Keith Maricich pocketed a rare Ford South African V8 supercar – one of only 250 Ford Sierra XR8 cars built. This is the story of the car that now resides in Australia.
Feature from Fast Ford magazine. Words and Photos: Iain Curry.
Back in the 1980s, cars didn’t get much more everyday than the Ford Sierra. Families around the world would tackle the daily grind in their Sierra saloons, hatchbacks and estates, and in Thatcherite Britain, seemingly everyone’s dad was punting around in one.
Ford made sure there were halo Sierras, giving the popular model some much-needed street cred. There were the turbocharged RS Cosworths of 1986, while the 1987 RS500 version – built for Group A homologation – was a road-going weapon that is today fetching daft prices among collectors.
A mere 500 RS500s were built, but these motorsport-derived brutes can’t claim to be the rarest factory-made Sierras roaming the planet. That honour goes to a South African-only special, the Ford Sierra XR8, of which just 250 were created in 1984 and 1985.
Long-time owner of this Ford Sierra XR8 is Australian resident Keith Maricich. As we know, Australians are no strangers to V8 power in their local Fords, but they never received the Sierra down under, meaning the model is ever scarcer in Australia than the UK.
“I’m pretty sure mine is one of only two XR8s in Australia,” says Keith. Of the 250, only two were officially exported, albeit not to Aus.
Keith adds, “There’s no definite number of models that have survived; maybe only 30 left in existence. And only about ten or 12 have remained original and not been modified.”
Range hero
So, what’s the story behind these fascinating 5.0-litre five-door Fords out of Africa? Before the Cosworths, the UK had the hot (for 1983) Sierra XR4i with three-door body and 2.8-litre Cologne V6 engine borrowed from the Capri. Neither motor nor body shape was available in South Africa, and importing the XR4i didn’t make financial sense. Instead, Ford South Africa put a 3.0-litre Essex V6 in a five-door shell and called it the XR6. It was an improvement, but hardly had the muscle to get boy-racers excited.
Ford South Africa had easy access to a 5.0-litre (302cu.in) small-block V8 engine from the Mustang, though. Time to marry them up.
To take the Sierra Group One touring car racing locally, 200 five-door Ford Sierra XR8s had to be made to satisfy homologation rules. Impressively, these 200 were built before the car ever hit a racetrack, and Ford made another 50 for good measure.
Also, to Ford South Africa’s credit, the firm didn’t go bonkers shouting about the special nature of these road cars. All 250 came only in white with the body’s lower trim painted Ford Motorsport blue (Keith’s has been repainted white), while a subtle tri-blue strip ran along the flanks and boot. Here was the only XR8 badge, while above it was the only real clue to the car’s performance nature — the bi-plane rear spoiler from the XR4i.
Up front, the main visual clue to this being a special Sierra was a unique grille between elongated boxy headlights. Normal Sierras simply had a smooth front, but four cooling slats were required to funnel more air in the direction of the now-stuffed engine bay.
In order to fit the Mustang V8 under the bonnet, the engine-driven fan had to be replaced by two electrically-operated items, and the slatted grille was extended further forward to accommodate. The nose looked more purposeful than a standard Sierra as a result, but in no way ‘I’m a performance weapon’ shouty. By all accounts, the Ford Sierra XR8 was something of a sleeper.
Ford Sierra XR8’s American heart
By modern standards it’s not an overly powerful or quick car, but the XR8 is a well-sorted high-specification road-and-track tool flush with ability. The 5.0-litre Mustang pushrod engine is good for only 200bhp despite its displacement, but peak torque of 243lb.ft at 3400rpm is a bit more grin-inducing. It could hit 62mph in around 7.0 seconds (no disgrace in 1984) and power on to over 140mph.
The bigger motor meant an increase in weight of only 30kg over the Sierra XR6 (XR8s tip the scales at 1269 kg), while power was sent through small and skinny rear wheels: 6x15in Ronals wheels shod in 195/60R15 tyres.
The gearbox was a Borg Warner T5 five-speed manual, and Keith’s added a Hurst short-shift kit and white gearknob to his. Brakes are serious AP Racing four-pots gripping 280mm discs up front. The standard XR8 independent rear end remains, and is some 40 per cent stiffer than a normal Sierra’s. Other goodies these XR8s received on the South African production line included an 85mm deep Serck radiator, completely new front crossmember and half-shafts, plus an uprated propshaft and differential.
Patriotic favourite
While the Ford Sierra XR8 is a bit of an unknown in the UK, Keith reckons in South Africa it commands a lot of respect, not least because it’s the only V8-powered Sierra to run off any Ford production line globally.
So how did he manage to get hold of one of these desirables?
Keith says, “Growing up, my mum had the Sierra XR6, but we were certainly a V8-orientated family. I went into partnership with my dad and a mate, Swanny, running a V8 shop retailing body parts, spares, engines and the like. Swanny owned five Sierra XR8s, so I got to know the vehicle then. I’d owned a VW Beetle and Golf and was looking to get a V8 along the lines of the work we were doing. It had to be a daily driver but something I could track, too.”
In 2004 Swanny gave Keith a contact in Botswana who was selling one of his former XR8s, and he snapped it up.
He says, “I just loved it. The aerodynamics for the time were up there with the Porsche 911, and it really appealed, having the factory Mustang 302 motor. These cars were incredible for off the production line in the 1980s. My first-drive impressions were that it was just insane, and its roadholding, especially on the circuit, was unbelievable.
“I drove it to work every day and would take it to the drag strip, gymkhana or Kyalami racetrack on weekends.”
Ford Sierra XR8 | The right stuff
One of the most appealing elements is the XR8’s (kind of) subtleness. The cabin looks very 1980s-dowdy with perforated grey velour upholstery and two-spoke run-of-the-mill Ford steering wheel.
By 2009 Keith had met an Australian girl, got involved in the whole marriage thing, and was keen to move to the land of koalas. What to do with the XR8?
“I wasn’t going to give it up: this is my kids’ car and it’s not for sale,” Keith reckons, clearly having lost none of his affection for this special Sierra.
It appears this Ford Sierra XR8 won’t be leaving the Maricich family any time soon, such is its rarity, its motorsport heritage, and the enduring affection shown for this little slice of South Africa that’s made a new home for itself in the Australian sunshine.
