005 - Prototype 5 - B55CHK - 1.8 - LHD - Destroyed by Fire

Here is a list of every chassis along with any information I have found about it
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Justin Smith
Posts: 518
Joined: Sun Mar 08, 2009 11:15 pm

005 - Prototype 5 - B55CHK - 1.8 - LHD - Destroyed by Fire

Post by Justin Smith »

This car was pictured in Jeremey Waltons book "RS - The Faster Fords" ISBN 0-947981-21-7 and I read and saw a picture of this car in the book on RS 200's published by unique motor books, this car is seen on the front cover and page 216.

In June 2004 I was in email conversation with the owner of #010 and they said they thought #005 was driven by Malcolm Wilson before being scrapped.

In May 2006 I was tidying up my millions of email messages and have to apologise to Klaus who sent me this info in January 2007 !!! - SORRY !

"Klaus here from Switzerland. I was recently browsing through my car magazines and came across an article from March 1986 featuring a road test of an RS200 and I thought you may be interested in the pictures so I scanned them for your site (attached).

The number plate of the car is clearly visible - B55CHK - and I therefore assume that it is prototype number 5, or the same car that Malcom Wilson drove to victory at the Lindisfarne Rally late in 1985 prior to FISA homologation. In the article it says that it took place a few days following rally Portugal. It says that B55CHK was the test car for Stig Blonqvist and Kalle Grundel for that rally but strangely it bears the "Diabolique" team colours (like the one campaigned by Portuguese driver Joaquim Santos)"


From looking at the data available to the public I can see that she has the chassis number SFACXXBJ2CFU00005 which, with a FU in the date space gives a build date of February 1985 which seems about right for the information we have on the car.

I can also see the following information:-

Make: FORD
Model: RS 200 4WD
Transmission & fuel type: PETROL
Body type: SPORTS
Engine no. FU00003
Colour: White
First Registered: 18/2/1985
Year of Manufacture: 1985

In 2009 John Wheeler put the question to bed...

"Justin - 005 and 007 were my two main Rally test cars in the run up to the 1986 WRC. 005 was burnt out while testing for the Acropolis in Greece. I'll be taking some time off from 14 December, so should have time to dig into the old files and give you more detailed information - John"

In 2013 I was talking to Tony Blakesley who was working at Boreham at the time and he was the one tasked with driving to and from Greece with the car and explained that it was a hell of a job getting out the country with a burnt out shell being towed by him!

In November 2013 I was reading the original newsletters written by Graham Robson and in the 7th one (dated Jan 1990) he says; "Car No. 5 - Destroyed in a rally practice accident"

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

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