Built by M-Sport at Dovenby Hall under the leadership of Christian Loriaux for the 2006 season, this Ford Focus RS WRC, registered EU55 CNF, is chassis #5 of the third generation Focus WRC. It played an active role in Ford's world title win at the end of this season, after a 27-year drought in the World Rally Championship. Indeed, driving it, Marcus Grönholm, winner seven times in 2006, won the final round of the season, the Wales Rally GB. The Finn also secured the unofficial title of vice-World Champion behind Sébastien Loeb.
At the wheel of this Ford Focus RS WRC, registered EU55 CNF, Marcus Grönholm competed in four world gravel events in 2006 with the official BP Ford World Rally Team: Mexico (8th), Argentina (10th), Japan (2nd), and Wales (victory). The following season, it sported a different livery. Lined up with the Stobart VK Ford Rally Team, M-Sport's "B team," it carried the colors of Norwegian driver Henning Solberg, with the famous orange "Expert" livery.
Of the seven world events contested in 2007 at the wheel of the car by the older brother of the 2003 World Champion, his best result was 5th place (Finland and Argentina). For the final three rallies on Solberg's schedule in 2007, the EU55 CNF was converted to an asphalt version. At the end of the championship, it was sold by M-Sport to British driver Stephen Moore, who would go on to shine in Great Britain and Ireland. In 2010, it became the property of Charles Payne, who drove it in over thirty events until 2013, securing around ten victories.
In 2016, it was in the hands of track driver Guy Smith, winner of the 2003 24 Hours of Le Mans with a Bentley, who won two minor events in it. During the same season, its new owner, Julian Reynolds, also earned two runner-up finishes. After a final rally with Guy Smith in December 2017, chassis #5 was purchased by Ray Breen, a loyal M-Sport customer.
2 VICTORIES WITH CRAIG BREEN
Ray Breen competed in around ten rallies in Ireland, both on gravel and asphalt, behind the wheel. At the end of December 2023, Ray Breen competed in one final event with this Focus WRC, the Boggeragh Rallysprint. The choice of this event was no accident.
Twelve months earlier, Craig Breen had competed in this event with the EU55 CNF. Before leaving the Ford and M-Sport fold, the future Hyundai factory WRC driver claimed victory in County Cork, in the south of Ireland. This victory was his second of the season, as Craig Breen had also won the Jim Walsh Cork Forest Rally four months earlier, driving this Focus WRC, but it was also the very last of his promising career.
Crowned with numerous successes, the Ford Focus WRC 06 “EU55 CNF” now sits proudly in MY Gallery in its most iconic livery, the one worn during its victory at the Wales Rally GB 2006 in the hands of Marcus Grönholm!
