast, reliable, and practical saloon Adrian settled on the Sierra Sapphire Cosworth due to the four wheel drive, four door practicality, and superb handling and performance. He purchased the car through his business as an ex-demonstrator direct from Ford, and then when he retired he purchased the car from the company and registered it in his own name so while Adrian is technically the third owner, he is in fact the only owner after Ford registered the vehicle as a demonstrator. In more recent times, the car has only seen ~1,000 miles in the past ~5 years, and so Adrian feels it is the right time to bring the car to sale. He'll be happy to answer any questions about the car in the comments section below.

Adrian

Vehicle Owner

Adrian saved £2,700* when they
sold their Ford with us.

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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

With its boxy body lines, wide stance, and somewhat subtle rear wing, the Sierra’s design cues call back to its rallying heritage.

Wheels and Tyres

The original alloy wheels are suffering from some curb damage and ageing to the paint, but look to be free from any permanent damage such as buckles, cracks, or damaged spokes.

The tyres are Goodyear all round and are in moderately good condition and appear to be free of any damage or severe deterioration of the sidewalls, however they have been on the car for quite some time and with at least one of the tyres being advised for inner edge wear on its most recent MOT they would benefit from being changed as a matter of due course.

Bodywork

Sadly the bodywork has suffered somewhat over the years although mostly superficial elements, with some corrosion showing in the wheel arches, as well as a misaligned and slightly loose front bumper. However the panels are all original and Adrian tells us the car has not had any major bodywork carried out during his ownership of the car, and the car has recently passed an MOT with no mention of corrosion, making it a very good base to work on we think.

We've highlighted in more detail our observations through our high resolution images and videos, so please take time to look through all the media files for a detailed view at what’s on offer, and for you to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

The white paintwork is once again all original - a recurring theme for this car, with Adrian knowing of no paintwork carried out during his ~22 years with the car. However this means that the paintwork has begun to show signs of its age, being a daily driven car there are spots of bubbling dotted around the car; on door sills, under window seals, around stone chips on the front end.

Again, we have taken high resolution images and videos of the car for you to assess the condition of the bodywork for yourselves. The images are taken from a few different angles to show off the car as you would see it if you were standing there for yourselves. So please take the time to fully assess these high resolution images and videos of the car, for you to make up your own minds about the condition of the paint.

Glass and Trim

The glass on the car is actually in very nice condition, with no obvious stone chips or damage to any of the windows. The exterior trims such as badges, plastics, and grilles all look to be in serviceable condition however they could generally do with a spruce up.

Some of the window seals have fallen victim to standing water corrosion over the years, with some sections of window seal forced up and away from the panel due to underlying corrosion.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

With original Recaro seats and comfortable space for 4 people, the Sierra Cosworths interior is a brilliant blend of sporty and spacious.

Seats and Carpets

The Recaro seats are in good condition for their age, with the upholstery showing only light signs of age given the mileage. The fabrics are free of any major rips or tears, with only some light discolouration and a small spot of wear through on the drivers seat bolster, likewise the carpets are in appropriate condition for the age of the vehicle too. However the mounting points for the driver and passenger seat frames are rusted, as can be seen in our detailed image gallery.

Dashboard

The dashboard, while free of any obvious damage, is beginning to show its age with some slightly faded plastics and light signs of wear and tear. The switchgear is all in working order as far as we could tell and there didn’t seem to be any broken components on the dashboard either.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The steering wheel and gearstick are exactly as you’d expect from a car with this many miles, with both items showing signs of wear, however nothing too extreme and the leather on both does not appear to be damaged.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

Powered by the cosworth 2.0L engine, the Sierra is capable of a 0-60 respectable even by modern standards and boasts a well planted and engaging driving experience.

Engine and Gearbox

The car is fitted with a fob based immobiliser which has to be presented within a minute of the key being turned in order to start the engine, however during our cold start video you can see that the engine started without issue and suffered from no untoward noises or smoke from the exhaust.

Likewise the gearbox seemed to change through the gears without any difficulty, however the clutch is beginning to get heavy with a moderately high biting point.

Suspension and Brakes

During our time on the road the brakes stopped the car quickly and efficiently, without any noticeable problems, however in the most recent MOT there are advisories present for rear brake lines suggesting the brakes could do with recommissioning.

The Drive

As to be expected with a Cosworth car, the drive feels solid, direct, and engaging without any unwanted vibrations or audible clunks from the running gear. The ride is surprisingly comfortable, and the handling is well poised and reassuring in the bends. The 2.0L Cosworth engine rumbles delightfully with a light but obvious exhaust note as you advance through the rev range. You can see the car out on the road from a passengers perspective in our ‘On The Road’ video.

Electrics and Other

During our time with the car we noticed no obvious faults with any of the electrical systems, with the radio and dashboard lights working as expected, however we did note that one of the headlight wipers was stuck in the up position.

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History and Paperwork

With only one owner for the last ~22 years, this Sierra Cosworth is a good example of an unmolested and unmodified classic fast Ford that, with a little bit of TLC, could soon be back at the top of its game.

If you’re looking for a competitively priced entry into the world of cosworth engined project cars, this is definitely the car for you, with an extensive service history for the first ~110,000 miles of its life and semi-regular maintenance works in the 50,000 miles since this classic fast Ford is the perfect candidate for restoration.

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned a HPi check on the vehicle.

We've summarised our own view on the car based on information gained from the seller in the listing above, however, and as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in high resolution detail - this has been done for you to make your own assessment from the comfort of your sofa. So please sit back, have a cuppa and take your time to review everything on this listing in order to make your own assessment on the vehicle's condition. Viewings are also welcomed with all our listings, so please get in touch with us to arrange a suitable time - we just need to speak to you first and receive a valid photo ID before confirming.

If there's anything you're unsure about, no matter how small, then please first ask the owner in the comments area below before placing your bid/s, as bids can't be retracted and form a binding contract if you win the car - just like a traditional auction house.

Service History

Date	Type	Mileage
23.08.1990	Service	1,700
30.04.1991	Service	5,510
17.09.1991	Service	13,691
17.01.1992	Service	19,206
21.04.1992	Service	26,085
06.08.1992	Service	31,005
02.11.1992	Service	36,831
11.02.1993	Service	42,368
20.05.1993	Service	48,789
04.10.1993	Service	56,353
10.03.1994	Service	65,500
16.06.1994	Service	72,856
25.10.1994	Service	79,691
08.02.1994	Service	86,233
01.05.1995	Service	91,555
27.07.1995	Service	97,385
23.10.1995	Service	103,191
12.03.1996	Service	109,630
09.10.1996	Service	121,224
09.04.2015	Service	156,615
23.08.2016	Service	157,059
30.08.2016	Plugs & Filters	157,111
14.03.2017	Service	157,813
21.03.2018	Gearbox & Engine Oil	~160,000