Remembering some of the most iconic fast Fords ever

News today that Ford is retiring the Fiesta ST and Focus ST hot hatches in Australia is yet another nail in the coffin for passenger cars, particularly affordable fast ones.

Ford’s sales in Australia (as of July 2022) are staggeringly unbalanced to the tune of 96.6 per cent in favour of SUV and Light Commercial with only Mustang, Fiesta and Focus making up the remaining and tiny 3.4 per cent (from a total of approximately 33,000 units) of passenger car sales.

So, while we pour one out to the entertaining Dukes of lift-off oversteer, let’s remember some other affordable fast Fords.

Taking the mundane Ford Sierra and turning it into a high-performance weapon, Ford Europe’s Sierra RS Cosworth was most notable for its involvement in touring car racing.

It won the World Touring Car Championship in 1987, but closer to home, Australians will recognise the Sierra RS Cosworth as having won Bathurst twice as part of the Australian Touring Car Championship. It also took-out the entire championship twice in 1988 and again in 1989.

The most hardcore Sierra RS500 Cosworth was built by Tickford and limited to 500 units only. They were sold only to the UK market. The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder engine produced 167kW/277Nm, sent through a five-speed manual transmission.

Bewinged and bodykitted, the Sierra RS Cosworth can be mistaken for nothing other than a devastatingly quick, and entertaining, seriously fast Ford.

Ford’s Laser revolutionised the small car class when it arrived in 1981 and by the time the first major redesign landed in 1985 the heat was cranked up with the TX3 hot hatch range.

Pointy handling and high-powered engines made the TX3 special. With the second-generation KC Laser of 1985 (pictured) the TX3 offered a high-output 1.6-litre engine and sporty touches like alloy wheels, a rear spoiler and quad headlamp styling. Overseas models went further with turbocharging and were also available with all-wheel drive.

Australia would have to wait until 1987 to get the KE update to get the full-bag-of-performance-fruit models. They arrived with a sparkling 101kW and 184Nm of turbocharged, fuel-injected 1.6-litre fury, shuffled via a five-speed manual. Alongside the front-drive, four-speed, 1.3-litre carby base model Laser, with 49kW and 94Nm, the TX3 was transformative.

From your Ford dealer, straight to the nearest rally course, Laser TX3s soon found their niche with big power and huge traction. Their popularity in motorsport means they are thin on the ground these days.

Continuing the homolgated rally car for the road theme, the Cosworth name moved from the Sierra to the Escort for the fifth-generation car. Big vents and bigger wings were again the order of the day, with the huge twin-tier rear spoiler making the car instantly recognisable.

While 7145 cars were built, the first 2500 had to follow stricter homologation rules and featured the competition car’s huge (custom) Garrett T34 turbo and water injection system (to cool the intake to limit pre-detonation of fuel).

The car was so potent that many insurance companies in the UK wouldn’t touch it, due to its favour for being stolen and used in ram-raids and other nefarious activities.

To counter this, the Northumbrian Police added one to their fleet.

Most people today will recognise a small, affordable, fast Ford as the Fiesta ST. The first-generation Ford Fiesta ST made its debut in 2013 packing a 134kW punch thanks to a turbocharged 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine.

While not the last word in straight line performance, the Fiesta ST was widely regarded as one of the best handling hot hatches of its era, thanks to that sweet, direct steering feel fast Fords are known for.

With choice performance enhancements such as a set of Recaro bucket seats, Torque Vectoring Control to curb understeer, and a smart traction control system, the Fiesta ST was a weapon in the right hands. It also looked the part with an angry front splitter, small rear wing, and dual exhaust tips.

Early Aussie-built Ford Capris were blighted by build quality issues which, although rectified by Ford Australia, tarnished the reputation of the handsome Ghia-designed drop-top until it was discontinued in 1994.

In 1992 a re-engineering product led by Tickford took the 100kW Capri Turbo and gave it menacing EB Falcon GT-lite styling with deeper front and rear bumpers, prominent front fog lights, a double-bubble fairing behind the front seats and quad tail lights.

While the engine and five-speed manual were left untouched, lowered, stiffer suspension, wider 16-inch wheels, and a set of appropriate Michelin tyres gave the Clubsprint the handling bite to match its visual bark.

One word. Revoknuckle!

An era when bright green paint, massive amounts of torque steer and a unique five-cylinder howl would again put the Ford badge back on the top of the list for hot-hatch shoppers.

While not really classed as 'affordable', we can't forget Ford's mighty RS200 road weapon!

In March 1984 Ford management signed off on a drivable Ford Rallye Sport prototype – labelled the RS200. While features such as the front windscreen and rear lights from the earlier Sierra were borrowed, this vehicle was unique in the Group B series as it was the only bespoke model on the grid, not echoing anything on the road at the time.

The car packed a turbocharged Ford-Cosworth "BDT" engine capable of 336kW. Its best-ever finish was in 1986 at the WRC Rally of Sweden. The car is also infamous for a horrific accident, which claimed the lives of three spectators and injured many others at the Rally de Portugal.

Do you have any affordable fast Ford memories? Let us know in the comments below!