Live out all your 80s' BTCC fantasies with this freshly built Andy Rouse tribute
By Matt Bird / Thursday, 2 November 2023 / Loading comments
The problem with classic cars being worth so much, beyond not being able to afford them, is what to do with the old things if you’re actually lucky enough to own them. With certain road and race cars now valued at so much more than they used to be, there must be some fear attached when it comes to actually using them as intended. In some cases that surely results in cars simply being parked up which, regardless of what anyone says, can’t be as enjoyable as driving them properly. A very first world problem, yes, but what’s the solution?
A new classic is the thing, really, where a car is freshly built to old specs. It means the experience ought to be intact – perhaps better than ever, in fact – without the baggage and worry that comes with history and significance. Perhaps it isn’t the actual race winner in your possession, but surely a car that can be driven and enjoyed must be preferable to one that needs treating like a prize jewel. See the popularity of cars like the MST Mk1 and Mk2 – it’s the rear-drive Escort made the best it can be, without having to pay what a 200hp+ car from back in the day would cost.
This Sierra BTCC homage looks like similar fast Ford fun. It pays tribute to Andy Rouse’s 1988 RS500, a car that dominated the British Touring Car Championship 35 years ago with nine victories. As iconic a BTCC car as you’re going to find, basically. So much so, in fact, that a 1989 chassis driven by Rouse sold this summer for £370,500…
A stunning collectors’ piece, sure, though it seems unlikely that car will be doing much flame spitting or kerb hopping in the near future. This one, however, for sale at far less than a quarter of that hammer price, might just be. It’s a track car build that would surely brighten up any day on circuit, and could apparently be made race-ready with a few further changes.
It looks factory fresh because it was completed this year, and is said to have only been used since on a few demo runs. The spec reads like a Christmas wish list for any build of this calibre (no pun intended), right down to a side-exit exhaust, and boasting in the region of 500hp it promises a huge amount of entertainment. Just without quite the same level of jeopardy as doing it in the real thing. And we must talk about the livery. Along with the rest of the build, the paint has been done by Cardiff-based Redline Racing Motorsport, and it looks absolutely flawless. Is this the best set of sponsors for a Sierra? Must be up there with Texaco, Shell and Mobil. On those occasions it couldn’t be driven, you’d be more than happy just gawping at it.
But on a track is surely where this Sierra will offer up the most joy, complete with all those freshly installed parts and plentiful performance. While £80k isn’t exactly bargain track toy territory, it’s got to be less than the cost of undertaking the whole project again. And far less than even the most valuable RS500 road cars. Here’s a video to get you in the mood for the 2024 track day season…
- MST Mk2 | PH Review
- Homolorated! | Forgotten Group A touring cars
Source: Read Full Article