Simon Kihlstedt
Specialist
LOT 127
1989 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth DTM Competition Saloon Chassis no. GA3EKB99275
Sold for €235,750 inc. premium
Lot 127
1989 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth DTM Competition Saloon
1989 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth DTM Competition Saloon
Chassis no. GA3EKB99275
Chassis no. GA3EKB99275
• Entered by Wolf Racing
• Driven by Armin Hahne and Alain Ferté in 1989
• Rebuilt around a new bodyshell following Hahne's 1989 accident
• Contested the European Hill Climb Championship in the early 1990s
• Present ownership since 2015
During the 1980s, the BBC regularly broadcast rounds of the British Touring Car Championship, bringing the spectacle of Group A saloon car racing into homes across the country. By the latter part of the decade, presenters such as Steve Ryder and the legendary commentator Murray Walker had helped elevate the profile of the series, with drivers including John Cleland, Steve Soper, Tim Harvey and their contemporaries becoming widely recognised names.
By this time, the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth had established itself as the dominant force of the Group A era. Developed as the ultimate evolution of Ford's turbocharged touring car programme, the RS500 combined immense straight-line performance with continual development, proving virtually unbeatable in the hands of leading teams and accomplished drivers.
Following the conclusion of their frontline competition careers, many RS500s were retired and either preserved in collections or displayed publicly, reflecting their significance within touring car history. A small number have subsequently re-emerged for Historic demonstrations and events, including appearances at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where they continue to evoke the sights and sounds of a bygone era.
Today, the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth is rightly regarded as one of the most important touring cars of its generation. Examples retaining strong period provenance, originality, and documented competition history - particularly those associated with drivers of the calibre of Armin Hahne - represent rare and highly desirable opportunities for collectors seeking an authentic and evocative example from the closing years of Group A competition.
This RS500 originates from one of Ford's official racing teams in DTM - Wolf Racing – and was raced in the series in 1989, the last year Ford and the Sierra took part in the championship. After the 1989 season, their successful racing careers were effectively terminated by a change in regulations, and most continued their careers in the Pacific championships. The RS500 we offer is an exception.
Among those to campaign the RS500 at the highest level was Armin Hahne, a highly regarded German driver whose career encompassed both touring car and endurance racing at international level. Although best known for his long-standing association with BMW, Hahne demonstrated notable versatility by competing in a variety of Group A machinery during this period, including the formidable Sierra RS500 Cosworth.
This RS500 was raced by Armin Hahne until his serious accident at the Nürburgring in April 1989. The car was destroyed after his head-on collision with Klaus Ludwig's Mercedes and the crash left Hahne seriously injured. However, the car was rebuilt into a new bodyshell, which Wolf bought from the rival Eggenberger team (known for its black Texaco cars), and continued until the end of the season with Alain Ferté behind the wheel (the car is unique because it carries the VIN of a competing team for the above reasons). Armin Hahne drove the car again only once: at Nürburgring in the autumn of 1989. Its racing history is as follows:
30.4.1989 Nürburgring - Hahne (accident)
14.5. 1989 Mainz - Finthen
28.5.1989 Avus - Ferté
17.6.1989 Nürburgring 2 - Ferté
26.6.1989 Norisring - Ferté
2.7.1989 Hockenheim 2 – Ferté
6.8.1989 Diepholz - Ferté
3.9.1989 Nürburgring 3 - Hahne
15.9.1989 Hockenheim 3 - Ferté
In 1991 the Sierra was sold to the Charouz team in the Czech Republic and raced for two years in the European Hill Climb Championship with Josef Michl, Josef Venc and other foreign drivers behind the wheel. It was displayed for a long time at the Charouz Museum of Racing Cars in Lány and was then sold to the UK. It has formed part of the vendor's collection since 2015.
• Driven by Armin Hahne and Alain Ferté in 1989
• Rebuilt around a new bodyshell following Hahne's 1989 accident
• Contested the European Hill Climb Championship in the early 1990s
• Present ownership since 2015
During the 1980s, the BBC regularly broadcast rounds of the British Touring Car Championship, bringing the spectacle of Group A saloon car racing into homes across the country. By the latter part of the decade, presenters such as Steve Ryder and the legendary commentator Murray Walker had helped elevate the profile of the series, with drivers including John Cleland, Steve Soper, Tim Harvey and their contemporaries becoming widely recognised names.
By this time, the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth had established itself as the dominant force of the Group A era. Developed as the ultimate evolution of Ford's turbocharged touring car programme, the RS500 combined immense straight-line performance with continual development, proving virtually unbeatable in the hands of leading teams and accomplished drivers.
Following the conclusion of their frontline competition careers, many RS500s were retired and either preserved in collections or displayed publicly, reflecting their significance within touring car history. A small number have subsequently re-emerged for Historic demonstrations and events, including appearances at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, where they continue to evoke the sights and sounds of a bygone era.
Today, the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth is rightly regarded as one of the most important touring cars of its generation. Examples retaining strong period provenance, originality, and documented competition history - particularly those associated with drivers of the calibre of Armin Hahne - represent rare and highly desirable opportunities for collectors seeking an authentic and evocative example from the closing years of Group A competition.
This RS500 originates from one of Ford's official racing teams in DTM - Wolf Racing – and was raced in the series in 1989, the last year Ford and the Sierra took part in the championship. After the 1989 season, their successful racing careers were effectively terminated by a change in regulations, and most continued their careers in the Pacific championships. The RS500 we offer is an exception.
Among those to campaign the RS500 at the highest level was Armin Hahne, a highly regarded German driver whose career encompassed both touring car and endurance racing at international level. Although best known for his long-standing association with BMW, Hahne demonstrated notable versatility by competing in a variety of Group A machinery during this period, including the formidable Sierra RS500 Cosworth.
This RS500 was raced by Armin Hahne until his serious accident at the Nürburgring in April 1989. The car was destroyed after his head-on collision with Klaus Ludwig's Mercedes and the crash left Hahne seriously injured. However, the car was rebuilt into a new bodyshell, which Wolf bought from the rival Eggenberger team (known for its black Texaco cars), and continued until the end of the season with Alain Ferté behind the wheel (the car is unique because it carries the VIN of a competing team for the above reasons). Armin Hahne drove the car again only once: at Nürburgring in the autumn of 1989. Its racing history is as follows:
30.4.1989 Nürburgring - Hahne (accident)
14.5. 1989 Mainz - Finthen
28.5.1989 Avus - Ferté
17.6.1989 Nürburgring 2 - Ferté
26.6.1989 Norisring - Ferté
2.7.1989 Hockenheim 2 – Ferté
6.8.1989 Diepholz - Ferté
3.9.1989 Nürburgring 3 - Hahne
15.9.1989 Hockenheim 3 - Ferté
In 1991 the Sierra was sold to the Charouz team in the Czech Republic and raced for two years in the European Hill Climb Championship with Josef Michl, Josef Venc and other foreign drivers behind the wheel. It was displayed for a long time at the Charouz Museum of Racing Cars in Lány and was then sold to the UK. It has formed part of the vendor's collection since 2015.
Footnotes
Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth DTM Competition Saloon de 1989
Chassis N° GA3EKB99275
• Engagée par Wolf Racing
• Pilotée par Armin Hahne et Alain Ferté en 1989
• Reconstruite autour d'une nouvelle carrosserie suite à l'accident de Hahne en 1989
• Participation au Championnat d'Europe de course de côte au début des années 1990
• Propriétaire actuel depuis 2015
Au cours des années 1980, la BBC diffusait régulièrement des manches du Championnat britannique des voitures de tourisme, permettant ainsi à tous les foyers du pays de suivre le spectacle des courses de berlines du Groupe A. À la fin de la décennie, des présentateurs tels que Steve Ryder et le légendaire commentateur Murray Walker avaient contribué à rehausser la notoriété de la série, tandis que des pilotes comme John Cleland, Steve Soper, Tim Harvey et leurs contemporains étaient désormais connus de tous.
À cette époque, la Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth s'était imposée comme la force dominante de l'ère du Groupe A. Développée comme l'évolution ultime du programme de voitures de tourisme turbocompressées de Ford, la RS500 alliait d'immenses performances en ligne droite à un développement continu, se révélant pratiquement imbattable entre les mains des meilleures équipes et de pilotes accomplis.
À l'issue de leur carrière en compétition, de nombreuses RS500 ont été retirées de la circulation, puis soit conservées dans des collections privées, soit exposées au public, témoignant ainsi de leur importance dans l'histoire des voitures de tourisme. Un petit nombre d'entre elles ont par la suite refait surface pour des démonstrations et des événements historiques, notamment lors du Festival of Speed de Goodwood, où elles continuent de faire revivre les images et les sons d'une époque révolue.
Aujourd'hui, la Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth est à juste titre considérée comme l'une des voitures de tourisme les plus importantes de sa génération. Les exemplaires conservant une provenance historique solide, leur authenticité et un historique de compétition documenté, en particulier ceux associés à des pilotes du calibre d'Armin Hahne, représentent des opportunités rares et très convoitées pour les collectionneurs à la recherche d'un exemplaire authentique et évocateur des dernières années de la compétition du Groupe A.
Cette RS500 provient de l'une des écuries officielles de Ford en DTM, Wolf Racing, et a couru dans cette série en 1989, dernière année où Ford et la Sierra ont pris part au championnat. Après la saison 1989, leur brillante carrière en compétition a pris fin suite à un changement de règlement, et la plupart ont poursuivi leur parcours dans les championnats du Pacifique. La RS500 que nous proposons fait exception.
Parmi ceux qui ont piloté la RS500 au plus haut niveau figurait Armin Hahne, un pilote allemand très estimé dont la carrière a englobé à la fois les courses de voitures de tourisme et d'endurance au niveau international. Bien que surtout connu pour sa longue association avec BMW, Hahne a fait preuve d'une polyvalence remarquable en pilotant divers modèles du Groupe A durant cette période, y compris la redoutable Sierra RS500 Cosworth.
Cette RS500 a été pilotée par Armin Hahne jusqu'à son grave accident au Nürburgring en avril 1989. La voiture a été détruite après sa collision frontale avec la Mercedes de Klaus Ludwig, et l'accident a laissé Hahne gravement blessé. Cependant, la voiture a été reconstruite avec une nouvelle carrosserie, que Wolf a achetée à l'équipe rivale Eggenberger (connue pour ses voitures Texaco noires), et a continué jusqu'à la fin de la saison avec Alain Ferté au volant (la voiture est unique car elle porte le numéro d'identification (VIN) d'une équipe concurrente pour les raisons susmentionnées). Armin Hahne n'a piloté la voiture qu'une seule fois : au Nürburgring à l'automne 1989. Son historique en course est le suivant :
30.4.1989 Nürburgring - Hahne (accident)
14.5. 1989 Mainz - Finthen
28.5.1989 Avus - Ferté
17.6.1989 Nürburgring 2 - Ferté
26.6.1989 Norisring - Ferté
2.7.1989 Hockenheim 2 – Ferté
6.8.1989 Diepholz - Ferté
3.9.1989 Nürburgring 3 - Hahne
15.9.1989 Hockenheim 3 - Ferté
En 1991, la Sierra a été vendue à l'écurie Charouz en République tchèque et a couru pendant deux ans dans le Championnat d'Europe des courses de côte, pilotée par Josef Michl, Josef Venc et d'autres pilotes étrangers. Elle a longtemps été exposée au Musée Charouz des voitures de course à Lány, avant d'être vendue au Royaume-Uni. Elle fait partie de la collection du vendeur depuis 2015.
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