Ford in focus with the stunning ST

There has always been a pleasing whiff of cordite from Ford’s performance cars and even the names of the RS1800, the Sierra Cosworth, the Escort Cosworth and the Focus RS evoke great memories of raunchy and full-blooded cars that were as much sought after by enthusiasts as they were drooled over by small boys with big dreams.

The ‘RS’ appellation was the one that sorted these cars out from the normal day-to-day chaff built on Ford’s many production lines and it usually signified something special indeed which not only appealed by their often-outrageous styling, but with a guarantee of performance which was rarely matched elsewhere.

OK, so the Golf GTi and its many derivatives provided the bulwark of the opposition to Ford’s many hot hatchbacks down the years, invariably, however, it was those with the blue oval on their grilles which won the emotional battle when it came to the loyalty of the fans.