WHY YOU WANT ONE…
■ British Touring Car Championship racing was at its peak during the Mondeo’s reign, and the ST200 was the closest road-going relation to the ultra-cool Super Touring series.
■ ST200s are an unfathomably cheap route into the Recaro seat of a retro fast Ford – and with such heritage, ever-increasing rarity and burbling V6 soundtrack, their prices are sure to rise within the next few years.
■ Still enormously practical and usable everyday, a Mk2 Mondeo is a faithful companion with loads of standard kit and 140mph performance. What’s not to love?
WHY YOU DON’T…
■ Gaffer-taped bumpers and minicabs are the old-Mondeo image, despite a classic-Ford status tantalisingly close to fruition.
■ Rust can be the end of the road for a Mk2 Mondeo. If it’s rotted through the sills, inner arches and floors, it’s a substantial project – or, most likely, a scrapper.
■ BTCC looks, maybe, but the ST200 isn’t quick by modern standards. And because it was welltuned by Ford from the factory, aftermarket improvements aren’t easily achieved.
HOW MUCH TO PAY
PROJECT: £500 TO £1500 Typically offered for ‘spares or repairs’, a cheap ST200 will be rusty – perhaps hopelessly rotten – and in need of major repairs. Rebuilding a scrapper to roadworthy condition won’t be cost-effective, and a full restoration would set you back far more than it’s worth.
GOOD: £1500 TO £4000 Mechanically-sound ST200s start here, hopefully with fewer than 150,000 recorded miles. At the lower end, they may need a little welding on the sills or wheelarches, but higherpriced cars should be fit for faithful service. Pay extra for a saloon.
CONCOURS: £4000 TO £8000-PLUS Rust-free ST200s are worth the extra cash, but beware of overpriced cars with optimistic (or cynical) dealers. Genuine very-low-mileage examples can double this value, but always take a long time to find a buyer.
IDENTITY
Fast Fords have always been targeted by thieves and fraudsters, but the ST200 thankfully escaped most of the serious attention. Even so, you’ll need to invest in a thorough history check to ensure it’s not been stolen, written-off, scrapped or the subject of outstanding finance.
Check the
