001 - Prototype 1 - B200FMC - 1.8 - LHD - Believed destroyed by Ford

Here is a list of every chassis along with any information I have found about it
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Justin Smith
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Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2009 11:15 pm

001 - Prototype 1 - B200FMC - 1.8 - LHD - Believed destroyed by Ford

Post by Justin Smith »

This car is probably the most important but ironicaly is one that I know very little about it's final demise.

In March 1984 the car was shown for the first time to FORD management to seek their approval and at that time it bore the index B200FMC but I have been unable to establish if the car was actually given that number plate by DVLA or whether it was just used for demonstration / photographic purposes.

DVLA records that can accessed by the public tend to show that the registration is not currently in use.

The car made a big impression when it was shown to the Ford senior management on 12th March 1984 and approval was given to build 5 more prototypes.

Bob Howe cannot remember whether the car actually had a engine installed for the shows but Mike Moreton writes in his book that car #001 was taken back to Boreham where rally testing commenced but I have yet to see an image of the car seen at the presentation, with all it’s unique features, being driven.

In the images you can see that #001 is like no other 200. Immediately obvious is the lack of roof mounted intercooler and the rear spoiler is shallow and solid. The rear bumper is also significantly different from the other prototypes and from the final production cars and the rear plexiglas screen has no air holes cut into it. In every photograph that I have seen the car has been left hand drive with red seats and a red steering wheel.

Some FORD employees have suggested to me that there are financial reasons that prototypes are destroyed along with legal reasons as the company do not want to bear the risk of a non-production car causing injury to anyone however, but seeing as some prototype cars are still alive, I would be surprised if car #001 was destroyed for simply that reason but in the 7th newsletter from RS200 registra Graham Robson in January 1990 he states:-

"Car No. 1 - Retained by FORD, but shortly to be destroyed"

11/13 - I found some images amongst the paperwork Bob Howe left me. One of them is marked as "Proto 1 being built at John Thompsons Willaston, February '84"

If you find out anything else about this car please drop me an email and i'll update the cars entry !

justin.smith@rs200.org

Images

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