Description
Like the Cortina before, the Sierra was the backbone of British motoring life, shuttling the widget rep along the motorway network with the same aplomb as it shuffled the family around at weekends. It excelled at both, being spacious, comfortable, reliable and decently economical.
In a bid to excite the Sierra owners and add more fun to driving the popular rep mobile, Ford upped their game and introduced the XR4I. Unfortunately, the XR4I was relatively short-lived, and Ford teamed up with Cosworth to produce the turbocharged RS Cosworth. For many, this was the ultimate Sierra, later being further improved in 1990 with the addition of a four-wheel drive system and creating the Sierra Sapphire 4×4. This gave the tail-happy Sierra much more stability with a front and rear split of 34:66. However, whilst the Sapphire Cosworth was doing well with the new setup, Ford decided that the normally aspirated Sierra Sapphire would also benefit from the new transmission, which is when the Sierra Saphire 4×4 Ghia was born.
The example we have here is a 1992 Sierra Saphire 4×4 Ghia with just… wait for it…. 14,203 miles from new. Yes, it’s not a typo; it really is that low!
he Vehicle
This is one of those cars that you will think, ‘I don’t remember seeing one of those before’. The Sierra Sapphire 4×4 Ghia was a pretty rare gem in its day and even more rare now, especially with just 14,203 miles on the clock.
The Sierra has had 0 previous keepers. The one and only owner used the car regularly, but shall we say not excessively, covering up to 800 miles each year and then dropping down to as little as 200 per year before mothballing it in 2013. Since then, the Sierra has been in dry storage in a private collection before being sold to our vendor Richard who has also welcomed it into his fold of stunning cars. He has owned the car for just over six months, and has carried out some recommissioning work, but he has decided now to make some changes to his collection, and the Sierra is one of the cars which are reluctantly being let go.
On the Outside
Wearing its original Zwart solid Black paintwork, the Sierra has been detailed to reveal the near-perfect Zwart Black paint finish by removing any swirl marks often seen with black paint.
Starting at the front of this 80s classic, there are no noticeable stone chips to point out. The headlights and fog lights are in superb condition, and it’s easy to spot the bright reflector behind the lenses.
Looking down the car’s flanks, there are no dings or dents to upset the lines of the Sierra. There are some minimal signs of worming under a couple of the window rubbers, and the rubber seals have bubbled up ever so slightly in a couple of places. The glass all looks to be in good condition with no apparent scratches to point out. The rear arches have started to see some surface corrosion. Obviously, this would need to be sanded back to know the extent of the corrosion, but feeling the inside of the arch is smooth, suggesting this is possibly confined to the surface. The doors align as they should, and when opening and closing them, it is clear that they have not seen much use, especially the rear doors.
The rear of the car is also in good order. The boot lid opens and closes as it should, and the correct badges are in place and in good condition. The bumper has a light scuff on the nearside edge but it is not too obvious to spot. The wheels are in excellent condition with no marks to point out other than some very light age related corrosion on the edge of some of the spokes. The tyres are matching and thought to be original, and they have started to perish, as you would expect for 30 years old.
On the Inside
Looking inside the Sierra, you could quite easily be standing inside your local Ford dealership looking at a 12 month old car with 14,203 miles on the clock. Taking you back to 1992, the interior is finished in light grey velour with a dark grey fleck. The front seats are in excellent condition and show no real signs of any wear, and the same can be said for the rear, where it looks as good as new. There are no marks or scuffs to mention on the door cards for either door, and the centre armrest is also in good condition; this also is the storage for some cassette tapes.
The dashboard has no splits or cracks to point out; it is in excellent condition, just like the rest of the interior. The instruments are working as they should, with the odometer
showing an incredibly low mileage of 14,203 miles. As you can imagine, the switchgear is superb with no signs of wear. Towards the centre of the dashboard, the heater controls are perfect, the display for open doors is working as it should, and the factory radio cassette is in place.
Keeping the carpets protected is a set of factory mats. These have faded a little, but they have done their job of protecting the main carpet, which is excellent throughout. Looking up, the headlining is unmarked and shows no sagging. The electric sunroof opens and closes as it should, and the inner blind pulls across to cover it. Inside the boot, the carpet is unmarked and lifting this reveals the unused, never fitted spare wheel.
Underneath
Fitted with the 2.0 litre EFI engine, the Sierra, fires up first time with no hesitation, and it has been given a service and check over to ensure everything is as it should be. Looking in the engine bay, it is clear to see just how original this car is, and you simply can’t replicate the originality of a car this age. The brackets and bolts still have the gold tint, which is clean but without looking new as if they had been replaced. The wing rails have the factory spot welds and seam sealer, and the front panel has the factory stickers in place, again old but clean. The clips on the headlight lenses have no corrosion, which is another good sign that the car has been dry stored in an environment with no moisture.
The underside of the car for the age is outstanding! Looking at the suspension components, you can still see the colour of the bushes, and the differential still has a sticker attached which would have been put on at the factory. There is some very light surface rust on the sill near the front of the wings, but nothing we would say is cause for concern.
History Highlights
Finding a 30 year old, one owner car with such low mileage is something quite unique in its own right, but this is one car that just keeps giving. Even though it has covered just 14,203 miles, the Sierra has been regularly maintained, which can be seen from the vast collection of invoices. These have been split between just two garages who have carried out the servicing and MOT work in the last 30 years. Along with the invoices is the original bill of sale and the full complement of owner’s manuals, all of which are in excellent condition.
What We Think
A genuine time warp classic from the Ford range, not only is it original, but it is also quite a rare model to start off with, making it even more desirable.
With just 14,203 miles from new, this is the perfect car for any collector wanting to add a classic ford into their collection.
