1988 Group A Eggenburger Texaco RS500 Sierra
So beautiful, it will make you cry.
1988 ETCC Winner for manufacturers
An immaculate piece of Gp A History
Freshly restored by FoMoCo Nutter
Ready to destroy all (again)
Epic international race history and a good life post Eggenberger too.
I really, really, really like this car.
$POA
One of just 3 examples of the very famous Ford Works-Texaco Sierra Cosworth RS500’s known to remain in the world today. Built, prepared, and run by Ruedi Eggenberger&his successful team at Eggenberger Motorsport, Switzerland. This genuine Ford factory works-Eggenberger team car, has been restored to 88 spec', right down to its running gear, race fittings and Bosch electronics. Driven and raced by all of the famous European drivers that Ford had on its payroll at the time, with an impeccable race and championship winning history. It is presented here in ready-to-race trim, in its striking red and black Texaco livery from 1988.
The vehicle you see here (Chassis 99269) is arguably in the best condition, most original, and most successful of the all Ford-Eggenberger monsters ever built. This example was campaigned by Ford and Eggenberger as the team’s lead car, (in a largely two car challenge), for the 1988 ETCC season.
Apart from exterior restoration work undertaken in 2005, and an extensive 10 month full “nut&bolt” rebuild and mechanical overhaul undertaken in 2010, you see this vehicle in its original race specification as it was campaigned at the height of its powers some 20+ years ago. A very formidable Car and Driver combination meant that the Texaco Sierra’s would always be remembered as the dominant force from the short 6-7 year period when Group A Touring Cars ruled supreme.
Chassis 99269 was originally built to defend Ford’s Manufacturers crown for the 1988 World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) season, Ford were left with no option but to concentrate their efforts on the 1988 European Touring Car Championship (ETCC), after the abrupt cancellation by the FISA of the 1988 WTCC program.
During 1988 it competed throughout Europe, including the Spa 24hr Race, and the 1988 Tourist Trophy race at Silverstone, where it faced off against the Dick Johnson/John Bowe entered DJR REDKOTE Ford Sierra RS500 (DJR Chassis #3), especially brought over from Australia for the event. An easy car to identify, as it always carried the prestigious No# 1 on its flanks in competition.
Eggenberger Motorsport and Ford Motor Company again teamed up to run the car for the 1989 season, but this time in the 11 Round German DTM series. The reason for this was simple, as similar to the previous year with the 1987 WTCC, FISA had again intervened and announced the cancellation of the popular ETCC series for the 1989 season. Two factory cars were entered in the 1989 DTM, but this time with a new white/black livery package and now with support from Mobil, rather than Texaco.
Driving duties for the 1989 DTM season was shared between Klaus Niedzwiedz, and Gianfranco Brancatelli, with and a one off appearance from Pierre Dieudonne. The car again recorded numerous top three finishes, as well as a number of outright wins towards the end of the season, that ultimately assisted Klaus Niedzwiedz to secure second place in the championship. Its last race in Factory Works colours, was on 15-9-1989 at Hockenheim.
At the end of the 1989 DTM season Eggenberger Motorsport on-sold Chassis 99269 to Yojiro Terada and the ART Nature Racing Team in Japan, to compete in the 6 round 1990 Inter-Tec Japanese Touring Car Championship (JTCC) of that year. This vehicle’s last ever race was the 1990 Fuji 500 in Japan on the 11-11-1990 at the Fuji Circuit, where it finished 4th outright (Winner was Mr Moffat in an Eggenberger customer car).
It was then purchased by the Fuji Motor Museum and remained in their collection, on display in its later blue and yellow ART Nature Racing Team Livery. In 2002 the Fuji circuit and motorsport museum was bought by the Toyota Motor Company. At that point the majority of the museum’s vehicle collection was broken up and on-sold to new owners. Subsequently Chassis 99269 was purchased and exported back to the United Kingdom to an English collector, Martin Johnson. Martin, after meeting with Ruedi Eggenberger in Switzerland, and after researching with him from the Eggenberger company files, re-discovered this vehicle’s very special race history when it ran as a Ford factory works entry.
In the early 1990’s Tamiya Models immortalised this particular Texaco Sierra by producing a 1/24th scale model of it from its final race and championship winning performance from the 1988 ETCC season, when driven by Steve Soper and Klaus Ludwig to clinch the coveted manufacturers crown for Ford over the Schnitzer BMW E30 M3’s spearheaded by Roberto Ravaglia and Emanuele Pirro.
It is also the subject of a 90min DVD/Video by Duke Video, and follows its progress race to race, along with the rival Schnitzer and Bigazzi E30 M3 BMW’s, across the entire 11 round ETCC 1988 Season.
RACE RESULTS
Chassis 99269 was the lead car of a largely two-car team for the 1988 ETCC title assault. A third “back-up” car being entered for the longer distance, such as the Spa 24hr race, and later season races to stymie BMW’s championship points chase. Ruedi Eggenberger advised us that it always ran with the no# 1 on its number board, to denote the lead car status it had within the team. This vehicle finished second outright in the 1988 Spa 24Hr Race, after claiming pole position in qualifying. Its sister car no# 2, was unfortunately written-off after a heavy crash in the Spa 24 Hour Race. This vehicle (No# 2) was subsequently re-shelled and rebuilt the following year and won the 1989 Spa 24 hour race, again campaigned by Eggenberger Motorsport, but this time under BASTOS Livery.
Chassis 99269’s race history is impeccable. It won the 1988 ETCC Manufacturers crown for Ford Motor Company in its final ETCC outing at the Nagoro circuit, (11-9-1988), by winning the last race of the season outright from the Schnitzer BMW E30 M3’s of Roberto Ravaglia and Emanuele Pirro.
For the record it recorded a total of 5 race wins, 5 pole positions, 4 fastest laps, and a stunning total of 9 podium finishes from 11 race starts for the 1988 ETCC Season. Never crashed, and only 2 mechanical DNF’s.
1st 1988 European Touring Car Championship (ETCC) for Manufacturers – Ford
Race Wins 5 – 1988 ETCC Estoril, Jarma, Vallelunga, Nurburgring, Nogaro
Pole Positions 5 – 1988 ETCC Donnington Park, Dijon, Vallelunga, Spa 24 Hours, Zolder
Other Results 2nd – 1988 Spa 24 Hours (Ludwig, Niedzwiedz, Boutsen)
Other Results 4th – 1990 Fuji 500 (Yojiro Terada, Suguru Akaike – ART Nature Racing)
DRIVER HISTORY
This particular car has been campaigned and won races at the hands of some very famous drivers;
Klaus Ludwig, Steve Soper, Klaus Niedzwiedz, Pierre Dieudonne, Gianfranco Brancatelli, Therry Boutsen, Armin Harne.
BUILD VOLUME
A total of 6 Factory Texaco Sierras were constructed by Eggenberger Motorsport, (3 for the 1987 WTCC, and 3 for the 1988 ETCC, BTCC, and DTM Championships). The cars constructed for 1987 initially competed as the more standard Sierra Cosworth RS version, until they received the RS500 homologation upgrade mid season. What made the Factory cars unique and easy to identify was that they all were built from LHD motorsport shells, raced in LHD, and received a unique chassis numbers. Eggenberger customer cars, like Allan Moffat ANZ sierras, had chassis numbers commenced with the prefix EGMO.
Of the 3 Texaco cars known to still exist today, one resides in Europe, and two in the Southern Hemisphere. Of the other 3 examples built, one was written off at the Spa 24hr race in 1988, and then was subsequently re-shelled by Eggenberger to become the BASTOS Sierra, which won the Spa 24hr Race the following year in 1989. The BASTOS Sierra now resides in Europe.
Of the other two examples little is known, and after 20+ years they have not re-surfaced on the Group A scene. One was converted to compete at rallycross level in Europe at the end of its Group A. racing life, and the other was last seen in competition in Italy around 1990 as since disappeared.
A sister car to 99269 getting a work out at the Touring Wagen Revival at the 'Ring.
For more information, please contact:
Chris Bowden
chris@ecurieinvenstments.com.au
+61 438269938
