• Victory from day one : first WRC outing, outright win at the 2002 Rally Argentina with Carlos Sainz.
  • A borderless career : factory Ford entry, renowned drivers, titles and victories across Europe for nearly 20 years.
  • A preserved icon : restored in its legendary 2002 livery, a true witness to M-Sport’s golden era.

Bearing chassis number  WFOBXXBZAB2Z29433 , the Ford Focus presented here was originally registered  EX02 OBC  (UK) and assembled at the M-Sport workshops in Cockermouth during the first quarter of 2002.

Its first competitive appearance came at the  Rally Argentina in May 2002, where it made its official debut in factory Ford colors. In the expert hands of  Carlos Sainz , the car made an immediate impact by winning the event outright, securing a  World Rally Championship victory at its very first start .

The “Spanish Matador” drove this same car on three further occasions during the 2002 season: in Germany, where an engine cut relegated him to eighth overall; at the Rally of New Zealand, which he finished just off the podium; and finally at the Rally of Great Britain, where he claimed third place, marking his final podium finish and the end of his collaboration with the Ford works team.

The following year, while awaiting the launch of the all-new Focus WRC 2003 developed under the direction of  Christian Loriaux , M-Sport continued to officially enter several Focus WRC ’02 cars in the opening three rounds of the championship. Among them,  EX02 OBC  was entrusted to  François Duval  at the  2003 Rally Sweden , marking the car’s final official works appearance for Ford. Duval failed to reach the finish after a minor off-road incident.

The Focus WRC then remained within the M-Sport fold for an extended period, initially being assigned to young Finnish prospect  Mikko Hirvonen  to support his learning process during his first full WRC season. Hirvonen contested four rounds of the  2003 World Rally Championship  with this car (Turkey, Argentina, Germany and Australia), achieving a best result of  ninth place  in Australia.

In 2004, chassis EX02 OBC was first leased to  Tobias Johansson  for his home event, the  Rally Sweden , where he finished eleventh. The car was then primarily entrusted to  Matthew Wilson  during that season and the next, as part of his campaigns in the  British Rally Championship (BRC)  and various preparatory events. Malcolm Wilson’s son further enhanced the car’s record by securing  four overall victories .

For the record,  William Stobart , son of Eddie Stobart—one of M-Sport’s main sponsors at the time—and  Andrew Tinkler , then CEO of the same group, also had the opportunity to drive the car. The former won the  Pendragon Stages 2004 , while the latter finished seventh at the  Rally Stolytsia 2004  in Ukraine.

During the winter of  2005–2006 , the car underwent a full rebuild at the M-Sport workshops before being acquired by Spanish driver  Claudio Aldecoa . He entered it regularly in the  Spanish Gravel Rally Championship , as well as on three occasions in Finland and at two rallies in Estonia between 2006 and 2009, thereby continuing the chassis’s international career.

In  2010 , the car permanently moved to Finland, where it was purchased by  Sakari Vierimaa . That year it competed under the  Baltic Rally Rent  banner, taking part in several events. Besides one outing with its owner,  Jukka Hiltunen  drove the car in four further rallies in Estonia and Lithuania, all unfortunately ending in premature retirements.

The following year, chassis  EX02 OBC  continued its career in Sweden under new owner  Jari Saarinen.

Up to 2016, he contested around thirty events, adding  six overall victories  to the car’s already impressive record.

In  2017 , the Focus returned once again to Finland, purchased by  Jarkko Hosike , who entered it six times between 2017 and 2019, marking the final recorded competitive appearances of the chassis.

In  2020 , chassis  EX02 OBC  joined the collection of Czech driver  Jiří Jirovec , a passionate enthusiast of Ford’s rally history. Keen to preserve the car’s historical authenticity, he had it restored in its most iconic livery—that of its  first World Rally Championship victory at the 2002 Rally Argentina —thereby reconnecting the car with its prestigious M-Sport factory origins.

Technical Specifications – Ford Focus RS WRC ’02

  • Chassis: Reinforced steel monocoque, FIA-approved M-Sport roll cage
  • Engine: Ford Zetec E, 2.0-litre turbocharged inline-four (Garrett)
  • Displacement: 1,998 cc
  • Power output: approx. 300 hp at 6,500 rpm
  • Torque: approx. 550 Nm
  • Drivetrain: Permanent all-wheel drive – three active differentials
  • Gearbox: Xtrac 6-speed sequential – paddle shift
  • Suspension: Long-travel MacPherson struts (fully adjustable)
  • Brakes: Brembo ventilated discs – CARBON/CART materials
  • Wheels/Tyres: OZ Racing / Pirelli – 18" (tarmac), 15" (gravel)
  • Weight: 1,230 kg (regulatory minimum)
  • Steering: Hydraulic power steering, pump repositioned in 2002
  • Electronics: Pi Research – integrated engine management and telemetry