New book featuring Mk1 Focus RS

[Marc]

Signed up.

I still have lots of magazine articles from around 2000 with the Focus Cosworth concepts. Was desperate for it to go into production.

I recall a limited run of Focuses around in the lates 90's labelled as T190 T210 T230. They had the collection kit as standard, OZ wheels and I think black bucket seats and a turbo'd Zetec. Pretty sure they could be ordered from a few select dealers. I still have the magazine somewhere.

[Big_Will]

Hi Steve

I would like to see any non released press/ advertisement pictures. And especially if ever had any tv advertisement lined up? Seems a shame Ford did some great adverts over the years (Sierra) but never released one for the FRS.

Thanks

Will

[RSclassics]

It is a great opportunity to have this book. I've take placed my interest on website.

[Clayton]

A few weeks ago I had been in chats with Steve Saxty, the author of the new ‘Secret Fords' book. You've probably seen the positive reviews in car magazines and on Facebook where Steve is very active.

Steve is now writing Volume Two and he offered me the chance to see some of his never-seen Focus material and I was blown away; pictures that had me drooling of the development of the Mk1 Focus RS and details that we have never seen or heard of before.

The next Volume covers the '89 Fiesta through to 2001 Capri, FMC were going to bring back the old coupe, along with a Fiesta RS. Steve has got hundreds of photos from retired designers, Ford and their engineers.

You'll want to know about the Focus RS elements in Volume Two, and if you should get Volume One - this will give you a taster of what's to come…. Steve showed me pictures of CE99 which was a Mk6 Escort that was cancelled late in the day. The interesting thing is that this car sits exactly between the '91 Escort and the Focus. Ford cancelled the car so late in the day and then kept quiet about it so you will find it of great interest. Steve is then going to write up the design story of the Focus, being born of the cancelled CE99 and the performance versions. What Steve tries to do in Secret Fords is to cover the design of a model, Fiesta, Escort, Focus and then the other never-seen versions that were created of it before and after launch. The Focus pictures are amazing, the convertible, a 350bhp Focus with Jaguar AWD by Prodrive, Focus V8s, V6s and more. His plan is to make the Escort Cosworth and Focus RS design stories the main features in the book and maybe add a supplemental book with it which I have been pushing to happen. Steve has hundreds of never seen pictures of the Focus RS being designed like these images in the picture collage below. Images of the exterior and interior design are things I know we will all want to see more of.

Steve has commissioned Dave Hilton, the Focus RS designer, and Mike Dickison, the car's principal engineer, to write up their stories – it will be great to hear from them first hand.

I know many of you will have other classic Fords and since I have Volume One, I can really recommend it to you, even if you just want a pre-read to the '90s and 2000s. There is no better resource of information on Fords and RS cars from the '70s and late 80s.

I have asked Steve if he could offer the Mk1 Focus RS Owners a discount for Volume One. I'm pleased to say it has been agreed to offer a 15% discount. This will make great reading until Volume Two comes out in October.

I hope we can persuade Steve to share some more Focus photos like these during the summer and prior to the new book being released!


To order your Volume One book use the code FOCUS15 at checkout. Clicky - www.stevesaxty.com/secretfords

Secret Fords - Focus RS.png

[Clayton]

Hi all, just reviving this thread for the new book which is being written by Steve Saxty at the moment.

As you all know this book will feature the development of the Mk1 Focus RS. There will be many interesting details we all will enjoy reading as well as many pictures we have never seen. I have had the pleasure of viewing a few and was blown away by them and so looking forward to seeing many more.

Steve Saxty has recently posted on Facebook showing one of the images which was titled 'Racing Focus' so I thought I would share it here for many of you who are not in connection with Facebook.

I'm just starting to write up the Focus story and sifting through – believe it or not – over 700 never-seen photos of Focus models that didn't see the light of day. This one from 1997 has me perplexed. It's filed under "Racing Focus" and so three years before work started on the Focus RS but.... I wonder, was this five-door fiberglass shell turned into a three-door on both sides and then used as the WRC RS Focus show car seen at launch in March 98? That's my bet - what do you think?

1997-Focus.jpg

[DanT404]

Looking forward to this one!

[Dazzer]

Looking like there will be some interesting stuff in there

[Steve Saxty]

I'm deep into writing the final chapters of "Secret Fords Vol Two" and it's a world of never-seen RS cars. These blurry pics show a bit of a head-spinner – back in '97, there was a plan for a "Racing Focus" road car. It predated the Focus RS by many years; one of several oddballs that will help me illustrate the Focus RS tale. There are just a few hundred Collector's Editions left of Vol One and demand for the RS Collector's Edition of Vol Two keeps me busy – you can see a little more here – including the RS Special Collector's Edition.

https://www.stevesaxty.com/sfvol2

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