Alex Robbins is a motoring journalist, used car expert and consumer champion. In this regular CarGurus column, he serves up gems from the used market: this time, it's fast Fords.
It was a story most memorably brought to life by the recent Ford vs Ferrari film – and now it looks like history is set to repeat itself. Ford is to return to the site of one of its most famous triumphs, Le Mans, with a new entry at the 2027 running of the famous 24-hour motor race.
Ford first raced at Le Mans in 1966, after Henry Ford famously tried to buy Ferrari. When he was told in no uncertain terms that the Italian outfit was not for sale, he decided to set out to beat them on the racing track; the result was the famous GT40, and four straight consecutive wins at the event from 1966 to 1969.
On the assumption Ferrari continues to race its 499P hypercar – or a successor – that rivalry will finally be rekindled in 2027, as Ford lines up on the starting grid with an all-new entrant in the Hypercar category.
You can bet Ford is hoping the move will help revivify its reputation as a serious motorsport contender; through the 1980s and 90s, the ‘win on Sunday, sell on Monday’ was crucial to the manufacturer’s fortunes, particularly in the European market, where cars like the Escort RS1600i and Sierra RS Cosworth gave Ford motorsport-derived halo models that helped draw customers into showrooms.
Those cars are now seriously desirable classics, and eye-wateringly pricey to buy. But if you want to buy yourself a piece of Ford’s performance history, you don’t have to look too far to find some of the blue oval’s back catalogue that can still be had for a bargain price.
Take the Focus ST, for example. Once upon a time, examples of the second-generation ST were everywhere, their big, gutsy 2.5-litre five-cylinder turbos providing thrummy soundtracks to Britain’s high streets.
These days, many have fallen by the wayside, and while the model has not yet reached the sort of rarity that suggests values will start to rise, it shouldn’t take long.
Best not to think of the ST as an investment piece quite yet, though. Think of it instead as an utterly delightful hot hatch with a brilliant balance of bump absorption and agility whose value shouldn’t fall, which is available for pretty insignificant sums.
In fact, the Focus ST is the grand tourer of the hot hatch world. I once drove one of these all the way to Yorkshire after work on a Friday, then spent the next day having the time of my life on the roads over the Moors, and drove back that same evening. You couldn’t really do that in any of its contemporaries and still arrive home with a smile on your face.
So the fact you can pick one up these days for around £3,000, is a Good Thing – though for that you’ll probably get a high-miler or one that’s been messed around with (of which there are still many). It makes more sense to set your sights higher and aim for a clean, unmodified example with lots of history and a sensible mileage, like the 2010 ST-3 with 93,000 miles and a sheaf of invoices, which I found on CarGurus for £5,750.
Don’t discount the Focus’s big brother, however. The name ‘Mondeo’ might not be one you’d immediately associate with a sports saloon, but find yourself a Mondeo ST220, and that’s exactly what you’ll get.
The Mondeo’s slightly anonymous styling was exponentially improved by the addition of the ST220’s square-jawed bodykit, and under the skin things only got better thanks to the sonorous six-cylinder engine and a chassis that was easily the equal of anything BMW could offer at the time.
Unlike the Focus, ST220s are starting to get rare nowadays, but there are still plenty of affordable examples around; indeed, a slightly tatty example can be yours for just £2,500.
Better, though, to spend somewhere around the £5,000 mark for one with plenty of history – or perhaps a little more for a low-mileage car, like the 62,000-mile example I found for sale for £5,995.
Or, if the Focus and Mondeo are too big for your tastes, why not try a Fiesta ST on for size? The Mk7 Fiesta was always a hoot to drive, and that only became all the more so when it was fitted with a rorty 1.6-litre turbocharged engine to create the terrific ST version.
It was lauded on its arrival as one of the all-time hot hatch greats, and its combination of grip, traction, agility, feel and outright pace ensured it remained the benchmark for small hot hatches throughout its life. Sure, the interior is plasticky and it’s bumpy on rougher roads – but the thing is, you’ll be having too much fun to care.
Prices for these brilliant little cars start at the £3,500 mark, but again, you’ll want to pay a bit more to get a good one, as there are still plenty of thrashed, crashed or otherwise abused examples kicking around.
Aim for a tidy, unmodified car with an immaculate service record and a good set of premium-brand tyres (often an indicator that a car has been pampered), and avoid the ST-1 in favour of the more generously equipped ST-2 and ST-3 versions.
I found a 2015 ST-2 with 84,000 miles and a full history on for £6,395; it’s hard to think of another car less than 10 years old that’ll offer you more fun for less cash.