Classic cars forum & vehicle restoration.

[Ellis]

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The first Ford Sierra I saw was in the early October of 1982 prior to it's introduction to the public. It was a 4 door 1.6L, in blue which had been rear ended by a young charioteer just after it had been unloaded from it's transporter. Severely damaged, a write off with delivery miles and unregistered it was hidden in one of the rear workshops of H.G. Thomas Motors Ltd near Corwen here in North Wales.

I was allowed to see it and although damaged the shape it's shape was unique. Public reaction was mixed and one car manufacturer, Hyundai, boasted that it's new Stellar "was seen in a different mould" with a stylised picture of a Sierra in the advert.

One local lady went to view a new Sierra after it's unveiling and asked Mr Thomas (sic above) to find her a new old model Cortina Mark 5 instead, which he did, a 2.0GL in dark blue.

I admit that I liked the Sierra and found it a nicer car to drive than the Mondeo that followed it. Of the five or six that I drove the one that really appealed to me was the 2.8 XR4i which I thought was a cracking car.
I bought one of the last RS Sierra Sapphire Cosworths in 1993 and engine apart it was shockingly badly built and quite unlike earlier Sierras with cheap carpets and unsightly panel gaps. The boot on mine stood 1/4 of an inch proud of the rear wings.

The Mondeo was a new car in 1993 but in my opinion not as good as the Sierra it replaced.
There are two Sierras in regular use around here, a 2.0 litre Estate and a late 1992 K registered Azura. There's also a Sierra based p100 diesel pick up. The only Mk 1 Mondeo around is a 1996 "P" registered 2.0 Ghia and that one won't pass it's next MOT.

1.3 million Sierra buyers in the UK can't all have been wrong.
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1964 Jaguar Mark 2 3.4 litre
1962 Land Rover Series 2a 88"
2002 BMW M3 E46 Cabriolet

[Rick]

We saw an H reg estate at the supermarket last week, it's been a while since I've seen a standard (ie not RS) saloon though.

RJ
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[Dipster]

As I am often out of the UK I have not seen one for years. I remember the first time I saw one though. It was at a Ford dealership when they were announced. I found it a weird shape and not to my taste at all. Can`t say I have changed my opinion on that score. But I agree they drove well enough.

[kevin2306]

Not seen one for ages apart from at a car show.
There was a new old stock one in a car garage in Llangollen until the garage owner died a few years back
I've had a 1.6 and 1.8 version and found them to be a reliable daily.

Kev

[winchman]

Not for ages, our son is 15 and likes square classics like early Golf and MK1 Fiestas, its then I sound like an old fart as I can remember buying a MK1 Fiesta for the Brother In Law for £50 and welding it back together so he could go to work in it, now they are fetching silly money
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[mikeC]

There are at least three Sierras locally - one saloon and two estates - which are still being run into the ground as old bangers; strangely the Mondeo seems to have disappeared completely!

[MikeEdwards]

I keep seeing two locally - one is a white XR4x4 hatch (the later 2.0 version), and the other is a white Sapphire of around J-reg. A mate of mine had a J-plate Sapphire which was taken off the road because of a head gasket failure, and he tried for ages to sell it as a project, or even for someone with a Cosworth Sapphire who needed a better shell, but couldn't get any interest so it was scrapped.

This one was at Donington this weekend:

[MikeEdwards]

[Rick]

Lately I've seen a red estate on a few separate occasions, H reg iirc.

RJ
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[lowdrag]

[ka]

I may stand correction on time-line, but, I recall the Sierra being introduced as the first of the 'rounded' wind tunnel cars by a mass producer. OK, you are going to remind me of the NSU, and AUDI, but they weren't exactly sold in 7 figures over here. I also seem to remember that shortly after the grief that Ford received, Vauxhall did the same with the Astra, although achieved a more pleasant ergonomically acceptable shape. As the Sierra developed through the marques, the stylists were allowed to get to work, ending with a shape that was considerably easier on the eye, particularly the booted Cosy shown in the last pic.
Now if we want to talk failures, how about the Granada, no not the Sweeny version, the rounded follow-on after the MK111 that was a larger Sierra, I can't even find a picture of to show!
Looking on Wikipedia, they mention 'Ford Ovoid Design', but the page has been removed.
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KA

Better three than four.

[lowdrag]

I'm wondering if you mean the Scorpio, the car with the ugly front that strangely enough looks rather like the 919 Le Mans Porsche! There are still a few for sale here:-

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/used-cars/ford/scorpio

It was included in the rather subjective 100 ugliest cars article in the Telegraph:-

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/motoring/2754226/The-100-ugliest-cars-20-1.html?image=20

The worst big Ford for me was the last Zephyr; just so American, all bonnet and no boot, ugly as sin!

[peter scott]

I think that last Zephyr was the one in which The Motor road testers said "we couldn't actually find a rubber band in the steering mechanism but we were sure there was one in there!"

I think when Ford were producing the Sierra Vauxhall's equivalent was the Cavalier rather than the Astra. By this stage the Cavalier was pretty well "sorted". I had a 2.0 litre SRi as a company car and thought it was really great. 0-60 in 8.7 and could easily achieve low 40s mpg.

Peter
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1939 SS Jaguar 2 1/2 litre saloon

[MikeEdwards]

[ka]

OK, wrist stinging......... Still, nice looking car.
And yes, it probably was the Scorpio, with the horrific tail light set-up on the saloon version.
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KA

Better three than four.