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Ford Sierra

The overtly aerodynamic Ford Sierra was the replacement for the much-loved Cortina. Sadly, it proved to be a slow seller early in its life, causing Ford management all manner of confidence issues when it came to the styling of its future models.

But the Granada followed suit in 1985, and by the time of the 1987 facelift, the Sierra was selling strongly enough to remain in production for more than a decade.  At launch in 1982, engines were carried over from the Cortina, and the Sierra also maintained that car’s rear-wheel drive layout.

The idea behind that decision that was to keep servicing simple, and fleet managers on board. But the suspension system was uprated to mirror the set-up used in the Granada Mk2. The aerodynamics famously caused a number of motor way stability issues on the earliest cars, but these were soon fixed, but the damage was already done, and the ‘jellymould’ had to work very hard indeed to stave off the advances of the Vauxhall Cavalier Mk2.

Advanced shape meant slow acceptance as a classic, but the Sierra is generally considered to be a quirky, interesting choice with plenty of ’80s appeal.

Ford’s ‘Jellymould’ Sierra had a tough role in life – to replace the best-selling Cortina. Given its unconventional styling, buyers took time to accept the new face of the middle-market. But as the years passed, Britons warmed to the Sierra – and now it’s a well-loved classic with a growing cult following…


Reviews, blogs and news stories

Development story

The cars : Ford Sierra development story

17 September 2013 Keith Adams 129

Replacing the Cortina was never going to be easy – it was a British icon, and a top-seller for more years than the company’s rivals care to mention. That led […]

Ford concepts

Concepts and prototypes : Ford Probe III

22 November 2014 Keith Adams 52

Keith Adams Back in 1981, when the development of the Ford Sierra (project Toni), was reaching its latter stages of its development, management felt the need soften the buying public. […]

The cars : Austin/MG Metro development history
AROnline News

News : Our most popular cars are Britain’s most endangered

14 May 2013 Keith Adams 45

The cars that form the backbone of AROnline are some of the fastest disappearing motors on British roads. New research into the top British family cars by Honest John Classics reveals that many of UK’s once-popular family cars are on the most endangered. […]

Ford

Essay : Not their finest hour – Ford Sierra 2.0 (i4 engine)

23 October 2012 Mike Humble 59

Mike Humble To quote David Grohl of Foo Fighters fame (the nice man of rock), I have a confession to make: I like the Ford Sierra. It took 14 years […]

Ford Sierra

In Memoriam: Ford Sierra 1.6 Ghia E-Max

21 July 2011 Mike Humble 45

Mike Humble takes another look at some of the less likely extinct cars in the UK, according to data supplied by the brilliant How Many Left? website based on DVLA data. […]

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