[JEXY1]

Ford RS200 "Red Road Car"
Reference No: C3319
Type: Single car, crystal box
Class: Road/Street
Availability: through Collector Centers only
Release Date: July 2012

From Scalextric Press Release;
"The Scalextric model"
Originally a 1984-86 4-Wheel Drive Group B Rally Car, the famous rally car from
Ford was extensively used in rallying and rallycross and can still be seen in
competition today. The car was soon replicated as a standard road car as
demand grew from motoring enthusiasts who wanted road going versions. Many
motor kit-car businesses have reproduced this iconic competition car for road use
as well as for continued competition after Ford ceased production of the RS200.

"History"
Power came from a 1.8 litre, single turbocharged Ford/Cosworth "BDT" engine
producing up to 450 horsepower (340 kW) in racing trim. Although the RS had the
balance and poise necessary to be competitive, its power to weight ratio was
poor by comparison, and its engine produced notorious low-RPM lag, making it
difficult to drive. Factory driver Kalle Grundel's third place finish at the 1986 WRC
Rally of Sweden represented the vehicle's best-ever finish in Group B rallying
competition, although the model did see limited success outside of the ultracompetitive
Group B class.

"Features"
High detail. Magnatraction. Quick-change guide blade. DPR

"Configuration"
Motor; Mabuchi SP - 18k rpm
Gear ratio; 11:36
Chassis; Rear Mounted Motor
Side-Winder - Rear two-wheel drive
Magnet; Rectangular 2.5 mm - Down-force 200 gm
Overall length; 125 mm
Wheelbase; 78 mm
Axle/Hub width; 54 mm Front - 54 mm Rear
Tyre diameter; 20(ext), 13(int), 8 mm Front - 20(ext), 13(int), 8 mm Rear
Weights; Car 78 gm
Case; 156gm

 

[RikoRocket]

I remember one being in the Ford garage in Camberley, white, beautiful. Very small compared to any other car in the showroom.

QUOTE The car was soon replicated as a standard road car as
demand grew from motoring enthusiasts who wanted road going versions.

I think it was more a case of they made the cars and couldn't rally them so put them up for sale at their main "sport" dealers

I want a white one....

 

[pace1970uk]

The RS200 is a stunning looking car and it does look the business in red.

Just a shame that Scaley are still using the big giant head as the driver.

 

[richardtheforth]

+1 for a white one. And hopefully a blue one too

Does anyone remember an '80s police version of the RS200?
Maybe it's my imagination, or a prototype or just done up to look like a police car.
Somewhere I've got a photo from an '80s motorshow of a sporty transit pulling an RS200 on a trailer, all done up in the same white/blue race livery.
I should be doing DIY so I'll pop off now and look for it.

Anyway, I like the red one, I'll be looking out for this. Shouldn't it have a red steering wheel though?
Cheers,
Richard

 

[richardtheforth]

Ta da!

I think this might have been 1986 judging by the other photos, but could be wrong.
So how about a Transit & RS200 set please Mr Norman?
Cheers,
Richard

 

[JEXY1]

Only mocked up for the press - no force actually used them - i think

 

[stoooo]

QUOTE (JEXY1 @ 12 Apr 2012, 11:39) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>Many motor kit-car businesses have reproduced this iconic competition car for road use
That's true for sure. Here's my Subaru parked up next to one. This particular RS200 replicar is an Impreza WRX underneath, powered by a modified Legacy motor.


DSCF1047 by stoooo, on Flickr

I can't say that I'm too keen on the plain red, though. Oh, and just out of curiosity, where exactly are these "Collector Centres" ?

 

[DJ]

Is this based on an actual real car? Can't find anything on Google that matches.

A road car should really have a road driver, perhaps like the one in the C3027 RS2000 road version.
(and he really should be sat on the other side of the car...

)

 

[stoooo]

Then your Googling skills have failed you, DJ.

It's even a left hooker.

 

[DJ]

Behave Stoooo, I found that one, can't see the back end or reg number though. Found another red right hand drive but can't see number on that one either. Appears as few as 6 cars were painted red so shouldn't be too hard to find.

All I want to know really is if the reg number is real or made up...

 

[stoooo]

OK, DJ, I'll let you off. You may have a point, though; why would a UK plated car (the model) be LHD ?

Oh, and I was just looking in the mirror in the picture I posted (failing miserably to see the back of the RS200) and is that a Subaru 360 and a Toyota 2000GT I see up against the opposite wall ?

EDIT: Hmm, appears to have been a legit number back in the day... http://regarchive.com/plate/C319PGC

 

[DJ]

QUOTE (stoooo @ 12 Apr 2012, 19:16) <{POST_SNAPBACK}>It's even a left hooker.

Actually Stoooo I think you'll find it's right hand drive.....

 

[stoooo]

Stop messing with my head !

 

[Ade]

hi
so they say public demand was high,it probably was but so was the price. £50,000 in the mid eighties meant a lot were broke up for spares..

And of course there were never 200 made as was requested by the regs, from memory the body's were made by reliant in Tamworth who also did some assembly work in a unit wich was bought out of mothballs situated somewhere near shenstone..

When the fia inspectors visited to confirm the necessary 200 had been built they were shown some at the Tamworth factory and then driven round the long way to Shenstone while a fleet of all white rs 200s were driven the short way..They got the papers of course..

I was living and working in the area at the time and often witnessed half a dozen on the road at a time. A pal from school even worked there until Reliant ceased to be and confirmed the numbers never tallied..

 

[driver#8]

A lot of those (ahem) 200 never turned a wheel.

But while they languished, quite a few Ford employees had nice steering wheels on their Sierras, I'm told.

 

[grum]

the auto writer Graham Robson, books on Ford, BL and others, used a red rs200 as a road car in the late 80's early 90's - got a picture of it coming out of Donington rs owners national day somewhere ........ i'll see if i can find it

 

[richardtheforth]

Hi, I found this on <www.rs200.org> and thought it might be of interest:

Were they all white?
by Justin Smith » Sun Aug 16, 2009 9:37 pm

All cars were assembled from White Gel Coat Bodies and most stayed that colour when sold by FORD.

However, One owner who intended to buy chassis 70, 166, 104 and 159 had 104 and 159 painted black which FORD arranged, I think at either Strattons or Tickford. Sadly that purchaser died before ever taking delivery of his order so FORD, some time later, arranged the sale to new owners.

A similar deal was arranged by a Canadian buyer who intended to take 20 RS200's to Canada, these are the S cars.

New_RS200s_Boreham-1.jpg

Vehicles were selected and chassis 167 and 168 were painted blue whilst 120, 121, 138, and 178 were painted red.

In additional, the first owner of chassis 158 had it sprayed red after taking delivery, 115 was also sold as white but later changed to red.

New_Rs200s_Boreham-2.jpg

Bob seems to recollect that a total of 6 cars were sold by FORD in non-white, here is an email from Bob on the subject...

"Hi Justin, Initially all cars were painted white because most of the initial orders were for rally use. Then, when the FISA ban was imposed in May 86 we did some re-thinking because virtually all the rally orders were cancelled leaving us with a different sales programme to run.. So we did an exercise with Strattons of Wilmslow who painted 2 black, 2 red and 2 mid-blue. Subsequently a number of purchasers also painted cars in different colours. I knew of at least 1 more red, 2 yellow (one belonging to Graham Hathaway). A race car in the US was painted in a scheme similar to the Boreham rally cars but with the broad blue stripe and the narrow blue stripes replaced by 3 shades of brown. Cheers, Bob H "

(http://www.rs200.org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=250&t=216 accessed 13/04/12)

Cheers,
Richard

 

[Gemma]

What a fascinating thread, well done Richard and others for researching all this and making it a interesting read. The Scaley car isn't bad either!

 

[DJ]

If you've got £125K knocking about you could always buy the real thing....RS200

 

[stoooo]

Hey, DJ, times are tough. I bet he'd haggle down to a nice round £100K if you turned up with a suitcase full of cash.