Escort RS1600
Fittingly for the first ever car to wear the RS badge, the RS1600 turned the world of rallying on its head - taking 1st, 3rd, 5th and 6th place on its very first outing in 1970. Over the next five years it proved to be virtually unbeatable on any surface, winning events as varied as the African Safari Rally and the Finnish 1000 Lakes. It made international heroes out of drivers such as Ari Vatenen and Timo Makinen and in the process turned power-sliding into an art form.
Capri RS3100
Ford didn't give you a free pair of Aviator sunglasses and a gold medallion with the Capri RS3100, but they really should have. Built to homologate the Capri Group 2 touring car racers of the early seventies, these ultra rare hairy-chested coupes had a bored-out V6 engine, a deep-dish steering wheel and beefed up brakes and suspension. There was also a 2600 version with a smaller but more sophisticated engine. Finally Britain had its own Mustang. Well, sort of.
Escort Mk3 RS Turbo
A true child of the eighties, the RS Turbo was originally only available in white. It also bravely channelled 132bhp through a FWD chassis that was only really happy with about half that. Despite this, or perhaps because of it, it has endured as a weapon of choice for the tuning brigade and any self-respecting one-way-system Grand Prix driver. Even today the sight of one merrily destroying its front tyres in a deserted Asda car park can be strangely heart-warming experience.
RS200
Built to compete in the festival of lunacy that was Group B rally, the diminutive RS200 never really had a chance to shine before the championship was scrapped. Despite this it has gained a legendary status amongst RS aficionados and with four-wheel-drive, a carbon and Kevlar body and a mid-mounted 1.8 litre Cosworth turbo engine putting out anything up to 650bhp in full race trim, it has the performance to more than match its fearsome reputation.
Sierra Cosworth RS500
Created for the rough and tumble world of touring car racing, the RS500 was an instant success, dominating the championship and finishing first and second in its debut appearance. After some frantic rule changes from racing governing bodies around the world, it was effectively forced out of competition. However, 500 lucky people managed to get their hands on the rare road-going versions and they remain amongst the most sought-after RS cars around.
Escort RS Cosworth
In the early nineties some Ford engineers disappeared into a shed with one of their incredibly average Mk5 Escorts and lord alone knows what happened in there, but when they'd finished this is what emerged. With styling guaranteed to upset anyone over the age of 40, the most preposterous spoiler in motoring history and performance that wouldn't have shamed a Ferrari, the 'Cossie' instantly became the definitive poster child for the Max-Power generation.
Focus RS Mk1
The car that brought the Rallye Sport badge back to life is everything an RS car should be – fast, unashamedly loutish and just a little bit scary. Early reports from the motoring press praised the car for its limpet-like grip despite channelling 212bhp through the front wheels alone. But these early tests had been conducted on glass-smooth foreign roads and when the car arrived on these shores a different picture emerged, one of massive and terrifying torque-steer.
Focus RS Mk2
When it came to their second stab at turning the Focus into a proper RS, Ford had a problem, namely the ST. With a 221bhp hot hatch already on the books, where could they go from there? 300bhp, that's where. Sticking with FWD only, a sophisticated front suspension system called 'Revoknuckle' was developed in a mostly successful effort to quell torque-steer. And when even bits of the chassis have a vaguely threatening name, you know you're driving an RS.