Originally Posted by
rax2wdrax
Were the early XR/RS range dipped before the cost cutting? They always seem to fair better than later models,I would have thought that the RS branded Sapphires would have been too.
RSs fair better because most of them are only outdoors for 7 days a year
No Sierra RS Cosworth was built at the British (SFA) plant, so they were all treated with whichever processes were used a Genk. Other Sierras in the European range were built at both Dagenham and Genk, but British production of the Sierra stopped some time after 1990 - 91 I think. None were built at Saarlouis. 2,500,000 Sierras were built in total. Production of the Mk1 Sierra continued until 1994 in Argentina.
The engines were put together in Northampton and sent over to Genk to get loaded into a shell at the factory.
There was a thread a little while ago as to the origins of the steel used - I always thought that it was low quality steel that was used in early Sierra production in Dagenham which made a load of early rot boxes, while the Genk factory had higher quality steel, and as the flagship was built at Genk, you'd like to think that the higher quality steel was used.
I think you'll find that the original 4i's were also built at Genk.