The RS200 was born in the era of 'Group B' rallying, undeniably the most extreme period in rally history with all competing manufacturers turning every dial up to 11.

The power was immense, the courses dangerous and no matter how high the level of a driver's skill, it was always outmatched by the sheer bravery required to pilot these machines at full chat.

Whilst Ford’s competitors developed their rally cars from suitable models in their road car range - Lancia with their S4 Integrale, Audi with the S1 Quattro and Peugeot with their T16 205 - Ford took a more extreme route, building a competitive rally car and then using it as the basis for a well engineered, road-legal version, purely to tick the homologation boxes.

Produced by Ford Motorsport in Boreham from 1984 - 1986, the plastic-fiberglass composite body was designed by Filippo Sapino of Ghia Design Studio and enclosed a mid-mounted engine, four-wheel drive and a front-mounted gearbox for ideal 50/50 weight distribution.

The...