Dreiviertel-Vorderansicht eines Ford Sierra Sapphire Thunder Saloon aus dem Jahr 1990, der auf dem Silverstone Festival 2023 in der legendären Auktion verkauft wird
A wide-bodied two-door conversion, built with lightweight custom panels. The Class A Thundersaloon Championship-winning car in 2003. The Thundersaloon championship was beloved by true tin-top petrolheads, offering visually brutal and powerful cars with monstrous exhaust notes. These vehicles were highly modified, allowing teams to be imaginative in achieving high performance while loosely resembling their production car counterparts. With few restrictions in the rules, the races were filled with exciting and wild concoctions, providing a brilliant spectacle for fans. As a result, the series became popular among amateur racing enthusiasts and privateer teams. The 1990 Ford Sierra Sapphire Thundersaloon being offered here is a surviving monster with a proven track record in sprint and endurance racing. Originally built in 1992/3 by Ford dealer Dave Thomas of Ashington Autos, the car cost around £80, 000 to build at the time but with no invoices on file this cannot be substantiated. It was designed for endurance racing and successfully competed in various events, including the Spa 6-hour race, ultimately winning the Class A Thunder Saloon Championship in 2003. Our vendor acquired the car in late-2003 as the Championship winning car, subsequently using it to race and compete for over 20 years with significant success in different championships including finishing 2nd in the 2007 Classic Thunder Championship, with many top ten finishes over the years. The car remains eligible for a variety of race series, including Classic Thunder, Special Saloons, Boss Ford, Modified Fords, Northern Saloons, and others. Visually stunning and uniquely designed, the wide-bodied Sapphire features a two-door conversion with lightweight custom panels. In 2019, the car underwent a thorough cosmetic and mechanical refurbishment, including new inner and outer sills, floor pans, crossmembers, seat supports, and a full repaint with striking tiger-stripe graphics.
