Highlights
- Huge stack of history including an original sealed Ford brochure
- Current Owner has kept the car garaged and dry stored
- Fantastic condition throughout with low miles and low owners
The Appeal
Having had a bumpy introduction to the world with Ford seemingly bumbling the Racing Pumas birth, 1000 examples of the car were made with 500 going to Germany for a Tickford racing makeover. When buyers saw the price however, they switched off and bought an Elise for £250 more, this meant that not only were they missing out, so with only 500 cars made for the UK and not all of them finding customers the Ford was a rare sight on the roads.
Now, sure you could go and buy a Clio 172 or an Impreza for around the same money or less but they’re two a penny, with the Puma, you’re likely to be the only one at the show or on the motorway with one. Add to that exclusivity the rev happy 1.7 litre NA engine buzzing away and the wider track and rally styling and its clear to see why we are slightly obsessed with all things fast Ford.
The History and Paperwork
- Original owner’s pack including manuals and guides
- The car has been looked after by Hill & Son in Dorset for a large portion of its life, having regular maintenance and servicing done as and when the car has needed it
- More recently, with the current owner, the car has had a major service with fluids, plugs and filters changed and has also had a new clutch fitted as the previous one was starting to slip
- Recently the car has had new paintwork to the roof and bonnet with the colour blended into the front wings, this has been done to a good standard
- The car comes with two keys
The Interior
- Starting in the boot, the storage space is in great condition, with the carpet showing very few signs of use or wear
- Boot floor is seemingly in great condition too from what we could see from the top and bottom
- Left side rear strut tower is visible through an access panel to the jack, which is showing no signs of corrosion from what was accessible to us
- Elsewhere in the interior the Ford Racing Sparco seats are in good condition and remain very supportive, there is some bobbling to the Alcantara at the base of the backrest on the driver’s side but it’s very minimal
- Alcantara sections to the steering wheel are in good condition and have not worn excessively as many do over the years
- Carpets, door cards and headlining are all clean and show little signs of wear
- Rear seats are largely for show if you are more than 4 feet tall and as such have very little wear to them, same is true for rear side panels
- Dash is in great condition and has very few marks, if any, silver panels inset into the grey/black plastic smarten the inside up and match the silver gearknob
- All electrics are reportedly working inside the car
The Exterior
- Fantastic shape and iconic looks are backed up by being in great condition, very few stone chips to the front and with the bonnet being resprayed recently, the whole car has been cut and polished which has removed much of the swirls in the topcoat from years of washing
- Headlights are relatively free from clouding and have been recently worked on to protect them from UV degradation
- Wheels and tyres are in good condition with few excessive marks and the tyres having plenty of tread left and of course remain in good condition
- All lights and glass is on good condition too and the car has benefitted from a new windscreen since factory as evidenced in the paperwork
- Front carbon fibre front splitter really adds to the racing look and the wide arches complete the racing/rally look
The Mechanics
- Owner reports the car to drive fantastically, and these cars have become known for, a rev happy 1.7 litre NA engine is a wonderful thing when on song
- In the engine bay everything seems to be in good order, no signs of fluid leaks, split hoses or pipes, or exposed wires
- On the day of the photoshoot, the car started, idled, and drove well with no smoke or unwanted noises
- Brakes have been changed during the recent full service so should stop the car reliably
- The Ford has seemingly been cared for well during the owner’s time and has had regular, routine servicing with any issues arising being fixed promptly
Summary
Ford Racing Pumas are one of Fords most overlooked cars supposedly written off by the power figure crazed masses. Sometimes however, power isn’t everything, and it’s the application of what you have that makes this car one of the greats. Now starting to creep up in more people’s estimations, the Puma is likely to cost you not much less now as it was new. This example has had very few owners and remains on very good mileage, it is also great condition with a huge record of history and remaining unmodified. This surely has to be one of the best examples up for sale currently.
BEFORE YOU BUY
BEFORE YOU BUY
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