The one and only
For most car-conscious folk of a certain age, the sight of a whale tail still has its own magic.
No mere spoilers, these excessive peacock-fan displays signal a car with too much power to be held on the road by the weak fundamental force of gravity. Porsche 930 turbos needed them to correct the wrong-headedness of having all that power thrusting from behind the rear wheels, and Sierra Cosworths also needed them for genuine road-holding reasons.
When Ford launched the bravely rounded Sierra in 1982 to replace the boxy Cortina, its blobby shape and expressionless face weren’t universally loved. It was most-often likened to a jelly mould. It was fundamentally a better, more modern car than the Cortina but run-out deals on the Cortina kept sales low in the UK. It sold well from the outset in Germany, and in the following year, 1983, UK sales picked up and it finished second only to the Escort. Its more modern shape held it in good stead against less characterful rivals in later years — although when Peugeot launched the beautiful 405 in 1987, you had to wonder why other makers and designers were so keen on unlovely shapes.
GROWING INTO ITS LOOKS
What’s curious about looking at the Sierra Cosworth in the flesh now is how square the car looks and how well the blend of lines and curves works. It looks more sophisticated now than it did when it was new. Then there’s that tail. You can’t help but smile.
