Ford filed an application to trademark the RS200, and it definitely sounds like a sports car. If the name might sound familiar, you're right. It is a very sought-after car from the Blue Oval's past, and it looks like it will be part of its future as well.
It seems that automakers find it easier to dig up good old names from their past and reactivate nameplates, counting on the reputation of models once dismissed, then come up with new designations. Besides, the move would bring nostalgic customers closer to the brand by linking them to a segment of their own past.
It looks like it is the same for Ford, as it filed trademarks for the "Ford RS200" and "RS200" with the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO).
The Ford RS200 came as a mid-engined, all-wheel drive sports car, rolling off the production line at a plant in Boreham, the United Kingdom, built by Reliant starting in 1984. To throw it into the competition of Group B rally raising, Ford had to comply with the FIA homologation regulations: it had to produce 200 parts kits and build at least one street-legal version.
Sporting a fiberglass composite body designed by Ghia and a chassis designed by Formula 1 designer Tony Southgate, the RS200 was powered by a mid-mounted 1.8-liter single-turbocharged Ford-Cosworth engine.
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It delivered 250 horsepower (253 metric horsepower) to both axles through a five-speed manual in its road-legal form. But the racing car came with up to 450 horsepower churned out by the same 1.8-liter unit.
Limited to just 200 units, it instantly became a collectible, now going for as much as half a million dollars. That is exactly why it makes sense for Ford to resuscitate a nameplate long gone. And it sounds like they are preparing to roll out a sports car for the European market.
To find room in Ford's lineup, it should either slot below the Mustang, which starts at 59,900 euros in Germany ($65,498 at the current exchange rates), or go for a very limited run once again, which would make it exclusive and super expensive, positioning it above the Mustang in terms of pricing.
Ford is already selling the limited-edition Mustang GTD, which set to be produced in approximately 1,000 units. Therefore, a Ford RS200 should go for an even more limited run, with 200 being the most likely figure, thus mirroring the original production.
It will be interesting to see the powertrain Ford would go for in case the carmaker actually decides to build the RS200. They can either go for an ICE-powered sports car or an EV.
However, we have yet to see if Ford has just filed the trademark, originally spotted by AutoGuide, to make sure nobody else will use the "RS200" designation and will shelf the project of a new sports car for an undetermined period of time or really has plans for it.
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