This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The Iconic Sale at Supercar Fest 2025 on Saturday the 17th of May, Sywell Aerodrome, Sywell, Northampton, NN6 0BN. This very special 1983 Ford Fiesta XR2 dates from 1983 and is an original factory sunroof model which has been enjoyed by eight former keepers covering a comparatively low 31,298 miles in that time. Six years ago, in May 2019, it was purchased from our Classic Car Auctions sale by our vendor for just over £8,000. We listed it at the time as 'Runs and drives well with a solid body and very original interior. One to enjoy whilst returning to full health'.
Our vendor obviously took the 'returning to full health' bit seriously - very seriously - as this remarkable little Fiesta has benefited from a spectacular restoration and is now accompanied by a huge 200-page/3.5" thick invoice and photo file indicating expenditure in excess of £104,000. The only way to appreciate the amount of time and money invested in this sparkling little Ford is to spend an hour or two with the history file at our Documents Desk at the sale but, in summary, the bare shell was stripped and sent away to be soda-blasted, rebuilt with new inner wings, front panel, rear quarter panels and doors, all new/old stock genuine (now rare and hard to find) Ford parts, at the cost of £3,750 for the panels alone, (original trim), engine stripped, block acid-washed and fully rebuilt, suspension and steering stripped and rebuilt, re-wired, glass, seals, grommets, brackets, clips, cables, everything - if it's on the car it's received consideration and attention, including a professional respray in Sunburst Red. The restoration commenced c.August 2020 and was completed in September 2022.
Our vendor admits that he did get a bit carried away and it became 'a labour of love', however we believe that it's now one of the very best examples in existence, even allowing for the possibility of an original car sitting in a showroom having never turned a wheel. Guided at a fraction of the cost of the work carried out, we encourage your inspection at our Supercar Fest Sale of this 42 year old Ford and its accompanying history file to understand the level of detail that has gone into this restoration.
