The Deadly Ford That Helped End Group B Rally 

The RS200 is one of the biggest examples of being late to a party. It's a shame took so long to bring this car into Group B as I always thought it could have been among the class leaders with a bit of work. They made the right call on building an AWD car instead of their original Escort proposal, but I find it funny that Ford went back to a RWD platform for their Group A rally car, the Sierra Cosworth RS. Well, at least until the end of its run, when they switched to the Sierra Sapphire 4X4.

Lived round the corner from reliant cars and I remember seeing a Ford RS200 on the road. A cool car 🚗 😎

I still can't believe I saw one in real life about 2 months ago when I was riding on my favourite road. I saw a white car hauling ass in the distance and is it got closer I saw the 2 round headlights and thought "no way it can't be", then it drove past me and I looked back, and sure enough that iconic wing confirmed that it was indeed a rs200. If only I had something faster than a 125cc motorbike I'd have turned around and went after it to take some pictures😭

this is the channel for me, nice one!

My favourite car. Love it. Looks sexy and bloody fast!

RS200 does not look 80s in the slightest. It has a very mid 90's shape to it. The design was ahead of it's time.

So, the tragic wreck which claimed the lives of four spectators in Portugal in 1986 spelled the end of Group B, but not the end of lining the sides of rally courses with human guardrails. Got it.

Just imagine how crazy rally could have been if they just kept the fans off of / a safe distance from the track.

I had a white and blue Matchbox RS200 when I was a boy - it was one of my favourites as it just looked so cool and different to all the other models. Group B was banned the year before I was born though. There should be a 1/24 scale model kit of this coming out soon which I will definitely build

Well presented and just intricate enough to not be boring, well done. I hope to hear you talk about one of Ford's other attempts at an all out rally machine, the GT 70

Failed?!... It's flipping legendary! I'd prefer it to many so called "supercars" ...just say'n...

I wouldn't call the RS200 a failure, nor the 6R4... They both just arrived late. Had Group B continued they may have found success but going up against outfits that had years of experience at that level was always going to be a challenge

The poor spectator control was key in ending Group B. Kids could have done better.

Reliant didn't only make that turd the Reliant Robin. They also made the way cooler Reliant Scimitar, a bit like a lightweight Capri, same engine and running gear but in a considerably lighter bodyshell. They were also far and away the most experienced UK company in working with fibreglass car bodies.

I thought years and years about why group b was banned and recently I've come to the conclusion that it had nothing to do with the cars or the amount of power they generated, but rather crowd control, modern day rallycross cars are just if not more powerful so stop blaming the cars, it had to do with the organisation that managed crowd control!

Neither were failures. The failure in group B was the organisers, people crowding the tracks, stood on the outside of corners, absolutely zero in the way of safety, just look at what the teams were dealing with driving through crowds where you can't even see the road. The RS200 and 6R4 went on to dominate in rallycross and are still used today

Since we are talking about IMSA GTO and GTU, can you make a video about the sheer dominance Mazda has in IMSA for some 14 years? The Rx7’s repeated championship runs would make even what they R32 Skylines did in Australia blush

I swear I've seen another RS200 crash that resulted in the death of the driver and co driver? I remember helicopter footage of the RS200 belting along, getting into a major slide at high speed on a straight and coming off the road sideways straight into a tree and then instantly bursting into flames? Am I dreaming this as it certainly didn't involve spectators?

Great video. Unfortunately portugal 86 was not the only event where a rs200 was protagonist of a deadly crash. Hessen Rally 86 was the second one.

Fast cars had a little bit to do with it. But the psychotic fans that kept getting in the way were the major cause for the demise of group B.

The body of the RS200 was fabricated about a mile from where I lived, by Ken Atwell, in a small garage to the west of Swansea, on the edge of the Gower Peninsular.

IMHO the RS200 had big potential in wrc Group B, it has the essential mid engine, turbo, 4WD combo of the top cars but including the interesting transaxle with great weight distribution. If only gr B continued for at least for one more year the evo car could see success with the enlarged engine, more suspension travel and the other changes

Weirdly enough, Group B didn't have anywhere near the accidents that the Isle of Man TT has, and that one still is going to this day, with half a dozen death every year.

I am surpeised you failed to mention marc surers crash in germany where he lost controll and slid into a tree and the car exploded

Mark Lovell won the British rally championship with an RS200. It was a win on consistency as he didn't win any events overall that year. Marc Surer had his massive crash in the RS200 during the Hessen rally 1986. The car exploded after hitting a tree and his co-driver was killed. This showed the immense dangers of group B.

Spectators were idiots, why would you go so close to car going at 200ish km/h speeds, jumping, sliding, there are multiple videos where they run on the asphalt like idiots to be, idk run over? It only puts more stress on the driver, when it's already stressful enough to race fast and technically on tight slippery courses. They are the real reason group B got canceled. You don't see races being canceled nowadays because of crashing into spectators because they are at a way safer distance from the tracks

Having been personally responsible for the repair of DS Kara's racing car after a particularly hard shunt in the rain by the owner,who obviously can't drive, I was surprised to find that when I was unbolting the doors that the reinforcement and indeed strength of the A pillars is provided by a block of timber with wood to metal screws,the door adjustment being made by altering how many penny washers sat behind each hinge,the doors are only a fibreglass replica of the top half of a MK1 Sierra door so they are featherweight but I still didn't expect that,as for the mouldings themselves,having repaired all manner of composites over the years,auto/ marine and all manner in between,Reliant moulds were among the best requiring very little hand finishing,filling or fettling.

What do you call a Ford that doesn't breakdown? Cosworth.

I just feel like this channel is for 90s kid in their 30s or 20s that grew up in the super car era and played Gran Turismo 2 for hours after school 😂

RS200s and 6R4s were still winning rallycross into the mid 90s. And the Peugeot 205 then evolved into the 405 and finally the Citroen ZX all of which won the Paris-Dakar rally.

the IMSA car looked so cool

I remember those days, watching group B on the telly. I also remember i never felt sad about what ever would befall a rally spectator.

the ford RS200 and lancia delta integrale evo 2 are my 2 favorite cars from this era, nothing electrical, just man n machine at its finest.

It's been over 30 years, I still get sad to think how short lived this era was. I'm just glad I was born in time to see this and Prost/Senna era.

Lovely car. I worked on the EEC-IV at Dunton while the RS200 was being developed and spent a happy few hours one Sunday blowing 50 EPROMs for the homologation run. Double time on a Sunday to meet a Monday deadline :) They've probably all been replaced by now, but I'm proud to have played a small part.

The Norwegian Rallycross driver and owner Martin Schanche was really successful with his Ford RS 200. He even built a custom transmission. Engine had 750HP

Pretty sure the rs200 won many national events where group b was allowed to continue and was not a failure at all

You forgot to talk about Marc Surer horrific crash in 1986 driving a Ford RS200 in which his copiloto Wyder was killed and burned. Big missing mate.

Dopey, unrestrained, European spectators ruined GP B rallying.....not the cars. GP 4 and GP A killed more drivers

Can’t agree, won’t agree. The car won 19 races and 32 podium finishes during it’s first and only group B year in rally. The car won many other competitions and showed a lot of promise. The portugal incident was caused by a spectator who ran in front of the car at the last moment which caused the driver to lose control. I’m very sorry for the people who died but you can’t blame the car for that situation. I wonder how that day would have ended if that spectator stayed in his place instead of trying to be a deer in the headlights?🥴 The RS200 proved to be a successful as a machine, the only failure was that it arrived late to the party.. This car is literally the definition of “unused potential”. One of top 5 group B machines IMO! Great vid

2022 we now can push 450bhp out of a 1.6 ,3cylinder engine without changing anything internally... make Group B look limp!

The driver of the RS200 that crashed in Portugal really shouldn't have been driving it. Not only was he ill he went straight from a mk2 escort straight to the RS200 with hardly any practice. Was inevitable he would crash really

It wasn't the cars that got group b based. It was the utter stupidity of people standing in the road infront of cars heading toward them flat out 🤦‍♂️ If there's anything to blame for us not being able to enjoy this golden class, it's the idiots that lined the tracks

Another great car video, like alot of others are saying you do make some very entertaining and informative videos. Also the "fibreglass if youre busy" bit gave me a good chucke. Looking forward to the next one!

more like the fans killed group b, why organisers let them so close to the track dumbfounds me. i know being close to the cars as they blast past is cool but people standing in front with cameras? the rs was a beast always loved the look of it.

RS200 is my favorite Group B car. I just love the fact that this is the hardest car of them all. The challenge it gives to the driver, that wild handling that it provides. This is amazing.

Ford is a strange company. There's an interview with the legendary Miki Biason, driver of Lancia in those years, and he stated that after he left Lancia to join Ford, they snobbed him and his mechanical advices despite of him winning 6 world rally championships in a row with the Delta. He said at Lancia, they were always trying out the car and he specifically was almost 24/7 making adjustments to tailor the car to his style of driving, that's why Lancia was so successful, but in Ford they had this "big factory" mentality in which they had different pre-made ready-to-go cars for every different stage and rally, which nobody even tried on the specific course.

Marc Surer's crash in Hessen Rally 1986, where his co-driver Wyder was killed, is also an important story to tell with the history of the car.

The Rally organisers and safety regulations are to blame not the power of the cars imo

It was the lunatic fans that ruined group b not the cars.

The freakin' RS200 is absolutely undrivable on dirt rally 2.0 🤣🔥

One of Ford's finest ever cars. The RS200 may have been late, not successful but boy, its good looking, pant wettingly fast and more desirable than any other group B car.

In defence of Reliant.... Back in the late 70's, early 80's Reliant were the countries largest, most experienced and arguably most expert manufacturers of GRP body shells. Our local news paper, the Tamworth Herald would run weekly adverts from the likes of Williams / McLaren etc, looking for experienced guys in composites.... I remember the RS200's being assembled in Shenstone near Lichfield and road tested on the A5.

Gran turismo vibes on the background music

There was only meant to be 200, i think most were made and sold. They did well in events. They werent a failure.. in fact they were awesome for the time.

This was not a failed car

Loving the Grand Turismo Japanese Jazz Fusion 🎵

That weird scoop/police light bar on the roof is the coolest thing

I love the Gran Turismo menu music in the end. Really gets you back to the 90's.

Fantastic video. I love this cars adorable derpy face 😊. Keep up the good work.

Absolutely amazing drivers in the era of group B, Those cars were monsters to control. I was lucky enough to have a ride Blomquists Grp B Quattro and it was crazy, The throttle was like a 500 bhp on off switch LOL.

These powerful cars did not really kill the group, it was the stupid spectators that would get stupidly close to watch

Can we consider Corvette Racing's run on GT racing for future videos?

It wasn't the cars, it was dumb spectators ignoring the rules and often standing in the middle of the road.

Rs200 so awesome 👌 easily tuned to over 700 🐎 🐴

Too bad IMSA and Group B didn't give out style points, what the RS200 lacked in race-performance, it made up in its handsome package. To this day, I think the RS200 was one of the best looking rally cars ever designed. Too bad its performance didn't measure up.

One of Ford’s best ideas

750hp from a 2 ltr car was something !

worst car brand in the world

It was to light, the drivers could throw it around but the lack of weight ment it would snap back at the wrong time....Mind you, Evo magazine tested a modified one with 700 bhp for acceleration times and the results were obscene!....

Let's just take a moment to consider the achievement of getting 750 hp out of a 2-litre engine. That is some serious boost from the turbocharger. I vaguely remember 1986. The accident in Portugal had been an accident-in-waiting for years. Crowd control there was especially abysmal. Some of the other rallies in southern Europe were not much better, but Portugal was especially bad. Before Toivonen's accident in Corsica, group B might have had a chance of survival if the various rally organisers started taking spectator safety seriously. (Actually enforcing control of the crowd instead of just printing "motorsport is dangerous" on the back of every ticket.) Obviously, after Corsica, group B was done. I remember an interview with (I think) Stig Blomqvist in which he pointed out that they were racing down the same stages with 500 hp that they had been driving with 130 hp just a year or two earlier.

Used to see them on the rd , regular we’re I live quite a number of yrs ago , they used to go to Aston Martin Tickford, to have some work carried out , I also used to follow rally in the 80s , 90 s , wasn’t a deadly car , bad organisation, allowing people to be to close to the roads were cars were blasting past , that’s what the problem was ,, poor description of the video ,, Badly Organised safety, in the sport , that’s what the problem was 100 percent , cheers Shane uk 🇬🇧

Actually the car itself is not failed it was one of the best B group cars ever….. The problem was that they were improving safety regulations at the time and the accident in which one of the fords was involved what was the final nail to the coffin of the B group in general

Chick bait video title. The car wasn't deadly.

Wasn't a failure. Not fords fault group b was banned Was a very successful car in rallycross!

Constructive criticism, @automobilistic: Nice commentary, but spoiled but your repeated mispronunciation of "A" and "THE". In "a car" the a is pronounced "uh", not "AAAYYYY"! Also "the car" is not "THEEEEE car" but "thuh car". I know you know this but RU-vid is FULL of people who do this bizarre pronunciation in their presentations when I'm damn sure you don't do it in 'real life'. The pronunciation "theee", as we all know, is only used when it precedes a word beginning with a vowel *sound* and I emphasise 'sound' because some words may start with a silent consonant. Other than that, this is a very interesting and well articulated piece.

I get the feeling from the tone, that you had preconceived ideas that you wish to force upon us... Such a shame that you allowed your overly biased opinions against the RS200 spoil what was an otherwise informative video

Walter Röhrl said of Joaquim Santos in Portugal, “that was, for sure, the biggest mistake. That he has not enough experience. He was first time in a car like this. And then, things happen. But it goes so easy that on one situation the car is struggling with him, and not he with the car.” It’s easy to blame the cars, they were monsters, but a bit lazy and predictable to blame the cars. What “helped end group b” was the drivers strike and the poor leadership of FISA. Audi left, then Kenya happened. Ultimately, after Corsica it was done. FISA never owned their apathy and lack of leadership, organizers going absent and not keeping spectators safe and facing no consequences from FISA for their non existent enforcement of crowd control measures. It’s a shame. Group B was such a spectacle, it’s legend. And group S, just imagine…would have been amazing if driver and crowd safety were top priorities. Ultimately Balestre killed Group B with blood on his hands.

The RS200 was fairly successful in rallycross and in the hands of the likes of Trevor Hopkins, Mark Renison, Martin Schance etc in the late 80s/early 90s were an awesome thing to watch along with various other ex group B cars 😀👍🏼

Eh, fail to differ, the RS200 didn't help end Group B, the inexperienced drivers and idiotic spectators seen to that. Countless times we've seen relatively inexperienced drivers get in way over their heads, and spectators encroaching onto the "track". Nowadays, road cars have way more power, I have an AMG Merc with a few mods in the engine, over 600bhp, so don't give me that old crap it was the car at fault...... total bollocks to that Oh, I also have a MK1 Escort ex rally car I use for a bit of fun driving, about 180bhp, but it'll scare the crap out of most drivers as there's NO driver aids, no ABS, very light, rear drive, no traction control, no power steering......... and I'll never sell it

My father had an RS 200. Last one made as a road car. He had a few nice cars over the years, including a Lancia S4. But he rated the Ford the best. Chassis and balance were amazing.

An RS200 was not the end of Group B. The crazy uncontrolled spectators and the Toivenan crash in Corsica finished it. Audi pulled out after this, Ford was not competitive so the RS200 did not end B rallying. It was overall too dangerous and something had to be done!

Remember going into the Ford dealership in Carlisle with my dad. They had an RS200 on sale. Sticker price was £50,000. Couldn't persuade dad to buy it 😢

Good times. Watching Spanish in road trying to tag the bull, crowding the most dangerous parts of the track with no barriers just to touch or play chicken with the cars. Photographers lying on road with cars jumping over them... getting photo's of cars underside... lot of testosterone. And unfortunately many Darwin awards. Watching some of them at Pikes Peak was fantastic...

Watched one of these in a Fast Ford race at Snetterton. I believe it was Graham Hathaway - started on the 2nd row cos had the wrong diff for qualifying. Lights went green and he drove it onto the grass to overtake the pole sitter - was 50 yards ahead by the 1st corner.

hehehe Group B "Regulations". meaning, ist has to have 4 wheels, an engine and some kind of security. Even if it was just a frame of wires. The drivers were insane. Yet, or because of that, it was probably the most amazing racing series ever.

At least a lot of these cars are still being ran today, Hillclimb monsters.

WRC cars today are even faster than group B. The difference is A) spectators aren't allowed on the course (who tf thought that was a good idea) and B) they handle way, WAY better. So although they're faster, they have far fewer serious accidents.

Motorsport is supposed to be dangerous otherwise what is the point? If you want to drive safely just go on the road. If you don't give people a legal outlet they will do it on the road anyway. I used to love it in the 80s/90s I don't really bother today, they have stripped all the fun out, apart from the Manx TT. They seem to forget that they competition in the form of mad blokes who will drive a pulse jet buggy across the desert and put it on youtube for free.

It's not the car that ended it it's the spectators the a few dare devil spectators stepped way too close into the special stage and made an RS200 injure 32 and kill 3 in Portugal 1996

Martin schanche was a legend in european rallycross in an rs200 It won numerous British titles and European and was one of the most successful group b cars in rallycross

The car itself wasn't deadly. It was the series itself , with the fans crowding the already tight trails and streets. If they could have managed crowd control, Group B might have lasted longer.

I don’t think any of these cars were deadly. I think that they were just put in bad situations. When you’re hurling down the road at 120 miles an hour and people are standing right on the edge of the road. What do you think it’s gonna happen eventually? I think that the cars get the blunt of the finger-pointing but in reality I think a lot of it is just simple mistakes just like they have today and normal rallies. They’re just mistakes and they still have accidents. The only thing is today there’s not people lining the sides of the road like there was in the 80s, that’s the only thing other than that. Yeah it’s a dangerous sport people are going to die that’s part of it the drivers know the risks. Those cars were marvel masterpieces.

It didn't fail tho. It did well and had kinks to work upon but it's just that they took too long, timing was off and they shot themselves in the foot with the Portugal incident or else it would have developed even further and gotten properly good.

That Gran Turismo 2 soundtrack at 6:03 was perfectly placed. And if I recall correctly it was the soundtrack of the Japanese manufacturer’s area!

2:05 Clarkson haha I watched that on DvD last night! 😂 another great video buddy

I have never understood the way cars are banned because they crashed into the crowds when it’s the crowds that cause the accidents by pushing onto the road and then taking a chance they might be able to jump clear when the cars come through! You are no longer allowed to stand close to the track in any form of track racing so why is it such a given right to stand so close to rally cars travelling at huge speeds. It would seem insane to stand anywhere near fast moving traffic, even instructions for motorways say get out of broken down cars and get behind the barrier! Why do rally crowds think they are different or have they all got death wishes? I have only been to a couple of rally’s and found the long walk to a vantage point took all the enjoyment out and then the cars came past so fast I was unable to see much but even then the top of the bank was close enough thank you very much! Even there we were covered in sand and gravel, followed by a long walk back in the rain. I am very comfortable watching rallying on tv, one sees much more and gets the advantage of seeing interviews with drivers and close up views of cars etc. Maybe it’s my age now but comfort comes a long way up in my evaluation of any sport now and especially rallying.

Group B would probably have fared better in the protected environment of racetracks rather than in Rallying - Those cars were far too powerful and dangerous for the harshly demanding narrow, dirty mountain roads Rallycars are supposed to take on.

Ford simply missed the tea party while most European manufacturer were running on triple espresso , in essence and ever since Ford has not achieved anything in the rallye world for the last 40 years , but nostalgic youtube video .

in fact it were the idiotic spectators who killed the B-group . The accident in Portugal was not becoase the driver lost control , but had first to avoid one of those idiots and couldn't get the next corner. By the way : which dumb person goes stand in at the outside of the corner . The end of the B-group started the year before when Bettega died ( also in the Tour de Corse) it was a black year for the rally sport in general