Thanks to @HubNut for the honest review. Car was owned by FMC for 6 months,then sold by Strath ford, Dumbarton,Ford Main Dealer to a company in Glasgow who had it for around 12 months before I part exchanged my XR3 for it.
@@Oldsmobile69advanced is hardly the proper word. The wet noodle chassis, powertrain and suspension basically made it a facelift of an early 1970's Taunus. Cabin had a decidedly low-rent feel to it with exposed screws and nasty plastics. A contemporary bmw e30 or even the humble 1982 Opel Ascona felt decidedly more 'advanced' in comparison.
Wow!!! My father had a Caspian Blue XR4i when I was 15 in 85, and I loved it. It felt so special at the time and quite outrageous. I'd have one any day!
Out of all Sierra's, the XR4i is the one I prefer the most. Combination of the big lights mk1 front end and the rear quarter styling with the split windows make it the best looking Sierra in the line-up. Nice and sporty looking as well. The rear glass of a standard 3-door car was absolutely massive in comparison. . An XR4i would fit nicely on the drive next to my Escort XR3.
Biggest mistake I ever made selling mine, in silver A390UGC. Will forever regret that. Bought mine after a friend got a white one. So much fun to drive.
Did you know that all of the Sierra hatchbacks were originally intended to have the whacky dual wing spoiler? Apparently, that’s how it was developed in the wind tunnel but the marketing folks baulked at the appearance and bean counters the cost, so it was deleted from the majority of the range. The result was a car at launch with horrendous cross wind instability at motorway speed. Apparently the smooth airflow coming from the rear of the car would blow around and take the car with it, much like a balloon on the end of a stick. Within a year they’d developed a fix. Some little ‘bats ears’ that fitted behind the rear edge of the rearmost windows. The stuck out about an inch and broke up the airflow a bit to stabilise things. Look out for the ‘bats ears’ next time you see one.
My Dad’s 2.0 Ghia had the picture of the car with the opening doors. In the middle of it there’s a double snowflake symbol in two colours. When the first part lit up it meant less than 4°C (risk of black ice) and when it came fully on with both colours it meant less than 0°C.
Them lights on the screen for the brakes is a check light, once you press the brake they go out if there working. This brings back Lots of memories of my dad's ghia 2.0 auto. Thanks
The car my dad had when I turned 17 and the one I used to drive to school in the 6th form. White, A619RDM. Glorious chunk of metal. I want one again!!!
My cousin had an XR4i 4x4 estate (French spec) and what a car it was.....my dad & John Welch alongside the massive input of Martin Schanche gave birth to the Sierra Cosworths - all of this was a jellymould Cortina! Firsf car I drifted was an Opel Ascona, then a 1934 Bentley.
A classic Ford is like no other manufacturer, it has nostalgia Like nothing else to many people. No wonder they command a premium as they get older. This is a great example.
That brought back some good memories Ian. The chap who owned the chippy in our village bought a brand new early XR4i, which I'm certain was on a Y plate. In silver, with pepper pot alloys, it looked & sounded ace. As young kids, we'd be eating chips in the bus stop opposite of an evening & it was always a treat to see him roar off in it.
I loved the styling of the Sierra, also known as the jelly mould. Once everyone took to it, all cars looked like it. The XR4i looked menacing on the road. That huge rear spoiler and 2 doors, you knew it meant the business.
My Dad had a 'B' Reg 2.0 Ghia, as his last company car, after a string of Cortina's, all 2.0 Ghias. I always thought it was so cooooooool!!! One issue he did have was that the ride was too soft, it gave my Mum car sickness! He ended up having stiffer shocks fitted which solved that 'problem'. I still love the look of the interior, especially the dashboard. It seemed so futuristic in 1984! Thanks HubNut for bringing back some lovely memories. Jonathan.
Very very few 1980s Fords are left, that's why they're valuable now. Total rotboxes that literally rusted to bits beneath you. Were great to drive but build quality, what a joke. Only British Leyland was worse (nobody mention Lancia 😂).
I was a young Ford mechanic back when these (and the Sierra range generally) were newly released. Worked on a fair few of em....happy days nice and simple compared to today
My dad bought one new in '83. I was a teenager at the time and compared to his previous vehicles, it was like sitting in a spaceship. In my opinion the XR4i was the best car he ever owned, and that would include the Sapphire Cosworth and BMW 535d that he bought later. Obviously not the fastest of the bunch, but the XR4i was the most reliable, had the most character and had that amazing engine noise. I bought it from him when he eventually wanted something new in the late nineties and it was great fun to drive, but by that time it was ready for some restoration and after a while I had to part with it. Apparently it was restored and I regularly check the small ads, hoping that one day I'll be able to buy it back. Fingers crossed!
@@ianandjohnandmaniandreni9323 Yes, it's SORN'd at the moment, not insured and the last MOT was in 2009. Between the last two MOTs it did 7k miles, so someone was enjoying it.
As soon as I saw the number plates I knew it was ex-FMC car - the Brentwood registration number, the tin number plates and the fitting of optional extras.
I too think this is the coolest Sierra version, unique styling in those rear side windows, and the rear spoiler. Childhood dreamcar for me too in the 80's, and was happy to get a white Matchbox Sierra XR4i toycar back in the 80's, which I still have it in pretty nice condition :)
My dad put his Y reg Sierra in for a service back in 1984, the garage found problems with the car and loaned him a black XR4i demonstrator. I was 12 at this time, so yes, very impressed with the sound of the engine and the hifi system was pretty punchy too. I'm m now reminded of the Golf VR6 which is another beautiful purring sound when cruising and then an angry growling when power banding, a very addictive sound indeed and great fun to drive, especially with a full stage 3 stainless exhaust system, a lowering kit complete with Bilstein shocks/coils all round, b-e-a-utiful!!
An interesting video. I also grew up in the 80s and I remember Ford having an advertising campaign on MTV where the slogan was "The changing shape of Ford" which definitely made a big impression on me. The car really had a futuristic design for its time and contemporary competing cars such as the Mazda 626 seemed old-fashioned in comparison. Personally, I have the most experience with the Ford Granada and later the Scorpio (first generation). I really liked the Scorpio and think that as a family car it was quite reasonable with plenty of space and a large degree of comfort. However, my father was a big fan of Peugeot and we therefore had a new 505. The design seemed old-fashioned compared to the Sierra, but the 505 had very good driving characteristics and not least excellent comfort. We went on long trips with the car all the way to the south of England a couple of times from Norway and I remember the trips with great pleasure. I doubt a Sierra could have done better beyond the fabulous design that really stood out at the time.
It was ahead of its time. It's interesting how the more conservative Cavalier outsold it but then Vauxhall eventually adopted the rounded styling, first on the Carlton and then the Cavalier.
I'm also a big fan of 505s! Was it one of those massive estates/station wagons, that could be optioned with 7-seats? They must have been pretty solid cars since there are folks in the Middle East and some parts of Africa still using them!
Awesome review. Always been a fan of the Ford XR's. Owned 6/7 XR3/3i's in the past and 1 XR4i. I remember seeing a white one about locally and always wanted to own it. However, I ended up buying a black one many years later. But one day whilst out and about I saw the white one on the road side and it was for sale. I stopped and had a look round it and it was a real sorry state. Basically a scrapyard short of a crusher car. Anyway, I wanted a few bits for mine so made the guy and offer to take it away for him. We agreed on £140. I thought I had a bargain as the bits I wanted would of cost more from scrap yard and the rest I would sell on for profit. But the best bit was the interior. Full Cosworth leather. Front and rear plus an RS three spoke steering wheel. Needless to say they soon found their way into my car along with a genuine Cosworth dash and upgraded suspension brakes and wheels. Not long followed a turbo conversion and stainless steel exhaust. Beautiful car and a real head turner. Would love to own another.
We got one of 21 mk1 2.8 xr4x4's left on the road. Owned it for 30 years, Even has working abs and optional extra air conditioning. Still a fun car to drive.
I had one of these as a company car in red and absolutely loved it. At the time it was so fast for me but I just remember the torque and the V6 sound. Great car and thanks for the review.
This brought back great memories. As soon as I saw it I guessed "Ford management car"! Essex registration and fully loaded with extras! I was living in Brentwood up until 1988 and the place was teeming with management cars, with Warley HQ and Dunton research centre nearby. A really great video. Thanks for posting. 😊
Really for 1983 when it came out it was an extremely futuristic design. The XR4i was originally intended to be the replacement for the Capri but in the end Ford decided to keep going with the Capri a little while longer.
I consider the original normal four door Sierra as one of the icons of car design. In the same leage as the Jaguar E type. Such a beautiful car. Never owned a Sierra, though.
Oh wow!! What a fabulous video, I had an XR4i back in the day it was a fantastic car and I'm pleased to say it survives to this day. It was featured in Practical Classics magazine as one of its projects !!
I had a black 1985 over here in Canada. Bought it brand new, ours came with a 2.3 l turbo charged putting out 175 ~ 185 hp and was called the Merkur XR4ti as you mentioned. It was the first car I owned that came with heated seats.
My dad had one of those in about 1984 - metallic black. 8 year old me - a big fan of "Knight Rider" - thought it was the absolute cat's pyjamas. Loved the sci-fi on-board computer etc - and the fact that it went like the proverbial off a shovel!
Brings back memories, my dad had this car ,we loved it as kids and when we was dropped off at school or picked up my mates loved it ,even now my dad said he should of kept it ,I've shared this video with him ,thanks for this made me smile and I'm sure when my dad sees this, it's gonna make him smile too ,great video.
The Mk1 Sierras are fascinating cars - I remember them being launched, and a neighbour taking delivery of an early white GL model. I thought it was fantastic - years ahead of our Austin Ambassador. I think my favourite Sierras are the mild facelifted mk1s - they all got Ghia style headlights, and a number of improvements to solve the side wind stability issue that caught many a Sierra driver (Frank Williams being one) by surprise on the Autobahn. There is a brilliant article on the gestation of the Sierra’s design, written by someone involved in forming it - Patrick Le Quement. Quite a sad end - the lack of sales success saw Uwe Bahnsen, who had overseen all of Ford Europe’s 1970s cars (notably Granada mk2, Cortina mk4, Capri mk3 and Escorts mk2 and mk3) sidelined and eventually let go from Ford as a result.
Lovely car. My dad had a D-reg Sierra in black, D922 UAU. Always loved them. They came a couple of years too soon though - people just weren't ready for that shape.
I used to have a B reg XR4i in the same colour as this one in the late 80's. On motorways you could look at the petrol gauge and see the needle moving.
Brings back great memories, company I worked for senior sales managers had these as company cars, complete with the Philips transportable phone. Few occasions I got to drive could not believe the levels of road holding especially at speed around curves compared to usual company fare of Cavaliers and 1.8LX Sierras😂
My dad had every Cortina going but was a bit older and couldn't stomach the styling of the Sierra when it came out & bought an Escort instead. I was devastated! The Cossie came out while I was at university & I was too busy chasing girls & drinking beer to notice until it was nearly all over 🥴 In NZ now a Sapph goes for well over $100k & the last XR4i I saw for sale was $44k.. considering a standard Mark 5 Cortina goes for $30k that's "good value".. That all pales in comparison to an XB Falcon GT (thats the "Mad Max" Ford Falcon V8 for those of you who didn't grow up downunder) which will be $150k+, making the Cossie + the XR4i absolute bargains 🥳
That is a tremendous combination of seriously tidy condition and A-reg "patina". The fact that just about everything still worked well is even more impressive! What an incredible example!
A rare car even when new! The later XR4x4 was a popular choice where we lived in rural Wales in the late ‘80s. I always loved the sound of the 2.8 and 2.9 V6s.
My brother's sibling-in-law worked at a Ford dealer in '85. He had a white XR4i, quite a unique car in Finland at the time. I was only 6 but still remember it well. That might be the only time ever having seen one in real life. Styling-wise I prefer the smaller headlamps & cleaner look of the lesser spec models.
Fantastic car! 😍 This one was registered in Essex. I`d love a go in one of these. It always perplexed me why there were 2 types of 3 Sierras: This one with the metalwork dividing the rear quarter windows and the larger window versions that the Cosworth and the base models shared. Rover Group might have copied the XR4i side profile in the early 1990s with the 3 door R8 in S, Si , GTi and Turbo versions.
The Merkur XR4Ti here in the (formerly) good old USA. A guy on my street had one back in the day and loved it. It was the only one I've ever seen in the metal.
Like your dad, I had a H reg 1.8LX with the tinted rear lights. It looked great in Mercury Grey metallic. The 1.8cvh would spin the wheels with lots more grunt tghan the previous 1.8 pinto i had.
That is for me a serious piece of cool. Having spent a fair amount of learning to drive in a D-plate 1.6L this would be the stuff of dreams. The spec’ and subtle mods, awesome ❤
Yes very rare, had XR2 trimmed seats,5 door, first Ford EFi powered. They had pepper pot style wheel trims,not alloys, replaced by the GLS as the warm Ford sporting saloon for the next 7 yrs or so.
LUVVELLY. I think this design has probably improved with age. I particularly like the red piping stripe that bends into the grille and is repeated inside.
I had a 2.3 automatic Sierra for 9 years. It was one of the most reliable cars I ever owned and one of the most enjoyable. What I enjoyed most was being on the M1 at 70 miles an hour with another Sierra up my exhaust and when traffic cleared in front burying the throttle and leaving them for dust. I bought the car second hand with 19000 miles on it and as in those days of Ford ownership the exhausts went at 22000 so off to Quick Fit, 2 complete exhausts fitted and an offer of a, "Life Time Guarantee", for £25. Best £25 i ever spent had another 3 complete exhausts fitted. Don't think Quick Fit made any money out of me and these days I won't go any where near them.
Superb Ian. I worked in a used car dealer from 89-91 and all our stock was between 1908 and 1990. I was lucky enough to drive a load of these and also some other now iconic 80's cars. I do remember we had a few of these that had prop shaft issues and had to be sent off to get re-balanced.
Always loved these, thank you Mr hubnut and the owner for showing us this lovely motor, if i ever was to own a sierra it'll be either an early xr4i like this, or really late saffire 4x4 with all the toys thrown ate!
Excellent review as always Ian, my late grandfather had a 3 door 1.6 L first actually car related memory for me. Guessing this is Mr Kitch's father in laws car.
Oh my word.. My dad had a '84 B plated 1.6 EMax.. 4 speed box.. Could watch the fuel gauge go down at 70 mph! lol! But had such a fantastic 4 speaker set up (Especially the little joystick control!) Such an easy car to drive, but lordy yes.. Much fun in the wet and snow! I'd happily have one, even today..
I was watching Police Stop 2 here on somebody's channel on TH-cam and on that Police stop episode it highlighted why these became rare as one clip showed one in a police chase. In the comments, possibly a young American commentor, was amazed how quick the Sierra was for a small engine car. Also if you want a very interesting car to test get in touch with the guys at Car Throttle as they have just purchased a amazingly rare and HubNut quality Mazda Xedos with the supercharged engine.
The XR4i looked beautiful when it was launched & it STILL looks good today!! I remember seeing a black one in a shopping centre, when it was new & I loved the sporty look of it & like you, I think I prefer it to the more sporty Fords that have been on the market since...!! 👍🙂
I always loved this car. It was rare here in America, where it was sold, as Ian said, as the Merkur XR4ti. Merkur is German for "Mercury", as it sold in Lincoln/Mercury dealerships. It had the turbocharged version of the 2.3 Pinto engine here, which had anywhere from 160-200 HP (this engine was also fitted to the Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe and the Mustang SVO). 160 HP was the version that was de-rated for an automatic transmission, and 200 HP were the last versions of the engine, with an intercooler (which was forbidden for the Turbo Coupe and XR4ti, until 1987, when the Mustang SVO was discontinued and Ford let everyone have the full potential of the engine 😅 ). Mercury was the upmarket brand in North America, and Ford's rationale behind this car was to lure Yuppies, who adored 3 series BMW coupes, into Lincoln/Mercury dealerships.
@@HubNutthe Lima / Pinto 2.3 had a decent racing history and the US at that time just got out of an oil embargo and saw fuel price spikes plus the EPA started clamoring for increased fuel economy so every US automaker went turbocharged only two really got the reliability handled GM with the Grand National, cyclone/typhoon and Ford with the mustang, Thunderbird and xr4ti.
Merkur never got the intercooled version of the 2.3 TC. The rating was 175 hp for the manual cars and 150 for the auto. 87-88 Turbo Coupe T-Bird was the only car other than the SVO to get the intercooled engine. 🙂
@@HubNut I owned an 88 Turbo Coupe for a few years. Nice highway car, had a huge fuel tank and would go forever. Around town the car was sluggish because of the vehicle weight.
My cousin had 2 of these a white y plate and a black A plate The black one was a rocket ship!! especially compared to the white one !!! Fantastic cars with plenty of 80s character very fond memories 😊
Lovely car! I’m almost certain the 2 red lights on the display go out once you’ve pressed the brake pedal for the first time & proof the brake lights after start up. My Dad had a couple of 2.9 Granada Scorpio’s in the late 80’s & early 90’s & that’s how the display worked on them. Always loved the Sierra ended up buying myself a 2.0i GT in the mid 90’s when I was only 21 (the insurance was a tad steep) but an XR4i was always a bucket list car for me. Excellent review as always.
The Belgian Biplane! A mate had a very second hand one of these in the ‘90s. He was adamant it was basically a Porsche 928 minus a couple of cylinders. His was rough as you like and had mushrooms growing in the footwells. I do miss when car designs were as brave as this though.
Back in the mid 90’s , a genius mate of mine was an electrical engineer designing ECU’s for many makes of cars. He always drove a battered old Sierra, considering his high pay, I asked him why the hell he drove that Sierra - his answer ‘ just about the last car made without an ECU’ !
I remember my mum getting a Sierra as a courtesy car after someone crashed into our Citroen AX (don't ask, apparently my Dad knew someone at the rental place who gave us an upgrade) and it being so huge my Mum described it as a boat, yet driving it about in 2023 it fits in with all the small hatchbacks.
I remember my Dad owning a 1986 Sierra XR4x4 in the late nineties. 2.8 V6. Lovely car and probably my favourite of all the cars he's owned over the years. Reg was C200 ORM.
Thanks for the explanation about the XR4 window glass. I wondered about that when I owned one in the late 90's. I absolutely loved it and it got many an admiring looks. Mine was in the dark metallic blue colour.
Dad had a succession of Sierras after a good few Cortinas. Started with a white 2.0i S which was followed by a grey xr4x4. The new shape Sierra came out so he part exed the xr for a red gls4x4. All fabulous cars and many happy memories smoking other cars on the road!
Had a 1.8 Sierra and even that Engine when You floored it it really shifted nicely and could blow many away ,but was a good all round workhorse, plenty of room for the kids and didn’t cost the Earth to run , XR2 was nice as well
Used to love these as a kid. Had a Tamiya model that I built of one in metallic blue. Was watching the road test and realised I recognised your route, I often travel on those roads on my way home from work!
My parents had a white Sierra glx hatchback, it was a 1.8 turbo diesel and had features like body coloured bumpers and wing mirrors, red trim and headlight wipers. It was sluggish until it had injectors and fuel pump fixed. Good memories of that car and first car I had a drive of, under supervision on the local airfield.
Excellent stuff. Dad had 3 sierras in a row, two 2l ghias and an estate gl. Loved the ghia's that I learned to drive in and borrowed when I passed. It was mentioned that the tyre wear had increased substantially after I passed my test in '86. The estate was very very lairy in the rain.
Thank you very much for this fantastic video. The fan base of the XR4i drivers are falling down on their knees making this fantastic video.We feel the passion with which you are driving this legend.
This is beautiful! My favourite style of Sierra with those big headlights and split rear side windows 😍 And I love that is specced to the likes of the owner. Also, loving the dual camera setup 😃
I remember the engine sounding very coarse when extended. The handling was pretty good, once followed one in Renault 19 16v coming off a dual carriageway and I was starting to twitch behind ii due to the corner.
My Dad had a later gen Sapphire, just a 2.0l but swift enough and nicely specced, and it was a very nice way to get around, but the intrusion of the transmission into the footwell made for quite awkward offset footwork.
I had an 87 XR4Ti when we lived in the States. Heated Recaro front seats, air conditioning, power locks and windows, sunroof. And I could make the Garrett AirResearch turbo glow after a good run. Wonderful car. They lost the whale tail in 90-91 for a more subdued version.
Had one of these from 88 to 92. Great car. Why did I sell it Back in the day I rarely got over 2000rpm. I used 3000rpm to see off most cars. Very occasionally used a bit more - most notably when I got the drop on a Ferrari at some lights
Thanks to @HubNut for the honest review.
Car was owned by FMC for 6 months,then sold by Strath ford, Dumbarton,Ford Main Dealer to a company in Glasgow who had it for around 12 months before I part exchanged my XR3 for it.
Thanks for letting me have a drive, and for your stint with Kitch. Info overload!
@@HubNut I was gonna say, an electric sunroof on a Ford? Ford and Vauxhall always made you wind the sunroof!
@@clivet3252I had an electric sunroof on a ‘94 1.6 LX Escort.
@@clivet3252 Yes, they liked to keep you fit didn't they!😂
@@2760ade I remember you'd always see the reps furiously winding, whereas if you had a Japanese or French car all you had to do was press a button.
It's amazing how well the styling has held up. Gorgeous car, particularly in that color!
It was extremely advanced for the time, they basically copied the prototype.
Nimbus Grey
I'd have this over a Cosworth I think mostly because it is v6 and sounds much sweeter. Not too fast so you can enjoy revving it out.
@@Oldsmobile69advanced is hardly the proper word. The wet noodle chassis, powertrain and suspension basically made it a facelift of an early 1970's Taunus. Cabin had a decidedly low-rent feel to it with exposed screws and nasty plastics. A contemporary bmw e30 or even the humble 1982 Opel Ascona felt decidedly more 'advanced' in comparison.
@@Рашка-у8й The design was advanced, the tech wasn't.
Wow!!! My father had a Caspian Blue XR4i when I was 15 in 85, and I loved it. It felt so special at the time and quite outrageous. I'd have one any day!
Lucky you!
Same here. I was 9 though. All my friends were jealous.
My Dad had a black B reg. I was 12. All my friends were jealous too.
Out of all Sierra's, the XR4i is the one I prefer the most. Combination of the big lights mk1 front end and the rear quarter styling with the split windows make it the best looking Sierra in the line-up. Nice and sporty looking as well. The rear glass of a standard 3-door car was absolutely massive in comparison. .
An XR4i would fit nicely on the drive next to my Escort XR3.
and of course the Cosworth got the standard 3-door glass.
Escort Cosworth clear indicators on the front finish these off perfectly.
Biggest mistake I ever made selling mine, in silver A390UGC.
Will forever regret that. Bought mine after a friend got a white one.
So much fun to drive.
Everything about this car is so cool. Two tone paint, red pinstripe, split rear window, double spoiler... just awesome.
Did you know that all of the Sierra hatchbacks were originally intended to have the whacky dual wing spoiler? Apparently, that’s how it was developed in the wind tunnel but the marketing folks baulked at the appearance and bean counters the cost, so it was deleted from the majority of the range. The result was a car at launch with horrendous cross wind instability at motorway speed. Apparently the smooth airflow coming from the rear of the car would blow around and take the car with it, much like a balloon on the end of a stick. Within a year they’d developed a fix. Some little ‘bats ears’ that fitted behind the rear edge of the rearmost windows. The stuck out about an inch and broke up the airflow a bit to stabilise things. Look out for the ‘bats ears’ next time you see one.
My Dad’s 2.0 Ghia had the picture of the car with the opening doors. In the middle of it there’s a double snowflake symbol in two colours. When the first part lit up it meant less than 4°C (risk of black ice) and when it came fully on with both colours it meant less than 0°C.
Them lights on the screen for the brakes is a check light, once you press the brake they go out if there working. This brings back Lots of memories of my dad's ghia 2.0 auto. Thanks
Also had a yellow or red snowflake on the roof for ice warning.
@wirdy1 yes below 5c yellow and below 3c red for Ice. 🙂
90s Ravers's car. My mate had a black A-reg with a Cossie wing, that replaced the double-decker. Used to go to early 90s raves in it 👍
They just looked so outrageous when they were launched. A twin spoiler! It was just crazy!
The car my dad had when I turned 17 and the one I used to drive to school in the 6th form. White, A619RDM. Glorious chunk of metal. I want one again!!!
My cousin had an XR4i 4x4 estate (French spec) and what a car it was.....my dad & John Welch alongside the massive input of Martin Schanche gave birth to the Sierra Cosworths - all of this was a jellymould Cortina! Firsf car I drifted was an Opel Ascona, then a 1934 Bentley.
A classic Ford is like no other manufacturer, it has nostalgia Like nothing else to many people. No wonder they command a premium as they get older. This is a great example.
That brought back some good memories Ian. The chap who owned the chippy in our village bought a brand new early XR4i, which I'm certain was on a Y plate. In silver, with pepper pot alloys, it looked & sounded ace. As young kids, we'd be eating chips in the bus stop opposite of an evening & it was always a treat to see him roar off in it.
I loved the styling of the Sierra, also known as the jelly mould. Once everyone took to it, all cars looked like it. The XR4i looked menacing on the road. That huge rear spoiler and 2 doors, you knew it meant the business.
My Dad had a 'B' Reg 2.0 Ghia, as his last company car, after a string of Cortina's, all 2.0 Ghias. I always thought it was so cooooooool!!!
One issue he did have was that the ride was too soft, it gave my Mum car sickness! He ended up having stiffer shocks fitted which solved that 'problem'. I still love the look of the interior, especially the dashboard. It seemed so futuristic in 1984!
Thanks HubNut for bringing back some lovely memories.
Jonathan.
There was 2 side window style on the 3 door shells, the XRs had 2 rear side windows each side and the normal specs had 1 side window each side.
Wow! 40 years old! I can't imagine our 2020 cars lasting that long.
Very very few 1980s Fords are left, that's why they're valuable now. Total rotboxes that literally rusted to bits beneath you. Were great to drive but build quality, what a joke. Only British Leyland was worse (nobody mention Lancia 😂).
Most of these were terminally rotten by the mid 90s, to be fair.
I was a young Ford mechanic back when these (and the Sierra range generally) were newly released. Worked on a fair few of em....happy days nice and simple compared to today
My dad bought one new in '83. I was a teenager at the time and compared to his previous vehicles, it was like sitting in a spaceship. In my opinion the XR4i was the best car he ever owned, and that would include the Sapphire Cosworth and BMW 535d that he bought later. Obviously not the fastest of the bunch, but the XR4i was the most reliable, had the most character and had that amazing engine noise. I bought it from him when he eventually wanted something new in the late nineties and it was great fun to drive, but by that time it was ready for some restoration and after a while I had to part with it. Apparently it was restored and I regularly check the small ads, hoping that one day I'll be able to buy it back. Fingers crossed!
Have you done a text check on it's reg? You'll at least know if it was still on the road.
@@ianandjohnandmaniandreni9323 Yes, it's SORN'd at the moment, not insured and the last MOT was in 2009. Between the last two MOTs it did 7k miles, so someone was enjoying it.
As soon as I saw the number plates I knew it was ex-FMC car - the Brentwood registration number, the tin number plates and the fitting of optional extras.
This was my dream car as a 13 year old 😍 Still got my Ford ‘Cars’ brochure that I gleaned from the Motor Show in Glasgow that featured it 😉👍
I too think this is the coolest Sierra version, unique styling in those rear side windows, and the rear spoiler. Childhood dreamcar for me too in the 80's, and was happy to get a white Matchbox Sierra XR4i toycar back in the 80's, which I still have it in pretty nice condition :)
My dad put his Y reg Sierra in for a service back in 1984, the garage found problems with the car and loaned him a black XR4i demonstrator. I was 12 at this time, so yes, very impressed with the sound of the engine and the hifi system was pretty punchy too.
I'm m now reminded of the Golf VR6 which is another beautiful purring sound when cruising and then an angry growling when power banding, a very addictive sound indeed and great fun to drive, especially with a full stage 3 stainless exhaust system, a lowering kit complete with Bilstein shocks/coils all round, b-e-a-utiful!!
An interesting video. I also grew up in the 80s and I remember Ford having an advertising campaign on MTV where the slogan was "The changing shape of Ford" which definitely made a big impression on me. The car really had a futuristic design for its time and contemporary competing cars such as the Mazda 626 seemed old-fashioned in comparison. Personally, I have the most experience with the Ford Granada and later the Scorpio (first generation). I really liked the Scorpio and think that as a family car it was quite reasonable with plenty of space and a large degree of comfort. However, my father was a big fan of Peugeot and we therefore had a new 505. The design seemed old-fashioned compared to the Sierra, but the 505 had very good driving characteristics and not least excellent comfort. We went on long trips with the car all the way to the south of England a couple of times from Norway and I remember the trips with great pleasure. I doubt a Sierra could have done better beyond the fabulous design that really stood out at the time.
It was ahead of its time. It's interesting how the more conservative Cavalier outsold it but then Vauxhall eventually adopted the rounded styling, first on the Carlton and then the Cavalier.
I'm also a big fan of 505s! Was it one of those massive estates/station wagons, that could be optioned with 7-seats?
They must have been pretty solid cars since there are folks in the Middle East and some parts of Africa still using them!
I can't believe it! The moment has finally arrived! Hubnut reviews a Sierra! As usual Ian does a brilliant job🙂Loved the intro ☺️
Awesome review. Always been a fan of the Ford XR's. Owned 6/7 XR3/3i's in the past and 1 XR4i.
I remember seeing a white one about locally and always wanted to own it. However, I ended up buying a black one many years later. But one day whilst out and about I saw the white one on the road side and it was for sale. I stopped and had a look round it and it was a real sorry state. Basically a scrapyard short of a crusher car.
Anyway, I wanted a few bits for mine so made the guy and offer to take it away for him. We agreed on £140. I thought I had a bargain as the bits I wanted would of cost more from scrap yard and the rest I would sell on for profit.
But the best bit was the interior. Full Cosworth leather. Front and rear plus an RS three spoke steering wheel.
Needless to say they soon found their way into my car along with a genuine Cosworth dash and upgraded suspension brakes and wheels.
Not long followed a turbo conversion and stainless steel exhaust.
Beautiful car and a real head turner.
Would love to own another.
We got one of 21 mk1 2.8 xr4x4's left on the road. Owned it for 30 years, Even has working abs and optional extra air conditioning. Still a fun car to drive.
My mum worked at a Ford dealers when the XR4i was launched. I never left the showroom, it was love!
My third car was a 'J' reg Sierra XR4x4. Did 138,000 miles in it. Fantastic, versatile car in its time. Thanks for sharing. ❤
I always loved the Sierra, the first one was the 2.0is, then I upgaded to the 4x4 facelift 2.9i, I have it for 6 years. loved it
I had one of these as a company car in red and absolutely loved it. At the time it was so fast for me but I just remember the torque and the V6 sound. Great car and thanks for the review.
This brought back great memories. As soon as I saw it I guessed "Ford management car"! Essex registration and fully loaded with extras! I was living in Brentwood up until 1988 and the place was teeming with management cars, with Warley HQ and Dunton research centre nearby. A really great video. Thanks for posting. 😊
Frog island at the weekend 😉👌👌👌
Really for 1983 when it came out it was an extremely futuristic design.
The XR4i was originally intended to be the replacement for the Capri but in the end Ford decided to keep going with the Capri a little while longer.
I consider the original normal four door Sierra as one of the icons of car design. In the same leage as the Jaguar E type. Such a beautiful car. Never owned a Sierra, though.
Oh wow!! What a fabulous video, I had an XR4i back in the day it was a fantastic car and I'm pleased to say it survives to this day. It was featured in Practical Classics magazine as one of its projects !!
I had a black 1985 over here in Canada. Bought it brand new, ours came with a 2.3 l turbo charged putting out 175 ~ 185 hp and was called the Merkur XR4ti as you mentioned. It was the first car I owned that came with heated seats.
My dad had one of those in about 1984 - metallic black. 8 year old me - a big fan of "Knight Rider" - thought it was the absolute cat's pyjamas. Loved the sci-fi on-board computer etc - and the fact that it went like the proverbial off a shovel!
Brings back memories, my dad had this car ,we loved it as kids and when we was dropped off at school or picked up my mates loved it ,even now my dad said he should of kept it ,I've shared this video with him ,thanks for this made me smile and I'm sure when my dad sees this, it's gonna make him smile too ,great video.
The Mk1 Sierras are fascinating cars - I remember them being launched, and a neighbour taking delivery of an early white GL model. I thought it was fantastic - years ahead of our Austin Ambassador. I think my favourite Sierras are the mild facelifted mk1s - they all got Ghia style headlights, and a number of improvements to solve the side wind stability issue that caught many a Sierra driver (Frank Williams being one) by surprise on the Autobahn. There is a brilliant article on the gestation of the Sierra’s design, written by someone involved in forming it - Patrick Le Quement. Quite a sad end - the lack of sales success saw Uwe Bahnsen, who had overseen all of Ford Europe’s 1970s cars (notably Granada mk2, Cortina mk4, Capri mk3 and Escorts mk2 and mk3) sidelined and eventually let go from Ford as a result.
Lovely car. My dad had a D-reg Sierra in black, D922 UAU.
Always loved them. They came a couple of years too soon though - people just weren't ready for that shape.
I used to have a B reg XR4i in the same colour as this one in the late 80's. On motorways you could look at the petrol gauge and see the needle moving.
Great to see I've owned 3 4i's, love them. 2 in white 1 gun metal grey.Sold my last 1 for £200 20 years ago😂
Brings back great memories, company I worked for senior sales managers had these as company cars, complete with the Philips transportable phone. Few occasions I got to drive could not believe the levels of road holding especially at speed around curves compared to usual company fare of Cavaliers and 1.8LX Sierras😂
My dad had every Cortina going but was a bit older and couldn't stomach the styling of the Sierra when it came out & bought an Escort instead. I was devastated! The Cossie came out while I was at university & I was too busy chasing girls & drinking beer to notice until it was nearly all over 🥴
In NZ now a Sapph goes for well over $100k & the last XR4i I saw for sale was $44k.. considering a standard Mark 5 Cortina goes for $30k that's "good value"..
That all pales in comparison to an XB Falcon GT (thats the "Mad Max" Ford Falcon V8 for those of you who didn't grow up downunder) which will be $150k+, making the Cossie + the XR4i absolute bargains 🥳
What a great car. Still remember being properly surprised by the rear spoiler as a young boy in the mid eighties.
That is a tremendous combination of seriously tidy condition and A-reg "patina". The fact that just about everything still worked well is even more impressive! What an incredible example!
In the US, these were sold as the Merkur XR4TI and were indeed powered by a turbocharged 2.3 Pinto engine. It was, however, not intercooled.
A rare car even when new! The later XR4x4 was a popular choice where we lived in rural Wales in the late ‘80s. I always loved the sound of the 2.8 and 2.9 V6s.
LOADS of these still out and about over here in Arizona/New Mexico.
My brother's sibling-in-law worked at a Ford dealer in '85. He had a white XR4i, quite a unique car in Finland at the time. I was only 6 but still remember it well. That might be the only time ever having seen one in real life.
Styling-wise I prefer the smaller headlamps & cleaner look of the lesser spec models.
Such a great car, thanks for sharing your drive and to the owner for allowing you to present such a rare example
Fantastic car! 😍 This one was registered in Essex. I`d love a go in one of these.
It always perplexed me why there were 2 types of 3 Sierras: This one with the metalwork dividing the rear quarter windows and the larger window versions that the Cosworth and the base models shared.
Rover Group might have copied the XR4i side profile in the early 1990s with the 3 door R8 in S, Si , GTi and Turbo versions.
The Merkur XR4Ti here in the (formerly) good old USA. A guy on my street had one back in the day and loved it. It was the only one I've ever seen in the metal.
Like your dad, I had a H reg 1.8LX with the tinted rear lights. It looked great in Mercury Grey metallic. The 1.8cvh would spin the wheels with lots more grunt tghan the previous 1.8 pinto i had.
That is for me a serious piece of cool. Having spent a fair amount of learning to drive in a D-plate 1.6L this would be the stuff of dreams. The spec’ and subtle mods, awesome ❤
I clearly remember one of those parked outside my school in the mid 80’s
Never normally saw rear wing extravaganza like that where I grew up 😃
I was obsessed with these too. Another early Sierra thats even rarer is the 2.0iS. Five door with pepperpots. Not seen one in decades.
Yes very rare, had XR2 trimmed seats,5 door, first Ford EFi powered.
They had pepper pot style wheel trims,not alloys, replaced by the GLS as the warm Ford sporting saloon for the next 7 yrs or so.
LUVVELLY. I think this design has probably improved with age. I particularly like the red piping stripe that bends into the grille and is repeated inside.
I had a 2.3 automatic Sierra for 9 years. It was one of the most reliable cars I ever owned and one of the most enjoyable.
What I enjoyed most was being on the M1 at 70 miles an hour with another Sierra up my exhaust and when traffic cleared in front burying the throttle and leaving them for dust. I bought the car second hand with 19000 miles on it and as in those days of Ford ownership the exhausts went at 22000 so off to Quick Fit, 2 complete exhausts fitted and an offer of a, "Life Time Guarantee", for £25. Best £25 i ever spent had another 3 complete exhausts fitted. Don't think Quick Fit made any money out of me and these days I won't go any where near them.
What a beautiful car always makes me smile when I see one they really were brilliant cars so underrated but the style has aged well
Superb Ian. I worked in a used car dealer from 89-91 and all our stock was between 1908 and 1990. I was lucky enough to drive a load of these and also some other now iconic 80's cars. I do remember we had a few of these that had prop shaft issues and had to be sent off to get re-balanced.
Always loved these, thank you Mr hubnut and the owner for showing us this lovely motor, if i ever was to own a sierra it'll be either an early xr4i like this, or really late saffire 4x4 with all the toys thrown ate!
Excellent review as always Ian, my late grandfather had a 3 door 1.6 L first actually car related memory for me.
Guessing this is Mr Kitch's father in laws car.
The very same.
The most ergonomic dashboard I’ve ever owned in a car.
Oh my word.. My dad had a '84 B plated 1.6 EMax.. 4 speed box.. Could watch the fuel gauge go down at 70 mph! lol!
But had such a fantastic 4 speaker set up (Especially the little joystick control!)
Such an easy car to drive, but lordy yes.. Much fun in the wet and snow!
I'd happily have one, even today..
Geez what a nice looking car, that V6 sierra is a car I would definitely like to have, too bad Ford didn’t sell them here in Australia
I was watching Police Stop 2 here on somebody's channel on TH-cam and on that Police stop episode it highlighted why these became rare as one clip showed one in a police chase. In the comments, possibly a young American commentor, was amazed how quick the Sierra was for a small engine car.
Also if you want a very interesting car to test get in touch with the guys at Car Throttle as they have just purchased a amazingly rare and HubNut quality Mazda Xedos with the supercharged engine.
The XR4i looked beautiful when it was launched & it STILL looks good today!! I remember seeing a black one in a shopping centre, when it was new & I loved the sporty look of it & like you, I think I prefer it to the more sporty Fords that have been on the market since...!! 👍🙂
I always loved this car. It was rare here in America, where it was sold, as Ian said, as the Merkur XR4ti. Merkur is German for "Mercury", as it sold in Lincoln/Mercury dealerships. It had the turbocharged version of the 2.3 Pinto engine here, which had anywhere from 160-200 HP (this engine was also fitted to the Ford Thunderbird Turbo Coupe and the Mustang SVO). 160 HP was the version that was de-rated for an automatic transmission, and 200 HP were the last versions of the engine, with an intercooler (which was forbidden for the Turbo Coupe and XR4ti, until 1987, when the Mustang SVO was discontinued and Ford let everyone have the full potential of the engine 😅 ). Mercury was the upmarket brand in North America, and Ford's rationale behind this car was to lure Yuppies, who adored 3 series BMW coupes, into Lincoln/Mercury dealerships.
Got to drive a T Bird with that engine last year! Only a brief one so wasn't filmed. Seemed an odd choice of powerplant.
@@HubNutthe Lima / Pinto 2.3 had a decent racing history and the US at that time just got out of an oil embargo and saw fuel price spikes plus the EPA started clamoring for increased fuel economy so every US automaker went turbocharged only two really got the reliability handled GM with the Grand National, cyclone/typhoon and Ford with the mustang, Thunderbird and xr4ti.
There were several of the XR4ti Merkurs in my area. The Merkur Scorpio too, also a nice car.
Merkur never got the intercooled version of the 2.3 TC. The rating was 175 hp for the manual cars and 150 for the auto. 87-88 Turbo Coupe T-Bird was the only car other than the SVO to get the intercooled engine. 🙂
@@HubNut I owned an 88 Turbo Coupe for a few years. Nice highway car, had a huge fuel tank and would go forever. Around town the car was sluggish because of the vehicle weight.
My cousin had 2 of these a white y plate and a black A plate
The black one was a rocket ship!! especially compared to the white one !!!
Fantastic cars with plenty of 80s character very fond memories 😊
Who ever owns this has a gem of a car it looks very clean so no doubt its been well looked after
Lovely car! I’m almost certain the 2 red lights on the display go out once you’ve pressed the brake pedal for the first time & proof the brake lights after start up. My Dad had a couple of 2.9 Granada Scorpio’s in the late 80’s & early 90’s & that’s how the display worked on them.
Always loved the Sierra ended up buying myself a 2.0i GT in the mid 90’s when I was only 21 (the insurance was a tad steep) but an XR4i was always a bucket list car for me. Excellent review as always.
My father had one, he had many cars during his life. But this was the one he loved the most and the one that identified him. Thanks for the video
That's a beautiful sounding car. Thank you for the road test!
One of my dream cars!! Thanks Ian 🙂
The Belgian Biplane! A mate had a very second hand one of these in the ‘90s. He was adamant it was basically a Porsche 928 minus a couple of cylinders. His was rough as you like and had mushrooms growing in the footwells. I do miss when car designs were as brave as this though.
That was a great video to watch, I really enjoyed that.
What a great car that is… good work Mr. Hubnut! 👏👏
Back in the mid 90’s , a genius mate of mine was an electrical engineer designing ECU’s for many makes of cars. He always drove a battered old Sierra, considering his high pay, I asked him why the hell he drove that Sierra - his answer ‘ just about the last car made without an ECU’ !
I remember my mum getting a Sierra as a courtesy car after someone crashed into our Citroen AX (don't ask, apparently my Dad knew someone at the rental place who gave us an upgrade) and it being so huge my Mum described it as a boat, yet driving it about in 2023 it fits in with all the small hatchbacks.
I remember my Dad owning a 1986 Sierra XR4x4 in the late nineties. 2.8 V6. Lovely car and probably my favourite of all the cars he's owned over the years. Reg was C200 ORM.
I'm not surprised this is rare, and worth a fortune! I had a 2.0 LX, lovely car but one thing MK1 Sierras did very well was rust, and very quickly!
Thanks for the explanation about the XR4 window glass. I wondered about that when I owned one in the late 90's.
I absolutely loved it and it got many an admiring looks. Mine was in the dark metallic blue colour.
Dad had a succession of Sierras after a good few Cortinas. Started with a white 2.0i S which was followed by a grey xr4x4. The new shape Sierra came out so he part exed the xr for a red gls4x4.
All fabulous cars and many happy memories smoking other cars on the road!
Had a 1.8 Sierra and even that Engine when You floored it it really shifted nicely and could blow many away ,but was a good all round workhorse, plenty of room for the kids and didn’t cost the Earth to run , XR2 was nice as well
Used to love these as a kid. Had a Tamiya model that I built of one in metallic blue. Was watching the road test and realised I recognised your route, I often travel on those roads on my way home from work!
I still have my XR-6 since new. Owned and driven tons of lengendary cars, but always kept this car. Never let me down once.
My parents had a white Sierra glx hatchback, it was a 1.8 turbo diesel and had features like body coloured bumpers and wing mirrors, red trim and headlight wipers. It was sluggish until it had injectors and fuel pump fixed. Good memories of that car and first car I had a drive of, under supervision on the local airfield.
I soooo wanted an XR4i! Terrific review.
Car phone?
Salesrep suite?
Spandau Ballet cassette?
What more would you need to be a top dog in the 80s
Excellent stuff. Dad had 3 sierras in a row, two 2l ghias and an estate gl. Loved the ghia's that I learned to drive in and borrowed when I passed. It was mentioned that the tyre wear had increased substantially after I passed my test in '86. The estate was very very lairy in the rain.
Thank you very much for this fantastic video. The fan base of the XR4i drivers are falling down on their knees making this fantastic video.We feel the passion with which you are driving this legend.
Absaloutly brilliant video ian❤👍 what a beautiful car yeah they don't make them like that any more brilliant
Awesome car for 1982, nobody was close...
you re really good with ford,these are the beautiful cars we used to admire as kids in the 80s
This is beautiful! My favourite style of Sierra with those big headlights and split rear side windows 😍 And I love that is specced to the likes of the owner.
Also, loving the dual camera setup 😃
I remember the engine sounding very coarse when extended. The handling was pretty good, once followed one in Renault 19 16v coming off a dual carriageway and I was starting to twitch behind ii due to the corner.
My Dad had a later gen Sapphire, just a 2.0l but swift enough and nicely specced, and it was a very nice way to get around, but the intrusion of the transmission into the footwell made for quite awkward offset footwork.
I had an 87 XR4Ti when we lived in the States. Heated Recaro front seats, air conditioning, power locks and windows, sunroof. And I could make the Garrett AirResearch turbo glow after a good run. Wonderful car. They lost the whale tail in 90-91 for a more subdued version.
Had one of these from 88 to 92. Great car. Why did I sell it
Back in the day I rarely got over 2000rpm. I used 3000rpm to see off most cars. Very occasionally used a bit more - most notably when I got the drop on a Ferrari at some lights