One of two Andy Rouse-run Kaliber Racing Ford Sierra RS500 will be returning to the race track next year after spending almost three decades in New Zealand and Australia.
Guy Edwards predominately raced the car in the 1989 British Touring Car Championship under Group A regulations.
Rouse ran the sister car and finished the season with six race wins and first in class.
At the end of the year, both cars were shipped to Australia before being sold. Rouse’s machine was purchased by Peter Brock, while Adrian Fu swept up Edwards’ car.
Fu raced the car (chassis number RE 0988) at Macau and in various rounds of the Asia Pacific Series. It was then entered in the 1992 James Hardie at Bathurst for drivers Ken Matthews, Rod Jones and Mike Newton where it was unclassified.
The car then spent time in the Bathurst Museum before being brought over to New Zealand.
After winning the 1996 New Zealand Endurance Championship with wins at Teretonga and Timaru, the Sierra was eventually retired.
In 2016 it was decided that the Sierra should be totally rebuilt and returned to its original Kaliber Racing livery. After a thorough restoration of the engine bay, driveshafts, rear end and suspension, as well as a new splash of paint, the car had a few outings in the Historic Touring Car Series.
The engine was a new, long-stud, 205 block with only fifteen hours of running designed to run with 2.1 bar boost producing 540 bhp.
It was eventually sold back to its motherland last year and from 2021 will enter the Dunlop Saloon Car Cup and the Motor Racing Legends Historic Touring Car Challenge.
Image: Autosport
