Whenever I hear the words time capsule, I usually think about classic cars that emerge out of long-term storage still in decent condition. As in, they're weathered and far from perfect but still highly original. Well, here's a different type of time capsule: this 1992 Ford Escort RS Cosworth is more than 30 years old, yet it's still brand-new.
Showcased on the latest episode of "The Late Brake Show," this N-spec rally car was presumed lost for a few years. It recently surfaced after decades in storage and found its way to the UK, the country it was born in, with only 703 miles (1,131 km) on the odometer.
Of the only 7,145 RS Cosworth homologation specials built between February 1992 and December 1995, this Escort was reportedly born as a Motorsport Edition car. It was essentially a stripped-down version devoid of electric windows and mirrors, radio, sunroof, AC, and sound-deadening materials. And it's purpose was to provide customers with a basic car they could prep for racing.
Ford made about 2,500 of them before it began rolling out the Standard and Lux variants, which came with niceties that weren't available in the Motorsport Edition.
The customer of this car, a wealthy fellow and racing enthusiast from Jakarta, Indonesia, purchased the RS Cosworth with the specific goal of turning it into a Group N rally car and campaigning it. However, that never happened, and the Ford ended up in the basement of his house after only a few miles on the road.
Thought to be missing for years, the RS Cosworth was eventually dragged out into the light, all dusty and sitting on flat tires, and shipped to Australia. It was cleaned up, refreshed, and then sent to the United Kingdom, where it will go under the hammer in 2023. But until that happens, it stopped by "The Late Brake Show" with seals on its doors and engine hood.
While it's no longer as original as it left the Ford factory, the RS Cosworth is as authentic as early 1990s Group N rally cars get. And the fact that it did not need to be restored makes it that much more spectacular. But it's not just the time capsule factor that makes it a desirable 1990s classic. It's also an early 1992 example and perhaps the only Motorsport Edition in this type of condition.
Powered by a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine built by motorsport specialists Cosworth, the Escort RS hit the streets with 224 horsepower and 224 pound-feet (304 Nm) of torque at its disposal. It may not sound like a lot in 2023, but it was notably more powerful than its standard sibling, which came with 59 to 148 horses on tap. Without race-spec mods, the Motorsport Edition needed only 5.7 seconds to hit 62 mph (100 kph) on its way to a top speed of 144 mph (232 kph).
The race-spec version didn't manage to fulfill its goal and win the World Rally Championship but scored ten wins across five seasons. It was driven by legendary racers like Miki Biasion, Francois Delecour, Ari Vatanen, Tommi Makinen, and Carlos Sainz.
So is this new-old-stock-style RS Cosworth appealing to the Escort crowd since it's not a factory-correct version nor a rally car with wins in its resume? Well, that's actually what makes it unique, and I think it has what it takes to break the £200,000 (about $254,000) mark, which would be a new record.
Ask Ciprian about cars and he'll reveal an obsession with classics and an annoyance with modern design cues. Read his articles and you'll understand why his ideal SUV is the 1969 Chevrolet K5 Blazer. Full profile
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