The Forgotten Fast Fords

It’s the RS models which get all the attention but there are some hidden gems in the performance Ford back catalogue

Puma 1.7

One of the first examples of Ford’s 1990 renaissance, the Puma may have lacked the shouty styling of earlier RS-branded fast Fords but offered the pace of an RS Turbo and the handling to match all comers. “This thing’s really based on a Fiesta?” asked our photographer on the original press launch, gripping the seat with white knuckles as our convoy of Pumas headed down the autobahn at 125mph but yes, it was and the Mk4 Fiesta was a very good place to start.

In later life the Puma range was expanded to include 1.25 and 1.4-litre versions of the Zetec-SE engine codeveloped with Yamaha but at launch the car was offered with just the 1679cc version which boasted variable valve timing similar to Honda’s VTEC. The end result was a superbly free-revving engine which was happy to turn in its maximum 125bhp at a heady 6300rpm. Not something you’d have said of a CVH...

Elsewhere, the chassis tuning was the work of Ford’s SVE department who dialled the steering down to 2.9 turns lock to lock and gave the car 19 per cent greater roll stiffness than the Fiesta Si with 5 per cent stiffer spring rates, plus a 30 per cent stiffer rear torsion beam axle. The result was a car which offered the sharp turn-in of something like a Peugeot 205 GTi but without the sting in the tail and overall the Puma was a better driver’s car than any previous RS product. The Ford Racing Puma later turned it up to 160bhp and added a wide-arched body conversion by Tickford, but was destined to remain a low-volume special edition.

The Puma’s cutesy style limited appeal to owners looking to trade in their XR and RS Fiestas and Escorts, which means it’s largely escaped the soaring values of ’80s and ’90s RS Fords, so here’s your chance to bag a hidden gem. Watch out for rot but if you can find one, your entry ticket is just £1000 for a useable car.