The Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth represents one of the most deliberate homologation exercises in touring car history: Ford and Aston Martin Tickford built exactly 500 road cars in 1987 solely to certify the platform for Group A competition. In the Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft the RS500 translated that engineering intent into outright race dominance, and the 1988 season proved to be the apex of that dominance.
Five Hundred Cars, One Purpose
Every RS500 road car was assembled by Aston Martin Tickford at Bedworth, England, and each carried the Cosworth YBD turbocharged 2.0-litre inline-four. In road trim the engine produced around 224 bhp; in full DTM race specification the same architecture was developed to exceed 500 bhp. The 500-unit production run was not a commercial decision — it was the minimum required by Group A regulations to homologate the car for international touring car competition.
Manuel Reuter and the 1988 RS500 Campaign
Manuel Reuter lined up in the 1988 Deutsche Tourenwagen Meisterschaft carrying race number 5 on his Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth. The RS500 took the championship that season, though it faced strong competition from the BMW M3 throughout. Reuter's career arc reinforces the appeal of this particular car: within a year he had co-driven a Sauber-Mercedes to victory at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1989, making him one of the more versatile German talents of that generation.
A Resin 1:43 Scale Model from Spark
Spark Model produces this replica in resin, the material of choice for the brand's 1:43 racing car range, allowing fine surface detailing that diecast tooling at this scale cannot easily achieve. The SG-prefix SKU places it within Spark's dedicated German touring car series releases, a line that covers the principal DTM machinery of the late 1980s and early 1990s with consistent livery accuracy. Race number 5 and the period Ford competition livery are reproduced on a resin body built to 1:43 proportions.
Placing It in the Collection
The No. 5 RS500 sits most naturally alongside other Spark Model DTM 1:43 entries from 1988 — including the BMW M3 E30 that was mounting a strong challenge to Ford's grip on the series. A shelf devoted to the 1988–1991 DTM era benefits from the RS500's distinctive long-roof silhouette as an anchor piece. Collectors following Manuel Reuter's career might also pair it with a replica of the 1989 Sauber C9 that took his Le Mans victory, a combination that tells a compact and coherent two-year story across two very different forms of motorsport.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth?
The RS500 was a limited homologation special: exactly 500 road cars were built in 1987 by Aston Martin Tickford at Bedworth, England, to qualify the Sierra RS Cosworth for Group A touring car racing under FIA regulations.
Who drove the No. 5 Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth in the 1988 DTM?
Manuel Reuter, the German racing driver who the following year co-drove a Sauber-Mercedes to victory at the 1989 24 Hours of Le Mans.
Why is the 1988 DTM season significant for the RS500?
1988 was the season in which the Ford Sierra RS500 Cosworth took the DTM championship, though it faced strong competition from the BMW M3 throughout the year.
What material is the Spark Model replica made from?
Spark Model constructs its 1:43 racing car replicas in resin, which allows finer surface and livery detail than diecast at this scale.
