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81-458: The project was defined by Stuart Turner in the spring of 1983. He had recently been appointed head of Ford Motorsport in Europe, and realised right away that Ford was no longer competitive in this area. Turner got in touch with Walter Hayes , at the time the vice-president of public relations at Ford, to get support for the project. Hayes had earlier been the driving force behind the development of

162-420: A Corsair GT at Monza. Under the project and campaign brand of "Total Performance" the thrust of Ford worldwide. was so successful, Hayes elevated Ford's public perception from that of vaguely sinister giant of car manufacturing to purveyor of cars which, while resolutely egalitarian, oozed speed, power, guts and sex appeal. One of the first crises Hayes had to deal with was the fallout of Ferrari 's rejection of

243-627: A LHD RS500 version, have set up some elaborate versions of the Sierra RS Cosworth for private customers, replicating some of the RS500's specs. A tuning business with experience of this model is Wolf Racing, which was racing with the Sierra from 1986 to 1989 in the German touring car championship Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft . The official tuning kit for the engine included: Concerning

324-621: A PR launch in Detroit at the end of 1965, the Ford Cosworth DFV won its first race – the Dutch Grand Prix on 4 June 1967, in a Lotus 49 driven by Jim Clark . Graham Hill was in the team was at the specific request of Ford and Hayes, who wanted to be sure that a strong driving cadre would be seated ahead of their engines. Initially, the agreement between Ford, Cosworth and Lotus was binding on all parties, and Ford as

405-505: A World Championship event, although in the hands of drivers such as François Delecour and Massimo Biasion it did take several second and third places. Initially it was unreliable, the gearbox being an especially weak point, and although by 1992 the reliability problems had been solved the Cosworth was never quite as effective in most conditions as some of its rivals. It was a relatively large car, slightly heavy, and less sophisticated than

486-568: A class win therefore although the Sierra finished first in 9/12 rounds of the 1987 season and first in every race from 1988 to 1990 it only took the drivers title once in 1990. The RS500 was successful in the 1988 DTM with Klaus Ludwig in the Ford Team Grab winning the drivers championship and Wolf Racing winning the Team Championship. Both Grab and Wolf were Ford Works Teams and beat Mercedes-AMG along with BMW M Sport for

567-519: A contract with Ford Motor Company was a big deal with great opportunities for the future, even though I wasn’t yet aware that Ford would enter Formula One". The relationship was to last forty years, and be so successful it was the model for other Formula One stars and motor manufacturers. Hayes next project came about as an approach from Colin Chapman. Chapman's cars had until that point relied on power from fast revving Coventry Climax engines, but with

648-791: A daughter. Geneva Motor Show#1985 The Geneva International Motor Show was an annual auto show held in March in the Swiss city of Geneva . The show was hosted at the Palexpo , a convention centre located next to the Geneva Cointrin International Airport. The Salon was organised by the Organisation Internationale des Constructeurs d'Automobiles , and was considered an important major international auto show. First held in 1905,

729-399: A different shell to the original three-door Cosworth, along with its more discreet rear wing, recorded a drag co-efficient of 0.33, thus allowing it to register slightly better performance figures (top speed of 150 mph [240 km/h] and 0–60 mph [0–97 km/h] of 6.1 seconds) compared to the original Cosworth. In January 1990 the third generation Sierra RS Cosworth

810-466: A four-door, second generation, Sierra RS Cosworth. To find a suitable gearbox proved more challenging. The Borg-Warner T5 , also used in the Ford Mustang , was chosen, but the higher revving nature of the Sierra caused some problems. Eventually Borg-Warner had to set up a dedicated production line for the gearboxes to be used in the Sierra RS Cosworth. Many of the suspension differences between

891-524: A fully suitable car. The Cosworth was very powerful but, with only rear-wheel-drive, lost out to the four-wheel-drive Lancias and Mazdas on loose-surface events, while the four-wheel-drive XR4x4 had an excellent chassis but an elderly engine producing only around 230 bhp, at least 80 less than the Lancia. For the 1987 season the team ran both, using the XR4x4 on loose surfaces and the Cosworth on tarmac, but

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972-585: A lesser trim level such as roll up rear windows, no air conditioning etc. In the UK, the RHD 1988–1989 Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworths are badged with small "Sapphire" badges on the rear door window trims. All 1988–1989 LHD models are badged and registered as Sierra RS Cosworths with no Sapphire nomenclature at all. "Sapphire" being viewed as a Ghia trim level that saw power rear windows, air conditioning and other minor options. The Sapphire Cosworth, being based on

1053-518: A project developed on Cosworth's own initiative, the YAA engine. This was a twin cam , 16-valve engine based on Ford's own T88 engine block, better known as the Pinto . This prototype proved an almost ideal basis for the engine Turner needed to power his Group A winner. Therefore, an official request for a turbocharged version (designated Cosworth YBB) capable of 180 HP on the street and 300 HP in race trim,

1134-517: A son and resident at the time in Surrey , Hayes was seeking a secure future for his family when Ford asked him whether he would become head of Ford UK's public relations department. Although it meant crossing the tracks and probably never returning to journalism due to the prejudices at the time, Hayes accepted the job as head in January 1962. Ford had a series of dour but reliable products, including

1215-522: The 1987 Bathurst 1000 in Australia for wheel arch panel irregularities. These had been deemed legal in every other race that year however this deprived Klaus Ludwig and Klaus Niedzwiedz of the drivers' title. Eggenberger won the 1989 Spa 24 Hours . Robb Gravett won the 1990 British Touring Car Championship in a RS500. The BTCC points system was such that divisions below the Sierra (3500cc & under, 2000cc & under) would gain more points for

1296-575: The 1990 Sandown 500 with Glenn Seton and George Fury . Robbie Francevic won the New Zealand Touring Car Championship in 1989 and 1990 for Mark Petch Motorsport . The RS500 also won 3 out 4 rounds of the 1988 Asia-Pacific Touring Car Championship , however due to Division 2 vehicles (2000cc-3500cc) gaining more points for outright places, it did not take the title with Colin Bond taking second place. The RS500 won

1377-593: The Ford Cortina and Ford Zodiac . Hayes concluded that a push into racing and competition was key to developing the image, and in his very first weeks in his job he gave the go-ahead for his first motor sport activity with support for the successful private entrant Tony Brookes attack on six International class G World records at Montlhery with the 105E Anglia. Two years later he supported the same team in capturing 13 World Records in International class F with

1458-593: The Ford GT40 that won Le Mans in 1966, and the Cosworth DFV engine that brought Ford 154 victories and 12 world championships in Formula One during the 1960s and 1970s. Hayes found the project very appealing and promised his full support. Turner then invited Ken Kohrs, vice-president of development, to visit Ford's longtime partner, the automotive engineering company Cosworth , where they were presented

1539-568: The Ford Sierra due to be replaced with the all new Ford Mondeo for the 1993 model year, the BTCC , DTM and other championships moving away from the Group A format from 1990 onwards due to increasing costs, lack of manufacturer participation and the RS500 still winning over 3 years after it had been homologated, Ford saw no reason to produce another 'Evolution' model. Motorsport Magazine stated

1620-674: The Japanese Touring Car Championship in 1987, 1988 & 1989 with team Object T. Ballast and Boost restrictions for were increased for the 1989 season, with only two wins it did not win the drivers title but retained the manufacturers title. Major series and race wins by the Ford Sierra RS500 include: The RS500 can be seen as the catalyst for the downfall of the Group A format due to its dominance in every Group A sanctioned event from 1987 onwards. With

1701-544: The Nardò circuit in Italy, a prototype was presented to the project management. This was based on an XR4i body with provisional body modifications in fibreglass and aluminium. The car's appearance raised little enthusiasm. The large rear wing caused particular reluctance. Pinske insisted, however, that the modifications were necessary to make the project successful. The rear wing was essential to retain ground contact at 300 km/h,

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1782-708: The Qatar Motor Show were confirmed to be from 5 to 14 October 2023. In 2021, the Geneva International Motor Show organisers entered into an agreement with Qatari government to hold the biennal exhibitions in Qatar during the fourth quarter along with the annual exhibitions in the Switzerland during the first quarter. The 2021 and 2022 exhibitions were cancelled due to the continued COVID-19 pandemic measures. The Qatari location

1863-403: The Qatar Motor Show , at Doha . In July 2023, plans were announced for the 2024 Geneva Motor Show from 26 February to 3 March, with a revised format to reduce costs for exhibitors. The 2024 edition highlighted serious organizational shortcomings, which resulted in lower participation or the total absence of the manufacturers. As of January 26, 2024, automakers that are confirmed to present at

1944-502: The rallying program, one of Hayes first accomplishments was to sign relatively unknown Scottish racing driver Jackie Stewart . Stewart was attending the 1964 British International Motor Show at Earl's Court , London, when Hayes approached him and later offered Stewart £500 to promote Ford products in 1965, along with the white Ford Zodiac that was the centrepiece of Ford's exhibit to drive that year. Stewart later commented: "I didn’t know who Walter Hayes was, but I did know that to have

2025-444: The 1950s. Hayes and Copp developed a business plan, which was backed by Ford UK's new chairman Stanley Gillen , and approved by Ford's Detroit head office as a two part plan – stage one would produce a four-cylinder twin-cam engine for Formula Two ; by May 1967, stage two would produce a V-8 Formula One unit. In return, Chapman agreed to engineer "specials" for Ford, the first of which was 1963's Lotus Cortina . Revealed by Hayes in

2106-858: The 1983 Detroit Grand Prix , the engine's 155th race victory: with the Ford logo branded on the side of every one. At the start of the DFV project, Hayes told Henry Ford II that he thought the DFV engine was "fairly likely" to win a World Championship. In 1997 a group of people gathered at Donington Park to commemorate the DFV's 30th anniversary. Jackie Stewart said a few words, making comments on an engine which had made him as well as Graham Hill , Jochen Rindt , Emerson Fittipaldi , James Hunt , Mario Andretti , Alan Jones , Nelson Piquet and Keke Rosberg . It had also brought championships to teams: Lotus , Matra , Tyrrell, McLaren and Williams ; and won races for Hesketh , March , Penske , Shadow and Wolf . During

2187-454: The 1994 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1993 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1992 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1991 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1990 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1989 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1988 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at

2268-417: The 2000 Geneva show: The following concepts and major launches featured at the 1999 Geneva show: The following concepts and major launches featured at the 1998 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1997 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1996 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 1995 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at

2349-439: The 4X4 head. Suspension was essentially the same with some minor changes in geometry to suit a less aggressive driving style and favour ride over handling. Spindles, wheel offset and other changes were responsible for this effect. Approximately 13,140 examples were produced during 1988–1989 and were the most numerous and lightest of all Sierra Cosworth models. Specifically the left hand drive models (LHD) which saved weight with

2430-491: The Cosworth was a popular car with private teams. Moreover, below world championship level, four-wheel-drive opposition was limited at the time, and the Cosworth was as fast as any of its two-wheel-drive rivals. It lacked the fine handling of the BMW M3, for example, but on the other hand it was much more powerful. It was also very reliable. Consequently, it became a very popular car at the national championship level, and during

2511-557: The Escort went on sale in May 1992, more than a year after the first pre-production examples were shown to the public, and was homologated for Group A rally in December, just as the Sierra RS Cosworth was retired. The 4x4 Cosworth made a few appearances as a works rally car in 1990, and then tackled a full World Championship programme for 1991 and 1992. It was not a great success and never won

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2592-585: The IMSA cars was excellent feedback for Ford. Some production parts from the XR4Ti made their way into the Cosworth such as the speedometer with integral boost gauge and the motorsport 909 chassis stiffening plates. In April 1983, Turner's team decided on the Sierra as a basis for their project. The Sierra filled the requirements for rear wheel drive and decent aerodynamic drag. A racing version could also help to improve

2673-572: The Pre Production Prove out Process cars produced in February 1986 and the main production of the vehicle commencing summer 1986, the final cars off the production line were in December 1986. 3 colours were produced, Black, White and Moonstone Blue, with White and Moonstone Blue both seeing around 2/5th of the total number of Right Hand Drive models produced with Black cars around 1/5th. The following number of vehicles were registered in

2754-479: The RS500 is statistically the most successful road derived racing car of all time, winning 84.6% of all races it entered. The Sierra Cosworth was also pressed into service as a rally car, and saw some success. After the abolition of the Group B formula in the World Rally Championship at the end of 1986, manufacturers had to turn to Group A cars and Ford, like most others, found itself without

2835-458: The Salon hosted almost all major internal combustion engined models in the history of the automobile, along with benzene- and steam-powered cars from the beginning of the century. Exotic supercars often steal the spotlight during their debuts at the show. Prototypes, new equipment, technical breakthroughs, international partnerships , as well as political and social debates, have been announced at

2916-536: The Sapphire Cosworth which could be purchased at 18 participating Ford main dealers. Modifications were cosmetic as well as mechanical, with the cars built at the Rouse Sport factory. Originally a run of 100 was planned however just 78 were built with 6 being 302-R and the remaining 72 were the 304-R. Walter Hayes Walter Leopold Arthur Hayes CBE (12 April 1924 – 26 December 2000)

2997-415: The Sierra had ceased, and most of the team's effort was directed towards the upcoming Escort Cosworth, which promised to be a much more competitive prospect. Like the rear-drive car, the Cosworth 4x4 was popular at lower levels of rallying and a consistent winner at national championship level, and it remains a popular car among amateur rally drivers. Andy Rouse Engineering produced two modified versions of

3078-628: The UK: As published in the 1986 RS catalog: Mike Moreton was head of the team that planned to develop an evolution edition aimed at making the car unbeatable on the race tracks. In March 1987, Aston Martin Tickford was signed for the job of converting the 500 cars. The Cosworth RS500 was announced in July 1987, and was homologated in August 1987. The main difference to the Sierra three-door Cosworth

3159-602: The United Kingdom at the time. Working his way up through the defined path of local, regional and national journalistic work; dedicated pipe smoker Hayes became associate editor of the Daily Mail and in 1956 and at the age of 32, the last editor of the " Sunday Dispatch " newspaper. Looking for something different to revive the motoring column, he was introduced to Lotus Cars owner Colin Chapman , who became an occasional contributor and commentator. Married with

3240-455: The XR4x4's power disadvantage was too great and from 1988 the team concentrated on the Cosworth alone, and continued to use it until the arrival of the Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 in 1990. The rear-drive car never won a loose-surface World Rally Championship event, but in the hands of drivers such as Stig Blomqvist , Carlos Sainz and Ari Vatanen it frequently finished in the top five, except when conditions were particularly slippery. On tarmac it

3321-501: The aesthetics: The declared power was 260 PS, although some owners claim at least 40 PS more. In August 1987 the Sierra RS500 Cosworth was homologated. Ford took pole position in all the remaining six 1987 World Touring Car Championship events and was first over the finish line in four of them. The works Eggenberger Motorsport team won the entrants' World Championship, although the team's cars were disqualified from

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3402-458: The cancellation. It was one of the first of many major automotive events to be cancelled due to COVID-19. The following vehicles were to be presented at the show in 2020: The 89th Geneva Motor Show was held between 7 and 17 March 2019. The 88th Geneva Motor Show was held on 8 to 18 March 2018. The 87th Geneva Motor Show was held from 9 to 19 March 2017. The 86th Geneva Motor Show was held from 3 to 13 March 2016. The 85th Geneva Motor Show

3483-584: The change in Formula One regulations to three litre capacity from 1966, Coventry Climax decided for business reasons not to develop a large capacity engine. Chapman had approach the fledgling Cosworth group, with Keith Duckworth commenting that he could produce a competitive three litre engine, given a development budget of £100,000. Chapman approach Ford and also David Brown of Aston Martin , each without initial success. Hayes arranged diner for Chapman with Harley Copp , an American engineer who had backed and engineered Ford's successful entry into NASCAR in

3564-698: The company renewed the DB range by announcing the Jaguar XJS based, Tom Walkinshaw 's TWR Group engineered "small Aston"/DB7 – which ensured survival by boosting production by 500%. Ford substantially invested in new manufacturing and quickly ramped-up production. In 1994, Ford opened a new factory at Banbury Road in Bloxham , after which Hayes retired again. Hayes lived at Battlecrease Hall in Shepperton ; he and his wife Elizabeth (née Holland) had two sons and

3645-599: The crisis of the Ferrari purchase/development of the GT40, and latterly the development of the Ford Cosworth DFV, Hayes would often meet with Henry Ford II . The pair got on well, and thanks to the success of the DFV, Henry appointed Hayes to the board of one of his major projects, the establishment of Ford of Europe at its founding in 1967. Henry Ford II also trusted Hayes judgement, and when in February 1975, Ford

3726-482: The event for 2025 and beyond, citing a general lack of interest by manufacturers and competition from other shows. It shifted its focus to the show scheduled for November 2025 in Qatar. Areas of the show: The International Advanced Mobility Forum is the Geneva Motor Show forum on the mobility of the future. The organizers of the car show have announced the closure. While they will continue to organize

3807-523: The exhibition. The show was regarded as a level playing field for the world's automakers, aided by the fact Switzerland lacked an auto industry of its own. The Geneva International Motor Show was not held in 2020-2023 due to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact on the global automobile industry. The event returned in 2024. In May 2024 the Geneva Show organizing committee decided to cancel

3888-653: The funder had no plans to sell or hire the DFV to any other teams. However, it occurred to Hayes that there was no competition – the Ferrari was underpowered; the BRM complex and too heavy; the unreliable Maserati ; Brabham was powered by the Oldsmobile -derived V8 Repco ; the overweight Honda ; while Dan Gurney 's Eagle Weslake was beautiful, powerful and sleek, but often unreliable. Hayes concluded that Ford's name could become tarnished, and that they should agree to use

3969-532: The home of Contessa Maggi, the wife of the founder of the original Mille Miglia , while watching the revival event – another house guest was Hayes. Despite problems over the previous acquisition of AC Cars , Hayes saw the potential of the brand and the discussion resulted in Ford taking a share holding in September 1987. Hayes recognized the need for a higher-volume, lower cost Aston Martin, and under his guidance

4050-461: The honours. For the 1989 season, the cars were reined in with even higher weight and boost penalties (partly due to protests from BMW and Mercedes who felt they were at a significant disadvantage) until they were no longer competitive, subsequently forced induction engines were banned for 1991 season onwards. Knowing they were unable to be competitive, Ford left the DTM at end of the 1989 season. The RS500

4131-678: The late 1980s Sierra drivers won many national series. For example, Jimmy McRae took the British Rally Championship in a Sierra in 1987 and 1988, whilst Carlos Sainz won the Spanish Rally Championship , and Didier Auriol won the French Rally Championship in those same years. The Cosworth was popular with spectators because it was visually dramatic, with its flame-spitting exhaust and tail-sliding, rear-drive handling; and it

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4212-505: The latter generations of the Lancia Delta and Toyota Celica in terms of transmission systems and electronics. Biasion was reputedly strongly critical of the car on his first events for the team in 1992, but earned its best World Championship finish on that year's Rally of Portugal, where he finished second. He also brought its World Championship career to a close with fifth place on that Lombard RAC Rally. By then technical development of

4293-603: The motor industry in 1982. When Caldwell retired, Hayes returned to Britain as vice-chairman of Ford of Europe. In 1989, Hayes was instrumental in setting up the Premier Automotive Group , when he agreed with a now English-homed Henry Ford II to purchase AC Cars , then a stake in Aston Martin , and then Jaguar Cars . Hayes retired from Ford of Europe in December 1989. In May 1987, former RAF pilot Gauntlett and Prince Michael of Kent were staying at

4374-444: The opening between the headlights was needed to feed air to the intercooler and the wheel arch extensions had to be there to house wheels 10” wide on the racing version. Eventually, the Ford designers agreed to try to make a production version based on the prototype. In 1984, Walter Hayes paid visits to many European Ford dealers in order to survey the sales potential for the Sierra RS Cosworth. A requirement for participation in Group A

4455-452: The original Sierra RS Cosworth was not embraced. The more discreet 4-door version was considered to have a better market potential. It was therefore decided that the new car should be a natural development of the second generation, to be launched in conjunction with the face lift scheduled for the entire Sierra line in 1990. The waiting time gave Ford Motorsport a good opportunity to conduct extensive testing and demand improvements. One example

4536-471: The plans for a DB7 were created and the car was brought into production. His first move was to shrewdly appointed the industrialist Sir David Brown , an enthusiastic backer of Aston Martin in its post-war glory days, as honorary life president – a small move that nonetheless did wonders for Aston's image among its heritage-conscious customers. In 1992, the Vantage version was announced, and the following year

4617-540: The plants like dukes and duchesses". Hayes returned to Europe as vice-president of Ford of Europe, and became vice-chairman in 1976. In 1980 he was made a vice-president of the American parent under new Ford chairman Philip Caldwell , and moved to Detroit to head public affairs for the corporation. He launched new motorsports initiatives there, including the IMSA GTP projects. Hayes was appointed CBE for services to

4698-435: The poor, and somewhat undeserved, reputation that the Sierra had earned since its introduction in 1982. Lothar Pinske, responsible for the car's bodywork, demanded carte blanche when it came to appearance in order to make the car stable at high speed. Experience had shown that the Sierra hatchback body generated significant aerodynamic lift even at relatively moderate speed. After extensive wind tunnel testing and test runs at

4779-592: The power was therefore increased to just about compensate for this. The Sierra RS Cosworth 4x4 received, if possible, an even more flattering response than its predecessors and production continued until the end of 1992, when the Sierra was replaced by the Mondeo . The replacement for the Sierra RS Cosworth was not a Mondeo however, but the Escort RS Cosworth . Based on the Sierra Cosworth platform,

4860-524: The price on the car. As an example, the car was only offered in three exterior colours (black, white and moonstone blue) and one interior colour (grey). There were also just two equipment options: with or without central locking and electric window lifts. European models differed from UK models in their specification with a basic radio cassette and no amplifier being fitted rather than the Ford Sound 2000 head unit and amplifier. The Ford Sierra RS Cosworth

4941-448: The proposed Ford takeover. Hayes became part of the team that supported Henry Ford II 's thoughts that Ford should take on Ferrari directly in their own home market of racing. Hayes initiated discussion with Cooper which didn't come to fruition; but agreements with Lotus resulted in a successful Indianapolis 500 program, and with Lola to design, engineer and produce the prototypes of the all conquering Ford GT40 . As well as reviving

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5022-537: The show in 2024 are: The following vehicles were first presented at the show: The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic along with "uncertainties in the global economy and geopolitics" in 2022 led the organisers to cancel the Swiss location for 2023 (fourth year in row) and to postpone the Qatari location until October 2023. Another contributing factor was less commitments from the manufacturers for the Swiss location. The dates for

5103-539: The show started on 2 March 2010, when most of the major introductions occurred. The 2009 Geneva Motor Show was held from 5–15 March 2009. The following vehicles were introduced: The 2008 Geneva Motor Show was held from 6–16 March 2008. The following vehicles were introduced: The 2007 Geneva Auto Show was held from 8–18 March 2007. The following vehicles were introduced: In addition, Subaru introduced its new boxer diesel engine , and Honda showed its next generation clean diesel engine . The 2006 Geneva Auto Show

5184-515: The standard Sierra and the Cosworth attributed their development to what was learned from racing the turbocharged Jack Roush IMSA Merkur XR4Ti in America and Andy Rouse 's successful campaign of the 1985 British Saloon Car Championship . Much of Ford's external documentation for customer race preparation indicated "developed for the XR4Ti" when describing parts that were Sierra Cosworth specific. Roush's suspension and aerodynamics engineering for

5265-410: The unit in other teams, and hence potentially dominate Formula One. Chapman, on the back of the pairs long friendship agreed, and Hayes could release the DFV initially to rival French team Matra , headed by Ken Tyrrell with Jackie Stewart as a driver. Still the most successful Grand Prix engine ever, sixteen years later it was still taking the chequered flag – a DFV-powered Tyrrell Racing car won

5346-531: Was Cosworth's uprated competition engine. Its new features were: The RS500 also had minor external cosmetic differences to its parent the Sierra three-door Cosworth: Exactly 500 RS500s were produced using the 500 Sierra RS Cosworth vehicles that were produced at Genk in December 1986, all of them RHD for sale in the UK only - the biggest market for this kind of Ford car. It was originally intended that all 500 would be black, however 56 white and 52 moonstone blue cars were also produced. Some European tuners, missing

5427-412: Was a much more serious competitor, and a young Didier Auriol won the 1988 Corsica Rally outright, the only time that season that Lancia were beaten in a straight fight. However, as Lancia developed the Delta Integrale further and new cars such as the Toyota Celica GT-Four ST165 appeared, the Cosworth became steadily less competitive. Thanks to strong support and readily available parts from Ford Racing,

5508-413: Was also seen as essential in Australia which used standing starts compared to the rolling starts used in Europe. Glenn Seton won the 1990 Australian Endurance Championship driving a Sierra RS500. The RS500 won the Bathurst 1000 twice; in 1988 with Tony Longhurst and Tomas Mezera and in 1989 with Johnson and Bowe. It also won the 1988 Sandown 500 with Allan Moffat and Gregg Hansford and

5589-404: Was an English journalist, and later public relations executive for Ford . Hayes was key in developing Ford's Formula One program, by signing Jackie Stewart and funding the building of the Cosworth DFV V8 Formula One racing engine; and the creation of the Premier Automotive Group with the purchases of classic English brands Jaguar and Aston Martin . Walter Leopold Arthur Hayes

5670-433: Was born in Harrow , Middlesex , the eldest child of lithographer Walter Leopold Hayes and Hilda Beatrice Fisher. Hayes won a scholarship to Hampton School , and served in the Royal Air Force , where he was a cadet pilot . and educator. After World War II , as the son of a lithographer Hayes found entry to Fleet Street relatively easy through the network of printing chapels , which controlled newspaper production in

5751-403: Was caught drunk-driving up a one- way street in Santa Barbara , Hayes suggested he use a Benjamin Disraeli quote for the waiting press: "Never complain, never explain." Hayes was one of many who wrote a biography of Henry Ford II, writing " Henry: a memoir of Henry Ford II (1990) " in which he commented that Ford treated "housemaids and hotel maids and secretaries and drivers and the people in

5832-588: Was first presented to the public at the Geneva Motor Show in March 1985, with plans to release it for sale in September and closing production of the 5,000 cars in the summer of 1986. In practice, it was launched in July 1986, and 5545 were manufactured in total, of which 500 were sent to Tickford for conversion to the Sierra three-door RS500 Cosworth. The vehicles were manufactured at Ford's Genk factory in Belgium in both Left and Right hand drive, with

5913-516: Was held from 3–19 March 2006. The following vehicles were introduced: The following introductions were made at the 2005 Geneva show: The following introductions were made from 4 to 14 March 2004 at the Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 2003 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at the 2002 Geneva show: The following major introductions were made at the 2001 Geneva show: The following introductions were made at

5994-407: Was held from 5 to 15 March 2015. The 84th Geneva Motor Show was held from 6 to 16 March 2014. The 83rd Geneva Motor Show was held from 7 to 17 March 2013. The 82nd edition was held from 8 to 18 March 2012. The 2011 edition was held from 3 to 13 March 2011. The 80th edition of the Geneva Motor Show was held from 4–14 March 2010. Over 80 introductions were expected for the show. Press days for

6075-497: Was launched, this time with four wheel drive. As early as 1987, Mike Moreton and Ford Motorsport had been talking about a four-wheel drive Sierra RS Cosworth that could make Ford competitive in the World Rally Championship. The Ferguson MT75 gearbox that was considered an essential part of the project wasn't available until late 1989 however. Ford Motorsport's desire for a 3-door "Motorsport Special" equivalent to

6156-400: Was placed. Cosworth answered positively, but they put up two conditions: the engine would produce not less than 150 kW (204 HP) in the street version, and Ford had to accept no fewer than 15,000 engines. Turner's project would only need about 5,000 engines, but Ford nevertheless accepted the conditions. The extra 10,000 engines would later become one of the reasons Ford also chose to develop

6237-577: Was popular with amateur drivers because it was competitive, robust and relatively cheap. To this day it is a fairly common sight at lower-level events. The second generation four-door Sierra Sapphire Cosworth was assembled in Genk, Belgium, with the UK-built Ford-Cosworth YBB engine. Cylinder heads on this car were early spec two wheel drive heads and also the "later" two wheel drive head which had some improvements which made their way to

6318-562: Was successful in Australian touring car racing with Dick Johnson Racing dominating the 1988 and 1989 Australian Touring Car Championships , with Dick Johnson and John Bowe finishing one-two in both years. Early in 1988, the Johnson team also took the step of homologating a modified Ford nine-inch axle for the Sierra, eliminating the car's drivetrain weakness and allowing the cars to be driven harder with less fear of failure. This

6399-406: Was that 5,000 cars were built and sold. The feedback was not encouraging. The dealers estimated they could sell 1,500 cars. Hayes did not give up, however, and continued his passionate internal marketing of the project. As prototypes started to emerge, dealers were invited to test-drive sessions, and this increased the enthusiasm for the new car. In addition, Ford took some radical measures to reduce

6480-428: Was the return of the bonnet louvres. According to Ford's own publicity material, 80% of the engine parts were also modified. The improved engine was designated YBG for cars with a catalytic converter and YBJ for cars without. The former had the red valve cover replaced by a green one, to emphasize the environmental friendliness. Four wheel drive and an increasing amount of equipment had raised the weight by 100 kg, and

6561-516: Was to be held in November 2022, but it was postponed to 2023 for the same reason. The global chip shortage was also cited as a factor in the 2022 cancellation of Swiss location. The 90th Geneva Motor Show was planned for 5 to 15 March 2020, but it was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Switzerland's decision to impose a limit on gatherings of over 1,000 people was cited as the reason for

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