Ford Sierra RS500: Reviving a BTCC legend

Now it’s Strachan’s job to continue that legacy. Production of what will become ARE 001/22 gets under way this month and will take around six months to complete. Although Strachan has all the original regulations and technical specifications, he has also reverse engineered many of the components over the years and his workshop has full CNC milling facilities to make anything from brake calipers to a full front suspension kit. That’s useful because he says there are no original parts available anywhere in the world and none of the original suppliers exists.

The first task now will be to prepare the shell, including seam welding and fitting the roll-cage. Strachan says he currently has around 30% of the parts needed, including a brand-new 575bhp Cosworth YB engine that has just been delivered to the workshop. The engines are being manufactured by race engine specialist Harvey Gibbs, while the five-speed gearboxes and differentials will be made by Bara Motor Sport. Other components that have had to be outsourced include the instrument cluster and electronic control unit.

Although each car will be built to the exact regulations of the time, there are a few areas of interpretation. This includes the roll-cage, for which Strachan has certification to meet historic racing rules, and both the famous rear spoiler and bumpers. Originals were made of plastic but, he says, they are impossible to find. Instead, he is having new ones made from glassfibre-reinforced plastic and he is sure that even the purists will be okay with this.

They should be, because he himself is a purist, telling us that, yes, he could build an all-singing, all-dancing car in an original shell, but it wouldn’t be allowed to race against a proper period car.

“If you want to race a Group A touring car, race a Group A touring car, not something that isn’t,” he says vociferously. He has a passion for period cars and that’s clear, but what about the provenance of the continuation model?

“Each continuation car will create its own history, while still being part of the history of the RS500,” he says.

So how does Rouse feel about it all? “The RS500 was our most successful racing car by far,” says Rouse. “It was the most iconic car, the greatest car to drive. It was a really good business for us. We built probably 30 cars and over 100 engines in the space of two or three years. So it was a great time. I’m pleased with the fact that Alan’s going to produce these cars, because it creates a new interest. I’m just amazed people still remember me and what I did after all this time.”

Rouse may be modest, but those who hand over £185,000 for one of the continuation models will have a genuine Andy Rouse Engineering Group A Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth, a car for which the word ‘modest’ will never be appropriate.