Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
The family hatch that Ford built to go racing
1986 Britain Ford Sierra RS Cosworth · Trouble2016 · CC BY-SA 4.0
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More than a set of wheels.
Ford's Special Vehicle Engineering team turned the aerodynamic Sierra three-door into a road-legal basis for international Group A competition. The UK brochure published in March 1986 describes a practical five-seat hatch with Recaro seats and a split rear bench, but also a Cosworth-designed turbo engine, uprated independent suspension, four-wheel discs and a limited-slip differential. The FIA later recorded the three-door Sierra RS Cosworth under Group A homologation number 5323. The result was not simply a tuned trim level: it was a mass-produced competition tool whose everyday cabin and hatchback body made its performance feel startlingly accessible.
Look a little closer.
The giant rear wing announces that this practical hatchback was designed as the road basis for a Group A racer.
Photos show an example of the model or generation. The pictured vehicle’s year, equipment, or modifications can differ from the specification described here.
Why the enormous rear wing mattered
The wing is the visible clue that the car's shape was part of the engineering brief. Ford was not styling a normal Sierra first and decorating it later; it wanted a stable, low-drag shell that would also form the basis of a Group A racer. The brochure explicitly says the car was designed to dominate international Group A racing, while the FIA record confirms that competition identity. On the road car, the same aero package made the homologation special instantly recognisable, turning a family-sized hatch into a rolling declaration of purpose.
Source: Ford Sierra RS Cosworth UK brochure, FA 754, March 1986, 2nd edition ↗Performance without giving up the hatchback
The cleverness is in the contradiction. A 204 PS turbo engine, limited-slip differential and anti-lock four-wheel discs sit under a car that still has rear seats, a removable parcel shelf, a split-folding rear backrest and an opening tailgate. That mixture helped define a new kind of attainable European performance car: speed and competition credibility without the packaging sacrifices of a two-seat exotic.
Source: Ford Sierra RS Cosworth UK brochure, FA 754, March 1986, 2nd edition ↗Where these facts come from
- Ford Sierra RS Cosworth UK brochure, FA 754, March 1986, 2nd edition
- Ford Sierra RS Cosworth, homologation 5323
Selected facts checked for this edition. Some source pages link to broader model families. Last reviewed October 2, 2026.