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50 years of Ford Motorsport Cologne - the eighties - from the Capri to the Sierra

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Created on November 26, 2018

Reading time 12min

Written by:

Rainer Braun

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Förster

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Ford Motor Company

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Daniel Reinhard

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Archiv Daniel Reinhard

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Kräling

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Ford Capri Turbo Zakspeed (1981) - Harald Ertl und Klaus Niedzwiedz siegen im normalen Capri weiter für Ford und Zakspeed

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Ford Capri Turbo Zakspeed (1978) - die neue Wunderwaffe heißt Zakspeed Turbo Capri - hier bei Jungernfahrt in Hockenheim

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Ford Capri Turbo Zakspeed (1978) - der erste Sieg des neuen Turbo Capri beim DRM-Finale 78 am Nürburgring

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Ford Capri Turbo Zakspeed (1980) - die etwa 600 PS starke Super-Version des Turbo Capri mit Klaus Ludwig tritt 1980 gegen Porsche an

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Die Erfolgsstory Heyer und Zakspeed geht 1979 ins 7. Jahr

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Ford Capri (1978) - Hans Heyer auf dem 1,4-Liter-Capri-Turbo von Zakspeed

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Die technischen Väter des Turbo Capri - Zakspeed-Ingenieure Helmut Barth und Bruno Bunk 1978

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Die geistigen Väter des Turbo Capri - Erich Zakowski und Mike Kranefuss 1978

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Ford Capri Turbo Zakspeed (1980) - die Turbo Capri mit Heyer und Ertl gewinnen fast nach Belieben

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Ford Capri Turbo (1980) - Klaus Ludwig auf dem Zakspeed Turbo Capri in der DTM

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Lancia Montecarlo Turbo (1980) - Hans Heyer auf dem Lancia und Harald Ertl auf dem Ford Capri Turbo Kopf an Kopf - Deutsche Rennsportmeisterschaft

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Ford Capri (1978) - Hans Heyer auf dem 1,4-Liter-Capri-Turbo von Zakspeed

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Ford Capri (1980) - Klaus Ludwig auf dem Zakspeed Turbo-Capri in der deutschen Rennsportmeisterschaft

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DRM Zolder 1980 – Zakspeed Ford Capri Turbo umzingelt von Porsche 935 K3 (Jägermeister, Liqui Moly, Kremer, Joest)

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Ford Turbo Capri Zakspeed (1981) - auch der dicke Capri, jetzt mit Manfred Winklehock, siegt 1981 weiter

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Zakspeed Ford Capri Turbo (1980) - Harald Ertl fuhr einen der schnellen Turbo Capri

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Ford Capri Turbo Zakspeed (1981) - Klaus Ludwig im Capri Turbo gewinnt 1981 mit 10 Siegen den 6. DRM-Titel

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Ford etabliert in Deutschland die Formel Ford 1600-Meisterschaft für den Nachwuchs

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Ford Fiesta XR 2 (1982) - der Ford Fiesta XR 2-Ladies Cup feiert 1982 seine Premiere

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Ford C 100 (1982) - der Zakspeed Ford C 100 mit Ludwig-Winkelhock beim 1000 km Rennen auf dem Nürburgring

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Le Mans 1982 - Der Ford C100 mit Marc Surer und Manfred Winkelhock

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Ford C100 (1982) in Le Mans - Der Ford C100 mit Marc Surer und Manfred Winkelhock

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Ford C100 Prototyp an der Langstrecken-Weltmeisterschaft 1982

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Ford C100 in Le Mans 1982 - Der Ford C100 von Zakspeed mit Marc Surer und Manfred Winkelhock

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Ford C 100 (1983) - deutlich hinter den Erwartungen bleibt der C 100-Sportwagen in der DRM 1983 zurück

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Bad Vibrations - Ford C 100 (1983) DRM-Lauf am Norisring - Auch mit 1.8 Liter Turbo-Motor bleibt er Siege schuldig

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Ford C 100 (1984) - das letzte Jahr des C 100 - immerhin ein Titel in der Interserie zum Abschluss durch Klaus Niedzwiedz

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Als Ergänzung zur FF 1600 gibt es ab 1983 auch die stärkere Fomel Ford 2000

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Ford Sierra XR4 TI Turbo (1985) - der Sierra XR4 TI Turbo ist ab 1985 die neue Ford-Waffe in der DTM

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Ford Escort RSi (1983) - im Rallyesport ist der Escort RSi und später der XR3 mit Ford-Werksteams unterwegs

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Ford Sierra RS Cosworth (1986) - mit noch gewagterem Flügel

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Ford Sierra RS 500 Cosworth (1988) - Ford gewinnt 1988 erstmals die DTM mit Klaus Ludwig im Sierra Cosworth RS 500

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Ford Sierra XR4i (1986) - von Eggenberger für die Tourenwagen-Europameisterschaft - Steve Soper, Klaus Niedzwiedz

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Ford Sierra RS 500 Cosworth (1989) - das letzte DTM-Rennen vor dem Turbo-Verbot gewinnt Niedzwiedz 1989 in Hockenheim

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Ford Sierra RS 500 Cosworth (1989) - in der EM bleibt der RS 500 auch im letzten Jahr des Turbo das Mass aller Dinge

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Das Jahr der Ford-Junioren mit Schneider, Biela und Reuter bringt 1987 Schwung in die DTM

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Summary

The history of the Ford Motorsport Cologne racing department began in 1968 with the arrival of Porsche works driver Jochen Neerpasch, and with it a rollercoaster ride of successes and failures. The early years were characterized by the Escort and Capri models. The "little Mustang" accompanied Ford until the 1980s. Then came the time for a new era and the Sierra. Rainer Braun, who was close to it, looks back.

This article contains the following chapters

Ford as Porsche hunter (1980-1981)
An adventure called the C 100 (1982-1983)
The touring car returns - DTM (1984-1985)
The well-behaved touring car becomes a racing machine - from the Sierra XR 4TI to the RS 500 (1986-1988)

Estimated reading time: 12min

Preview (beginning of the article)

After Ford had almost said goodbye to the Capri in the mid-1970s, the popular sports car came back in full force towards the end of the decade. Cooperation with Zakspeed was intensified and all Ford Motorsport activities were now outsourced to the PS forge in the Eifel. However, Cologne remains the planning and administration location for Ford Motorsport. The season becomes difficult, the technically mature Escort falls behind the BMW 320, which is now equipped with turbo engines. But the new weapon has already been forged: On July 29, 1978, the day before the German GP, the Capri, which had disappeared from "big" motorsport for two years, made a much-noticed comeback: Hans Heyer competed in the 2-liter division of the DRM for the first time with the newly developed Turbo Capri from Zakspeed. The ultra-flat touring car with its aluminum lattice tube frame caused quite a stir - even among the competition. Never before had the regulations been applied so consistently to a production car. The small four-cylinder engine with a displacement of 1425 cc delivers almost 400 hp. In the last race of the season, at the fourth start, the first victory over the BMW pack was achieved.

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