2000 Ford Focus RS WRC

Raced by the double World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz Sr. to second overall in the 2001 Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo

Campaigned by the Works Ford Motor Co. Ltd team in the 2000 and 2001 World Rally Championships

Entrant in eight rounds of the World Rally Championship between 2000 and 2006

Fresh from a fastidious two-year nut-and-bolt restoration undertaken by the British rally preparation specialist BGMsport

Accompanied by its original light pod and two sets of wheels and tyres, one of which is in ultra-rare snow specification

Offered directly from one of the world’s largest, most diverse and most historically significant collection of rally cars

Finished in the iconic Martini livery – among motorsport history’s most evocative and recognisable liveries

Built by Ford’s de-facto motorsport arm M-Sport Ltd., a company with seven World Rally Championships to its name

Recipe for success

Such was the popularity and commercial appeal of rallying at the turn of the new millennium that Ford was committed to throwing the kitchen sink at the competition version of its ‘New-Edge’ Focus, the long-heralded replacement for the much-loved Escort.

Not only had it granted its de-facto motorsport arm M-Sport Ltd. carte blanche to design a full-fat gravel-churning rally-winning version of the Focus. But it also paid the 1995 World Rally Champion and by far the sport’s most famous name, Colin McRae, a record-breaking sum to drive it.

M-Sport’s founder Malcolm Wilson poached Günther Steiner from Prodrive to head up the technical side of the car’s development, built a state-of-the-art 110-acre factory, lured Martini Racing back to the sport as a lead sponsor for the programme and leant on Ford when and where necessary – like when he borrowed its wind-tunnel to hone the new car’s bodywork and aerodynamics.

The resulting Focus RS WRC was a technological tour de force and a clear signal of intent to the six other major manufacturers poised to contend the 1999 World Rally Championship. Though aesthetically it was not drastically different to its humble production counterpart, the Focus’ bragging rights were earned beneath the surface.

Technical trump cards included a comparatively long wheelbase, enhancing stability, a wind-tunnel-honed aerodynamic package designed to re-equilibrate weight distribution and optimise cooling, and a electronically-actuated semi-automatic gearbox, operated by a stubby, peculiar-looking know mounted beside the steering wheel.

In the hands of Colin McRae, the Focus won on its fourth time out. And the Safari Rally, to boot – arguably the most challenging and technically strenuous of them all! While Ford was denied a title victory with the original ‘New-Edge’ Focus (McRae missed out by an agonising two points in 2001), it did score 16 World Rally Championship victories and undoubtedly help boost sales in the showrooms.

‘V10 FMC’

Registered in the United Kingdom by Ford Motor Company on 20 July 2000 with the number ‘V10 FMC’, this Focus RS WRC made its competitive debut for the Works M-Sport team in Rallye Sanremo, round 12 of that year’s the World Rally Championship.

It was earmarked for the double World Rally Champion Carlos Sainz Sr., who’d returned to Ford at the beginning of the season to bolster its remarkable squadron of drivers (spearheaded by Colin McRae) and strengthen its assault on the championship.

In the face of Sanremo’s unrelenting torrent of twists, turns and death-defying drops, ‘El Matador’ and his co-driver Luis Moya drove a mature rally, steering the Focus clear of trouble and finishing fifth overall, 30 seconds ahead of McRae in the sister Ford. It was to be the only outing in 2000 for ‘V10 FMC’.

The winter period saw this Focus upgraded to 2001 specification: a small yet effective package of enhancements including a fly-by-wire electronic throttle, ceramic turbo internals designed to improve throttle response, and thinner window glass, which saved a not-insignificant eight kilograms.

‘V10 FMC’ was thrust back into action in the year’s traditional curtain-raiser, the 2001 Rallye Automobile Monte-Carlo, where it was to be driven once again by Carlos Sainz. The 2,000km marathon across the mountains that overlook the Côte d’Azur comprised 400km of flat-out special stages. It was the treacherous conditions on these stages that wrote the Monte’s early headlines, with five Works entries out by the end of the first leg.

Having won the world’s most famous rally twice before, Sainz was better-equipped than most to avoid falling foul of the conditions. But even the Spaniard admitted how prevalent the risks were. “On the Col de Turini those were the worst conditions I’ve ever seen,” he said after completing the commonly-held jewel in the rally’s crown, “not because of the snow, but because of the black ice.”

His deft display with this Focus saw him and his teammate Moya win two special stages and cross the finish line second overall – a fantastic result in the season’s opening round. It’s important to note that this Focus is accompanied by its original Monte-Carlo light pod and a set of ultra-rare snow-specification wheels and tyres.

Sainz enjoyed one further outing with ‘V10 FMC’ in the 2001 World Rally Championship: Rallye Catalunya. At his home event, in front of tens of thousand of adoring fans, ‘El Matador’ once again realised his wealth of experience to finish fifth overall.

Over the course of the next years, this Focus passed through the hands of a small number of private owners, all of whom maintained the original Works Ford ‘V10 FMC’ registration. The car was entered into a plethora of international and domestic rallies, including select rounds of the World Rally Championship as late as 2006.

In 2019, this Ford joined one of the world’s largest, most diverse and most historically significant collection of rally cars. It was at this point the decision was taken to undertake a comprehensive restoration to the car’s original Works 2001 specification.

The exhaustive two-year project was entrusted to BGMsport, the Northamptonshire-based rally preparation specialist, which left no stone unturned on its quest to present ‘V10 FMC’ in a condition as close to as it left the M-Sport factory.

More recently, this Focus RS WRC made its – virtual – public debut in a Hagerty film presented by the renowned British motoring journalist Henry Catchpole. During the film, which explores the context of Ford’s activities at the time and, more specifically, the relationship between the road-going Focus RS and the rally car, Henry takes ‘V10 FMC’ to a Welsh asphalt special stage to stretch its legs a little.

It’s a fantastic piece of cinematography and we thoroughly recommend taking the time to watch the film and understand more about what this Ford is all about.

Today, ‘V10 FMC’ boasts many strings on its collector-car-desirability bow. Not only is it a factory Ford World Rally car built by one of the most successful teams in rallying history at a time when it was granted the budget to flex its technological muscles to the max. But it was also raced by one of the sport’s most famous and decorated names, Carlos Sainz Sr., to a podium finish in the greatest rally of them all: Monte-Carlo.

Its period Ford registration, comprehensive restoration undertaken by one of the very best names in the business and evocative Martini livery all further bolster this Focus’ desirability. It goes without saying that these characteristics all increase its eligibility – especially today, in a world where rally cars from around the new millennium are growing in popularity.

Besides the established events such as the Goodwood Festival of Speed, Rally Legend in San Marino and the Eifel Rallye Festival in Germany, examples of these new events harnessing this growing popularity include Velocity International and The Quail, A Motorsports Gathering in California. For one fortunate person, the future is bright – the future is Focused!