1994 Ford Fiesta

The Ford Fiesta RS1800i was in production from 1992 until 1995. Styled in house, it is a front-engine, front wheel drive hatchback range seating four adults.

Intended as a replacement for the RS Turbo, the RS1800i was effectively the pinnacle of the Fiesta range – sitting above the XR2i which looked identical from outside. Where the RS Turbo had used a 1.6 litre CVH engine with a turbocharger, though, the RS1800i used the 1.8 litre variant of the new Zetec from the forthcoming Mondeo range, tuned to develop 130bhp. Throttle bodies were shared with the larger 2.0 Zetec, there were uprated cams, and an advanced ECU by the standard of its day. This added up to 127mph flat out, and a 0-60 of just over eight seconds. Minor tweaks were made throughout the models life, though the largest was in late 1994. This brought power assisted steering, body coloured door mirrors, and a driver’s airbag. A revised floorpan was fitted to the shell, along with new winged front seats and a metal cover over the fuel filler cap. Toward the end of production, costs were cut by removing some standard equipment including the 14” alloy wheels, though as these remained an option many buyers still specified them. The RS1800i was discontinued along with the MK3 Fiesta in 1995. The subsequent MK4 wouldn’t have a truly sporting derivative on offer until the facelift and the Zetec-S. Fans of small fast Fords would instead be guided toward the Puma, a Fiesta based small coupe using an engine developed by Yamaha.

Like all fast Fords, the plastics are cheap, and it feels like little more than a standard supermini with the exception of the seats from behind the wheel. Where it differs from the standard Fiesta is under the bonnet, that Zetec is a coarse engine by modern standards but was far smoother than the outgoing CVH had ever been, and with so much power in a small shell the RS1800i was hilarious fun to drive. Throw it into a corner, put on the power on the way out, feel the tyres scrabble before finding grip – it’s hilarious fun. No wonder the Max Power boys bought these in their thousands.

It’s a hot hatch from the 1990s, it goes without saying that almost every RS1800i will have spent time in a ditch. With that in mind check all the panel gaps carefully for signs of accident damage. You might be lucky and find one of the few that haven’t been abused – if you do, then it’s a desirable thing and you should buy it if it otherwise stacks up. Check the lower extremities for rust, including the floorpan – and check around the front screen for signs of water ingress. RS1800i specific trim might be hard to find, but the bodykit is the same as that fitted to the XR2i and the panels the same as a basic MK3, so they shouldn’t pose too much of an issue if you get involved in the MK3 Fiesta scene and befriend the right people. The Zetec is a hardy engine, and pretty much everything is still available for service or repair.

Buy one in a strong colour, in the best condition you can, with the best history. Crucially, the ones which will be worth money in the future are totally standard and unmolested examples. Max Power kits might remind you of youth but forget it if you want to invest.

Alternatives would include the preceding Fiesta RS Turbo, as well as the larger Escort MK5 RS2000. The Peugeot 106 GTi and Citroen Saxo VTS are equally cheeky hairy hatches and values on both are climbing considerable these days. If you want early 1990s nostalgia though, the best bets would be the Vauxhall Nova SRi and the Citroen AX GTi.