Ford Motor Company is as American as apple pie. That said, some of the Bow Tie brand’s coolest cars were never available in the States. Europe has a long lineup of small models that often feature a turbocharged engine, Australia is well-known for its exclusive Ford muscle cars, and even South Africa has some unique models.
In this article, we’ve included a handful of awesome Fords that never made it to the United States. Many of them can be imported now, but chances are you’ll need some seriously deep pockets to actually get your hands on one.
Mk1 Ford Escort RS2000
Introduced in 1972, the Mk1 Ford Escort RS2000 wasn’t the first Escort RS model, but unlike its predecessor, the RS1600, it was as reliable and easy to maintain as the regular base-model Escort.
Under the hood, there was a 2.0-liter SOHC engine that sent 100 hp to the rear wheels via a 4-speed manual gearbox. While the Mk1 RS2000 was gone by 1974, Ford continued the nameplate on both the Mk2 and Mk5 Escort.
Ford Escort RS Turbo
Ford never introduced an RS2000 version for the Mk3 and Mk4 Ford Escorts. We’re not too devastated, though, as these generations were blessed with a turbo version instead — the aptly named Escort RS Turbo.
The Series 1 RS Turbo emerged in 1984 and was based on the Mk3 Escort. Ford originally intended to build 5,000 RS Turbos, but it soon earned a reputation as a proper hooligan’s car and became so popular that 8,604 units were made by the time production ended — all of them painted white. In 1986, the Mk4 Escort arrived, and the RS Turbo remained an option. However, it was now available in various colors, but the engine remained a 132-hp 1.6-liter turbo unit.
Ford Escort RS Cosworth
Following the Mk4 Escort RS Turbo was the Mk5 Escort RS Cosworth. While it looked like a widebody Escort, according to the Ford RS Owners Club, it was actually based on a shortened Sierra Sapphire 4×4 Cosworth platform. Every European gearhead recognizes the iconic hatchback with the giant whale tail wing at the back.
It also packed a punch to match the aggressive styling. In stock form, the Escort Cossie’s turbocharged 2.0-liter engine delivered 227 horsepower, which was sent to all four corners via a manual transmission. However, this tuner-friendly engine has become legendary among enthusiasts for its ability to house hundreds of additional ponies.
Ford Sierra RS Cosworth
In 1986, gearheads’ jaws dropped when Ford unveiled the three-door, whale-tailed Sierra RS Cosworth. This Blue Oval beast was a proper supercar slayer for blue-collar workers. The racing versions dominated motorsports for years thanks to the highly tunable turbocharged 2.0-liter engine.
In 1988, the three-door Sierra Cosworth model was replaced by an equally capable four-door sedan called the Sapphire Cosworth, and it was even available with AWD.
Ford Focus RS Mk1 & 2
Americans did get to enjoy the Mk3 Ford Focus RS, and while it was undoubtedly the best of the bunch, the first two generations were just as great in their own unique ways. In fact, my pick of the litter would be the Mk1 Focus RS, just because it’s the most hardcore of them all.
The Mk1 was only available in Imperial Blue, and the turbocharged hot hatch sent 215 horsepower to the front wheels. That may not sound like much today, but in the early 2000s, that translated into endless torque steer when tested by lead-footed and ham-fisted journalists. For the second iteration, Ford gave the Focus RS a Volvo-sourced 2.5-liter inline-five engine that produced 300 horsepower. This engine turned out to be highly tunable, with owners more than doubling the stock power figures.
Ford S-Max 2.5T
Let’s be honest here, minivans aren’t really cool. However, if you held a gun to my head, I would reluctantly admit that the Ford S-Max is pretty awesome. For one, it’s powered by the same turbocharged engine as the aforementioned Focus RS.
That’s right, the S-Max 2.5T is powered by the Volvo five-cylinder engine, which means it can be tweaked to produce downright ridiculous amounts of power. If you’re unconvinced and need a bit more icing on the cake, let me tell you that it was even available with seven seats, so the whole family and the dog could go drag racing on the weekend.
Ford Racing Puma
Today, Ford is trying to capitalize on the Puma name by slapping it on the back of a nasty compact crossover. The original Puma emerged in the late 1990s, and it was an excellent little coupe. As good as it was, Ford decided they could do better, so they unleashed a performance version — the Racing Puma.
Only 500 Racing Pumas were made, and while they only had 155 horsepower, the chassis was an absolute peach, proving there’s a replacement for displacement. Prices for the Racing Puma have skyrocketed in recent years, so for most people, the regular Puma will be the closest they’ll ever get to one of these tiny beasts.
Ford Mondeo ST220
If you’re a fan of Clarkson, Hammond, and May, the Top Gear/Grand Tour trio, you may know that the Mondeo ST is one of the few cars they all agree is excellent. The ST220 is based on the third-gen Mondeo and positioned to go up against the BMW 3 Series, Merc C-Class, and Audi A4, it was one of the more affordable European sports sedans at the time.
Under the hood, it has a 3.0-liter V6 Duratec engine, producing, you guessed it, 220 hp. It’s not overly powerful, but the Mondeo ST220 was a very capable machine back in its day.
Ford Capri Perana
The Capri was extremely popular in Europe, and Ford even sold it in the States for a few years under the Mercury brand. As awesome as the regular Capri was, it was nothing like the Perana version — which was exclusively available on the South African market.
Only around 500 Ford Capri Peranas were made between 1970 and 1973. All were powered by a 5.0-liter 302 Windsor V8 from the Mustang. This little muscle coupe produced a very respectable 300 hp, all of which were sent to the rear wheels via a manual gearbox.
Ford Falcon TS50
From South Africa, we’ll head even further south to the land down under, where the Falcon TS50, commonly referred to as the TS50, was the ultimate high-performance version of the AU generation Falcon sedan. If you’ve never heard of this car before, it’s because it was exclusively available in Australia.
The TS50 had a 5.0-liter V8 engine that produced a respectable 300 hp, but sadly, it was never offered with a manual transmission. The “T” in its name comes from Tickford Vehicle Engineering, which used to be Ford Australia’s performance division.
Ford XB Falcon GT
We’ll stay in Australia for now, as they had some fantastic Fords there. Ford did sell the Falcon in the States from 1960 to 1970, but in Australia, the Falcon nameplate was huge and remained on the market until 2016. The XB Falcon shot to fame thanks to the Mad Max movie franchise, but the real-life car was impressive in its own right.
This one-of-a-kind muscle car had a 351 V8 engine under its long hood, giving it a hard enough punch to match its brawny looks. No wonder the Falcon XB is highly sought-after by Australian gearheads.
Ford FPV Pursuit
While the ute, or coupe utility vehicle, may have its origins in the States, Americans pretty much abandoned the formula in favor of proper pickup trucks. This style of vehicle is like a reverse mullet in the automotive world — party at the front, business in the back.
Unlike the Americans, Australians fully embraced the coupe-truck combo (along with the mullet hairstyle), and the Ford FPV Pursuit is one of the best of its kind. With a 4.0-liter inline-six producing 416 hp, the FPV Pursuit is a proper muscle truck.
First-Gen Ford Ranger Raptor
Ford now offers the new Ranger Raptor in the States, but Americans missed out on the first generation. This mid-size truck was given several suspension and chassis upgrades to make it a proper off-roader, like its bigger sibling, the F-150 Raptor.
It also shares some styling cues with the F-150 Raptor, such as the wide fenders, FORD-lettered grille, and Raptor decals. Under the hood, it has a 2.0-liter biturbo diesel engine with 210 hp, which are sent to the knobbly off-road tires via a 10-speed automatic transmission.
