1991 FORD SCORPIO COSWORTH
Scorpios are rare but there surely can’t be another with a history as good as this. No wonder its owner would struggle to part with it
‘Although I haven’t decided yet it’s possible that I might be selling the car, although I’d certainly be sad to see it go. It’s a lovely example and always gets plenty of admiring looks when it’s out on the road; being quite rare nowadays is probably what attracted me to it in the first place.
‘I was at an auction and considering a few different classics, but the Scorpio really caught my eye and my mind was made up when I found out about its history. Although it had been built in 1991 it was never registered and Ford instead loaned it to Belfast University where it helped to teach automotive engineering students about modern cars. It never left the campus and was never driven on the road.
‘Ford decided to take the car back in 2014 but the chief lecturer, who had really bonded with it over the years and feared that it would be crushed, stepped in and bought it. I got it in 2016 but he really didn’t want to part with it and was quite emotional about the whole thing. It was nice that I was able to develop a good rapport with him and discover more about the car’s history.
‘It was in remarkable condition and had covered fewer than 1400 miles when I bought it, but the fact that it had never been registered did cause a few problems. Ford in the UK didn’t have any record of the car but fortunately their colleagues in Germany could provide all of the necessary information so that I could finally get it on the road. That was early in 2017 and while it was incredibly original there was a bit of recommissioning needed. One of the first jobs was to replace the 26-year-old tyres, while the engine was thoroughly serviced and fitted with a new water pump. I also had the electrics checked over and given a clean bill of health and replaced the centre section of the exhaust.
‘The air-conditioning wasn’t working so I had that fixed and converted for use with modern refrigerant, but otherwise that was about it – there was absolutely no sign of rust anywhere and even
those fittings and bits of plastic under the bonnet that often go missing were all in place.
‘The car has still only covered 2200 miles since then so I haven’t driven it as much as I would have liked. It does only come out in summer.
‘No other work has been needed, although I’ve recently noticed that the stereo system isn’t working properly but that doesn’t really bother me. I’ve attended a few shows, too, including the Bromley Pageant of Motoring in 2017 where the Classic Car Weekly team spotted it. It subsequently featured in the December issue of that year.
‘Interestingly, I also owned a Jaguar XJS and although that’s since been sold I have taken both cars to shows and it was the Ford that always got the most interest. I guess it’s just one of those cars that people remember and there certainly won’t be many others in the same condition as this one!
‘I love the story behind the car and it is great to drive, so it would be a shame to part
with it.’