2000 Ford Racing Puma |

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2000 Ford Racing Puma

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

Sold Price

£14,840

Mileage~83,963 on clock
TransmissionManual
Engine1.7L
LocationHersham

SOLD

2000 Ford Racing Puma

I WANT ONE

Introduction

Darren Rungasamy

Automotive Editor, Photographer and Consigner

The Racing Puma is a contender as one the best ever FWD Fords, and together with its rarity value, i.e. only 500 were ever made with a believed just 300 left in existance, then it also makes a great investment opportunity.

The Puma was one of a new generation of 1990s Fords that employed their ‘New Edge’ design philosophy. Launched in 1997, it was fitted with the award-winning series of punchy and efficient Zetec engines housed in a curvy and contemporary 3-door coupe body. Quickly attracting positive press reactions, due to its distinctive styling and genuine driving dynamism, Ford capitalised on their marketing and Motorsports experience and launched the Racing Puma in 1999.

Converted by Tickford, it was an extensive reworking of the standard Puma created by the Ford Rally Specialist team. A wider body in the recognisable Imperial Blue colourway complemented a revised racing brakes and suspension system, a modified gearbox and engine, and a race-inspired interior with Sparco bucket seats and Alcantara trim. Just 500 were produced, and it soon found its way into the hall of sporting Ford greats.

This superbly presented example has benefited from years of careful ownership in the hands of enthusiasts, only 2 previous owners, and comes with an impressive array of provenance. Registered in May 2000, it is car number 190 and is one of just ~80 with the factory-fitted LSD. Serviced with a new cam belt and water pump replacement ~500 miles ago, a complete underside renovation was carried out around ~1,000 miles ago, it also comes with two keys and an MOT valid until November 2024, and also has exemption for ULEZ.

This listing was written from information supplied by Darren after meeting Nick 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

This is one of several Pumas I've owned over the years and it still feels special to drive.

Nick has owned several Pumas over the years and is familiar with the special appeal that these rather underrated cars can offer to the driver. With his learned experience, he bought this particular Racing Puma from an enthusiast thanks to its meticulous maintenance and club history.

Bringing the car up to a better standard than when he first acquired it, he feels a huge amount of remorse for having to sell it. He appreciates that cars simply need to be driven regularly and this lack of use is the only reason he’s parting company with it. Nick will be happy to answer any questions in the comments section below.

Nick

Vehicle Owner

Nick saved £2,520* when they
sold their Ford with us.

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EXTERIOR VIDEO

Exterior

Beautifully presented, this Racing Puma has had a lot of time and money spent on it.

Wheels and Tyres

The OEM 17-inch Speedline alloy wheels are in excellent shape with the original centre caps.

The wheels were fitted to the car at the same time as the Yokohama ADO8R 215/40 tyres in 2018 and have only covered around 600 miles since then.

Bodywork

The exterior presents very well and has a flush panel fit and no notable dents. The doors open and close without any issues, with even panel gaps. Nick pointed out what appeared to be a paint blemish on the offside rear wing. When the car was being rust-treated, the specialists carrying out the work investigated the cluster from the inside and concluded it was not a metalwork issue.

The underside of the car is notably solid and cleanly presented thanks to the ~£1,200 worth of rust-treatment renovation carried out in 2019. Nick has supplied a comprehensive series of photographs which can be viewed in the history gallery.

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 of what’s on offer, and for you to assess the condition of the car for yourselves.

Paint

The Imperial Blue paintwork bears evidence of covered indoor storage and retains an excellent lustre with an even colour match.

We spotted a few minor surface marks on the rear bumper and a few on the lowest section of the aluminium front bumper. There are a handful of age-related marks elsewhere, but nothing that distracts.

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 and their seals are in good shape, with nothing more than a slight rubber imperfection noted on the passenger side door pillar.

The lights and lenses are clear and free of damage, with no notable issues observed on the rest of the trim.

The carbon fibre front splitter is in great shape and the bumpers are a flush fit.

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INTERIOR VIDEO

Interior

The spotless cabin amply demonstrates the Racing Puma's competition credentials.

Seats and Carpets

The exclusive Alcantara-trimmed Sparco racing seats with embroidered Ford Racing emblems are in excellent shape. The only issue we spotted was a small mark on the passenger seat fabric.

The carpets are in good shape with some wear, but well-above the expectations of a car of this age and mileage. The original Puma emblemed mats are presentable. There was no evidence of water ingress inside the cabin and the boot is in good order, with no signs of heavy use or dampness.

Dashboard

The dashboard is in great condition, with no scuffs or marks on the plastic facia. The dials, controls and binnacle are all very clean. Aside from a dead pixel on the clock and the air-con not blowing cold, Nick told us everything else including the interior electrics function as they should.

The trim is in decent shape, with some mild marks noted on the rear passenger side panel. The door cards are free of marks and well mounted, with no significant issues with the headlining.

The car also retains its original Aluminium Sparco pedals.

Steering Wheel / Gear Stick

The black leather and blue Alcantara-trimmed steering wheel is in good condition, with the aluminium Sparco gear knob free of marks too.

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'ON THE ROAD' VIDEO

Mechanics

A supremely competent drive, the Racing Puma has been created for just one thing - pure enjoyment.

Engine and Gearbox

The engine starts up without any problems, firing up with ignition lights all going out after the turn of the key.

The engine presentation is positive, with all the signs of regular maintenance and mechanical attention.

The 5-speed gearbox was demonstrated to work without any issues, with no crunching noted. Nick pointed out that the clutch was replaced around ~2,500 miles ago and is typically stiff as to be expected for a Racing Puma, but operates exactly as it should.

As mentioned, this car was one of ~80 cars fitted with the optional LSD from factory.

Suspension and Brakes

The ride is typically firm due to the wider track, factory-uprated springs and dampers. Despite the terrible roads experienced during our test drive, no unwanted mechanical noises were heard from the wheels.

The brakes were trouble-free, with no binding or vibrations.

The Drive

The car feels cohesively eager on the move, the handling fluid and planted to the road. We managed to get some speed up, enough to experience a few mild pops and bangs from the induction process, as well as the smoothness and seamless delivery of the engine. Cruising at around 40 mph, the power steering remained true with no wobbles we didn't hear any unwanted mechanical noises.

The only noises heard were those of the interior trim vibrations that usually accompany hard-riding sports cars. The engine warmed up nicely, with no overrun or hesitancy and a consistent tone during tick-over.

There were no observations of oil pressure or engine temperature problems during our visit.

Electrics and Other

As mentioned earlier, Nick told us the air conditioning possibly needs re-gassed and we noticed a dead pixel on the clock, but everything else was working as expected, as far as Nick was aware.

The car comes with an indoor tailored car cover, as well as a pair of Ford front seat covers - Nick also will supply a box full of spare parts.

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History and Paperwork

This car has 14 service stamps as well as regular maintenance since new.

First registered by Horncastle Ford of Reading in May 2000, the car appears to have been in sympathetic hands over its lifetime. The car is well known within the Racing Puma community having attended several special events and shows, including: Ford of Britain Centenary Event in 2011 and the Racing Puma 15th Anniversary Event in 2015. Naturally, it comes with an impressive amount of provenance, including thorough evidence of maintenance through to promotional sales material. It has also been featured in Fast Ford magazine on 2 previous occasions.

The most recent documented work covers a service, cam belt and water pump replacement in 2023 at a Ford specialist based in Southampton. A £1,200 invoice and a series of photos outlines a 2019 underside renovation and rustproofing procedure. Also in the hands of Nick, its gearbox was rebuilt along with the installation of a new genuine Ford LSD in 2018. At the same time, a new fuel pump and complete stainless steel exhaust system were fitted.

Prior to this, there are invoices in the 2010s for new callipers, pads, brakes, dampers, springs, lower arms and a powder-coated rear beam. Further back to 2005 there is paperwork to suggest a new alternator, potentiometer, rear discs and pads, steering knuckles, stub axles, rear ABS loom, and brake rotors amongst other running gear components.

It comes with its complete handbook wallet, including the specific owner supplement to this very car. Included in the pack is a service booklet with 14 stamps along with three invoices for new water pumps, cam belts and tensioners. The car also retains most of its road tax discs, a series of original press promotional photos, original mirror hanger, Performance Ford poster, a book and several sales brochures. There are two keys and an MOT to November 2024. The car has only had 2 previous owners and the registration plate is L90 FRP which is included with the sale. Nick has informed us that the car has been through the ULEZ comply check process, and is exempt, the exemption is in the paperwork section below.

The previous owner to Nick has also uploaded a Youtube video of the car which can be viewed here.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbRG-kgIVU4&feature=youtu.be

We’ve done all our usual seller checks including photo ID, V5 and also actioned an 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, as you can see, we go to great lengths to photograph and video the car in hi-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 of 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 bids, 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
10-11-2023	Annual Service	83,888
11-10-2023	MOT	83,888
09-11-2023	Cambelt, Waterpump	83,473
14-10-2022	MOT	83,626
09-11-2021	MOT	83,473
09-11-2021	Annual Service	83,473
25-04-2019	MOT	82,789
15-10-2018	LSD, Gearbox rebuild	82,774
17-03-2018	MOT	82,549
16-03-2018	Fuel Pump, Stainless Steel Exhaust	82,549
16-03-2018	Cambelt, Waterpump	82,549
01-08-2014	MOT	81,989
11-04-2014	Clutch, Slave Cylinder, Gearbox Oil	81,534
21-06-2013	MOT	81,030
23-06-2012	MOT	79,952
29-03-2012	Cambelt, Waterpump	79,606
18-06-2011	MOT	78,575
15-04-2010	MOT	76,722
05-05-2009	Annual Service	74,889
18-04-2009	MOT	74,304
12-03-2008	MOT	72,629
15-12-2005	Clutch, Exhaust, Brakes	56,970
15-12-2005	Major Service	56,970
06-12-2005	MOT	56,951
12-08-2004	Annual Service	46,718
21-11-2003	MOT	36,762
03-11-2003	Annual Service	36,425
31-07-2003	Major Service	35,295
06-05-2003	MOT	33,893
11-12-2002	Annual Service	29,768
19-12-2001	Annual Service	20,164
23-01-2001	Annual Service	9,692