The highest profile RS car entered showrooms in July 1986. The aerodynamically extrovert 3 door hatchback was the first of the 150 mph Sierra RS Cosworths which spawned the 1987 World Touring Car Championship-winning RS500 - and the modest 4-door saloon Sierras with an even more flexible version of the Cosworth 204 bhp, 2.0 litre turbocharged power train. All were rear-drive machines combining exceptional acceleration, 0-60 mph in around 6 seconds, and handling with extraordinary round town docility.

Ford, Cosworth and Ferguson 4x4 patents were then allied in a series of sensationally stable and effective road and rally performers within the Sierra 4-door and Escort 3-door outlines. Introduced in three trim levels in July 1992, the Escort RS Cosworth set a new and adhesive cornering benchmark for production cars, incorporating Formula car down force aerodynamics. The Escort RS won 11 world-class rallies, including two Monte Carlo Rallies, and was successfully raced by privateers.

The Escort RS2000 returned to the scene in 1991, with a 4x4 version being sold between 1993 and 1995.
After 30 years of Escort competition success, the winning Ford Focus replaced it for the 1999 World Rally Championship season. The road-going Focus RS logically takes over that exciting RS pedigree when it enters the showrooms of Europe this year with an unrivalled blend of performance and handling - in true RS tradition.