New Sierra RS500 Group A Touring Car Continuation From CNC Motorsport AWS & Andy Rouse
Andy Rouse the legendary Touring Car driver is back with a continuation version of the car he developed for Ford back in 1987 with his company AWE. This time it’s with CNC Motorsport AWS who will build three Ford Sierra RS500 to 1990 Andy Rouse Engineering specification.
The first of these cars will even have a brand new unused old stock 909 Ford Sierra Motorsport bodyshell.
The build is sanctioned by Andy Rouse himself and each car will carry an Andy Rouse Engineering build plate and be eligible for many historic events, such as the Silverstone Classic, HSCC Touring Cars and Motor Racing Legends.
Importantly CNC Motorsports AWS founder Alan Strachan worked at Andy Rouse Engineering during that period so this will help to ensure continuity.
The cars will be built just as the originals were to the spec developed by Andy and the team for the 1990 series. Each will use an original Sierra bodyshell, come with HTP papers, a fuel cell, roll cage certificates and be ready to race.
The three new cars will come with a newly built 575 bhp Cosworth YB engine with input from AWE engine builder Vic Drake who has built over 100 of these engines.
The continuation cars will have a Getrag five speed gearbox, a Proflex Advanced Technology fuel system, the later 9″ viscous rear differential. the correct gauges will be fitted to the dash and a metal brake master cylinder reservoir and an AWE build plate. The cars will be supplied plain white with livery options for the new owners.
“Demand for competitive Group A machines is rising, enabling access to some of the best motorsport events around the globe for correct cars,” says Alan Strachan, founder of CNC Motorsport AWS. “RS500s are great fun to drive, relatively easy to maintain and considerably more affordable to run than Super Touring cars. RS500s are also a great draw for the fans that fondly remember these fire-breathing monsters. The cars will be all signed off by Andy, just as we did in period, with the provenance that can only come from the man who engineered and drove the cars to such success.”
Andy Rouse Racing Career
Andy Rouse has long been associated with touring cars having started racing saloons back in 1972 with a Ford Escort Mexico winning the one make championship in his first year.
He then moved into the British Saloon Car Championship with Broadspeed and winning with a variety of different cars, Escorts, Triumph Dolomite Sprints and Ford Capris. He won his class in 1973, 74 and the overall title in 1975. in 1976 he drove the Broadspeed Jaguar X12C where he was involved with the development.
The failure of Broadspeed in 1978 led to a works Ford Capri drive in 1979 and 1980, but in 1981 Andy set up his own team, Andy Rouse Engineering. Andy continued to be successful on track taking two more titles in 1983 and 1984. Winning the 84 season in a Rover SD1 beating the works entry impressed Ford who asked him to build their new touring car, the Ford Sierra.
The XR4Ti proved to be a winner in 1985, which was Rouse’s last championship win, the RS500 being homologated in 1987 and dominating from then on. Though Andy never won a championship with the RS500, he did have Group A class wins in 1988 and 89 being third overall in 1988, 89 and 90.
His career didn’t end, the team continuing to develop cars for Toyota and Ford, eventually winding down AWE.
Andy was voted as the best BTCC driver of all time in 2018 by Autosport’s judging panel. it probably had something to do with the 60 BTCC wins, over 50 fastest laps and 4 championships.
Ford Sierra Cosworth RS500
Ford announced the Sierra RS500 Cosworth in 1987 as a homologation special, with a limited run of just 500 being built. There were many upgrades to aid its performance, but in reality these were there to make it into a seriously powerful race car with some additional aero. The bigger turbo and intercooler, another fuel rail which wasn’t connected and the additional rear spoiler, front splitter and deleted fog lamps to help brake cooling. Whilst these are all impressive it didn’t translate to a faster road car.
The race cars were built from special 909 Motorsport shells, not the standard road offering.
Ther car was a very popular racer, being spectacular to watch and very fast. So popular that Autosport voted it the best BTCC car ever in 2020. Well deserved I’d say.
“The RS500 was lots of fun and of all the cars I raced, the Kaliber RS500 is the one I wish I still had today,” says Andy Rouse. “When Alan told me he had acquired a brand new bodyshell, we came up with the idea to build correct continuation cars just as we did in our Binley workshop. Having seen Alan develop his own engineering business, he was the only person I trusted to build cars that would carry the ARE build plate.”
CNC Motorsport AWS
Father and son team of Alan and Andrew Strachan run the specialist CNC Motorsport AWS, which whilst a machining operation, they restore and recreate period historic Touring Cars from the 1970s and 1980s. With new materials and processes, CNC machining and 3D printing to help get more of these cars back into racing and on the track.
Alan not only worked on the original RS500, but he has also since developed and built cars from the Super Tourer era in the BTCC.
In the last two years the company has built several period correct cars, including a Group A Rover SD1, Ford Sierra RS500 and Merkur XR4TI with many components such as brakes and wheels.
The team have access to the drawings of the original RS500 and data to produce the Rouse spec parts, front suspension uprights, rear arms, the fuel tank enclosure, the heated screen, side exit exhaust and the Rouse designed roll cage. CNC Motorsport AWS are the only producer who are certified to build AWE spec roll cages.
If you want to be one of the lucky owners’ prices start at £185,000 with options for spares packages and different liveries.
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