1991 FORD RS200

Belgian title
Chassis n° SFACXXBJ2CGL00120

- Superb condition, original LHD car
- Part of the Lempereur collection since 1997
- Rare ‘S’ version

As the copy of a letter from Ford Motorsport, signed by Bob Howe and dated 15 October 1991, indicates, this RS200 was sold new to a Swedish enthusiast for £57,498. It was one of the very few RS200s to have been finished in dark red when it came off the production line.
At the request of its first owner, however, in September it was repainted white at the factory before being delivered. It is likely that the car was then acquired by Ford of Antwerp as it was there that a Belgian firm, based in Comines, bought it in March 1993. The RS200 was apparently not used and remained on display in the Ford showroom in Antwerp, where Baudouin Lempereur discovered it in 1997 and immediately purchased it.
It was one of his favourite cars, and although he drove it little, he had no hesitation in taking it out for rallies such as the Rallye
Historique des Routes du Nord or the Rallye des Légendes, for which it was the opening car with the number 0.
The RS200 has therefore covered only 7130km today, so explaining its excellent condition. The original red paint can be made out from some traces still visible under the bonnet. When Lempereur bought the car, it
was entirely finished in white, but he added blue and grey stripes identical to those on the works cars. The whole car has been very well preserved. The interior fittings are complete and in good condition, with Recaro seats, traditional instruments with white lettering on a black background, Ford radio and small three-spoke steering wheel. The car still has its tool kit in the front boot. As with many of Lempereur's cars, he fitted a special adapter to the steering column to suit his considerable height.
In addition to its condition, one of the remarkable things about this car is that – according to the information published by Justin Smith, a specialist in the model and co-author of the book RS200, The story so far – it is a rare so-called ‘S’ model. This unofficial name was given to a series of 20 cars built for an order from Canada and specially equipped. The Canadian buyer wanted these RS200s to be suited to road use and therefore better equipped than the standard version, and in particular to have an effective heating system. Ford never accepted that the letter ‘S’ should appear on these special
models and, as the contract with the Canadian buyer was short- lived, they were all sold directly by Ford Motorsport. It is understood that the cars would have been fitted with a more powerful engine than standard, developing over 300bhp.
The RS200 remains a remarkable homologation special, the only car designed from scratch for the legendary Group B. Its only shortcoming was that it came too late to play a leading role in the World Championship. Its monocoque structure used advanced solutions and materials, based on fibreglass, carbon fibre, aluminium and honeycomb box sections. The engine was a Cosworth BDT (‘Belt Drive’, type T), a 1.8-litre turbo which produced 250bhp in road trim and as much as 450bhp in rally spec.
As well as its rarity and driving dynamics, the RS200 we are presenting offers the exclusivity of a special model, originally built in left-hand drive, with low mileage and in superb condition. These qualities will not be lost on the new generation of collectors who are devoted to this golden age of motoring.

Photo © Peter Singhof

The auction of this lot will take place on Saturday 19 March 2022.
https://www.artcurial.com/fr/lot-1991-ford-rs200-4134-356