34 MODERNCLASSICS
Lastof theold-schoolriotousBlueOvalheroes
2002-2003
CLEVER
BUYS
MONEY
Why you want one
It’s hard to go wrong with a fast Ford;
they’re often a hoot to drive, backed by
an eager community and sought after
in good condition – irrespective of
whether you’re looking at a £1000
Puma or a £35,000 Mustang.
Add in a splash of rarity and you’ve
got an even more appealing
concoction. Case in point: only 2146 of
the first generation of the
now-renowned Focus RS were ever
delivered to the UK, making them
eminently collectable. The fourth
generation is mooted to arrive in
2020, too, which will prompt further
interest in preceding models.
The force-fed nature and output of
these early high-performance Focus
variants may also fall more in line
with what more modern drivers
expect from a performance car,
unlike the rev-hungry EK9 – making
this a more gratifying motoring
experience for many. They’re also
easier to tune, giving you more scope
for future growth as you get used to
wh at ’s on of fer.
What the experts say
‘There's a massive following for fast
Fords and funnily enough it's one of
few manufacturers – and one of the
models–thatbuckthetrendinthe
modernclassicmarketat the
moment,’saysOstroff.‘FastFords,the
JaguarXJSandsplit-screencamper
vanshavebeenappreciatingwhereas
everythingelsehaseitherbeenstuck
in arutor evencomedowna bit.
‘It’sdownto affordableclassics;
maybeit wasthedreamcarand
buyersfeltthatby savingupfora bit
they'dgetone.Whereas,if thedream
car at thetimewasa Diabloor
something,theyknewthey'dneverget
one –becauseit probablycameto
more moneythantheirhouse.’
However,buyinga standard
exampleis essentialif futurevalues
are of noteto you.‘Fordguysobsess
over thisstuff,so it'sreallyimportant
hidinganunpleasantpast.
Similarly,be mindfulof
carsthathavebeen
previouslymodified
andreturnedto stock
- theycanbe
persistently
problematicand
rectifyingwhat’s
amisscanquicklyeat
throughyourcash.
However,the
fi rst-genFocusRSis
a properfastFordin
theold-schoolsense;
edgyto driveand
blessedwithboosty
goodness.Latermodels
smootheddowntherough
edges,makingtheoriginala
beguilingandendearingchoice.
that you go bog standard – or yougeta
car that's been mucked about withand
just put it back to stock,’ says
Lamport. ‘Don't be tempted to mess
about with them. They're better
standard anyway; they just sound
better, go better, that's how Ford
designed it and that’s how it shouldbe.
I've seen too many people ruin too
many cars.
‘Already, the low mileage and
unmodified good cars are expensive.
If you find a cheap one, you're goingto
fi nd one that bites you. In the Ford
market, there's nothing that people
haven't cottoned onto. There's nosuch
thing as a cheap car, or cheap good
cars, because there's so many people
looking at them – there's so many
dealers who know they can makea
decent margin out of all of them,so
they're very difficult to come by.’
You’ve plenty to look out for ifyou’re
buying a first-generation FocusRS,
too, ranging from cosmetic damageto
long-overdue timing belt changes.
Don’t be hugely put off if you findduff
paintwork, though, as the thin factory
paint is easily damaged.
Crucially, as is the case with anyof
the cars here, get a full history report
on any potential candidate; a car
might look in fine fettle, but it couldbe
FORD FOCUS RS (MKI)
Engine 1988cc, 4-cyl, DOHC, turbo
Transmission FWD, 5-speed manual
Power 212bhp@5500rpm
Torque 229lb-ft@3500rpm
Weight 1278kg
PERFORMANCE
0-60mph 6.2sec
Top speed 143mph
Economy 27. 9 mpg
Smurf massacre
leather-harvest
as ide,it'sa comfy
pl aceto be.
1694
UK cars left
