Description:

To be offered by Iconic Auctioneers on Friday 23rd August at the Silverstone Festival Sale. 

Guide Price: £100,000 - £120,000

The 1980s provided some fantastic Touring Car racing as the manufacturers’ teams put serious effort into trying to win races with their 'Group A'-spec cars built to a very high standard with serious budgets to match. The Sierra Cosworth comfortably exceeded Ford's wishes and went on to become one of the most successful Touring Car racers of all time, winning races all over the world.

Offered here is a 'Group A' RS500 that was built originally in Hong Kong for the 1988 season for Eddie Lee. Subsequently, a few owners enjoyed the car in Hong Kong during the 1990s and the first UK-owner was the ex-BTCC Racer, Graham Hathaway. In 2011, the well known and respected Ian Donaldson of Oakfield’s, who specialises in the procurement and sale of important racing cars, then bought the car and sent it to Ian Gwynn (BGM Sport) for a restoration.

Jim Whelan then purchased the car and he invested heavily in the RS500 during his ownership including a full engine rebuild by Geoff Page Racing. At this time the car was fitted with a new engine loom and Life Racing ECU to bring the car to more modern standards. In 2014, ownership passed to Paul Smith who enjoyed a few sessions with it and asked ex-Mountune employee, Dave Hill, to rebuild the engine for him during his ownership. In 2017, the car passed to our vendor, who has kept it in his significant private Collection with no competition, just an occasional test day.

Supplied with previous HSCC papers, the car starts on the button and has recently had a very expensive new 'bag tank' fuel-cell fitted. In summary, to replicate a car to this specification would cost you almost twice today's estimate. Combine this with the fact a 'Group A' RS500 can offer you access to some of the best motorsport available and that this one has been owned by some of the best known and respected people within the world of motorsport, this car offers truly superb value for money and will reward a closer inspection.

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