The red Sierra Sapphire "barn find" RS Cosworth

[LARK F1 GTR]

Sorry if mentioned before, mods please move / merge if so.

I saw Mathewsons have this one in, but I think they've had it in for a while as I do remember it being in the background when I've seen their videos. It's also the one that Paul Linfoot had in has yard for a while just there doing nothing as it was said that it was too far gone.

I'm sure some of you will have seen it?



I don't want it, but I do think Sapphire's are kind of cool.

[sortedcossie]

It resurfaces from time to time, I know someone who saw it before the pandemic - it does indeed need significant time and money spent, that will be more than it'll be worth. I think the only reason it hasn't been broken is due to it being a special order rare colour.

[thegreenhell]

It appears to have gone through Mathewsons a couple of times in 2022, apparently sold both times at 23 and then £26k.

[LARK F1 GTR]

Cheers guys!

I was wondering what they expected it to fetch? They say £40 - 50k.

https://www.mathewsons.co.uk/auction/lot/lot-776--...

[daqinggregg]

Estimate, means sweet Falicity Arkwright, underneath the barn find crud, is a car of many hues/panel gaps and rampant oxidisation.

Parts car at best, special order rare colour, ‘not a desirable colour’. It will probably remain unsold.

[bowder]

LARK F1 GTR said:

Cheers guys!

I was wondering what they expected it to fetch? They say £40 - 50k.

https://www.mathewsons.co.uk/auction/lot/lot-776--...

seems a trifle optimistic.

[generationx]

Love it when these oddballs show up, but that does look expensive to put right.

I seem to recall there was one “factory” red 3dr which I remember seeing a couple of times in the 90s, there was also a Moonstone 3dr automatic but I think that was a private commission, not factory.

[sortedcossie]

£18k to £20k car, even when done it'll struggle to command £50k.

[WPA]

Does anyone know how many red Sapphire's were made, I seem remember another being featured on Wheeler Dealers as the opening car.

[sortedcossie]

Don't take this as gospel, sure i've read that 3 x 2WD and 6 x 4WD we're supplied radiant red like that one.

[s m]

Robb Gravett had a red Sapphire at one time - just 2wd IIRC

[Terminator X]

Red an unusual colour? Mostly black or grey weren't they.

My first car moment seeing a black one in the 80's, smitten

TX.

Edit - sorry just seen the red is rare posts!

[s m]

Terminator X said:

Red an unusual colour? Mostly black or grey weren't they.

My first car moment seeing a black one in the 80's, smitten

TX.

Edit - sorry just seen the red is rare posts!

On 2wd Sapphires, black is not common. Mercury Grey was the early colour followed by Flint Grey

3-dr Cosworth was common in black and on the RS500 was the most common choice

[sortedcossie]

Indeed, Gloss Black was rare - A mate of mine had a late 2WD on a G plate. Took him ages to find one.

[generationx]

Dad had an early 4WD in Ash Black, that was a lovely metallic colour in the sunlight!

[aeropilot]

Terminator X said:

Red an unusual colour? Mostly black or grey weren't they.

Technically, there were two other metallic reds as well, Magenta Red, and another very similar shade, but called a different name, which has long vanished from my memory cells, and was on the later 4wd cars. Guy I knew had a Magenta Cossie Sapph 2wd as a new company car back in the day (pretty sure it was a 2wd, but it was 35 years ago now!!)

[sortedcossie]

nouveau red, 1992 onwards colour only for the run out ones.

[aeropilot]

sortedcossie said:

nouveau red, 1992 onwards colour only for the run out ones.

Funny isn't it, I knew someone would know, and I'd go "that's it".....but, Nouveau didn't register at all in my ageing brain cells......

[cerb4.5lee]

sortedcossie said:

Indeed, Gloss Black was rare - A mate of mine had a late 2WD on a G plate. Took him ages to find one.

I remember seeing a solid black Escort Cosworth at a show once years ago, and I just fell in love with it. I know black isn't everyone's cup of tea, but polished up I always think that black looks ace(as does red too).

[Deranged Rover]

cerb4.5lee said:

I remember seeing a solid black Escort Cosworth at a show once years ago, and I just fell in love with it. I know black isn't everyone's cup of tea, but polished up I always think that black looks ace(as does red too).

Black does look ace when polished up.

However, if my one and only black car is anything to go by, this lovely effect lasts for between 6 minutes and maybe an hour on a good day before it looks dusty/grubby/spotty again!