Ian Robertson’s top 10 fast Fords

Taking the stock ST24 as its basis, the ST200 had a 2.5-litre V6 engine that was breathed upon with 202bhp (up from 168bhp). Initially sold as a hatchback and estate, a limited run four-door saloon arrived at the end with a shockingly garish blue interior.

The Puma’s eye-catching styling masked more mundane underpinnings, as it was pure Fiesta underneath. The 1.7-litre 123bhp engine was co-developed with Yahama and was the most entertaining engine in the line-up. It had a surprisingly short production run, of less than four years (September 1997 to July 2002)

Designed to evoke memories of past Fiesta XR2s and RSs, the ST followed a winning formula. 180bhp 1.6-litre EcoBoost engine, sporty alloys, bodykit and modest dynamic enhancements to the interior. What’s not to love. Boy racers queued up round the block for it.

Ford upped its game in 1990 when it revised the Sierra Sapphire RS Cosworth to include an uprated 220bhp engine and four-wheel-drive. It arrived at the same time as the facelifted cars and can reach 60mph in 6.6 seconds and hit a top speed of 150mph.

Officially Ford says that this is the last Focus RS to be made, with a replacement killed off due to emissions. Standard four-wheel-drive is paired to a 345bhp 2.3-litre EcoBoost engine with a mighty 325lb ft of torque. A top speed of 166mph is underlined by a 4.7 second 0-62mph time.

The XR2i name was killed off by hefty insurance premiums and so Ford had to be careful how it marketed its spiritual successor. Laying low for a few years, Ford introduced the Fiesta Zetec-S in February 2000, featuring a 101bhp 1.6-litre engine, spoked alloy wheels, unique bumpers and a sporty mesh grille.

The car’s dramatic whale-tail spoiler was strangely attached to the same three-door bodyshell as the ordinary Sierra L and not the more alluring triple side window arrangement of the XR4i. But lift the bonnet and it was far from ordinary with a 201bhp 2.0-litre 16-valve turbocharged engine found underneath that is good for 149mph and 0-60mph in 6.5 seconds.

Combined the looks of the Mondeo ST220 with the frugality of the 153bhp 2.2-litre TDCi engine, this UK only special was enormously popular with fast Ford fans that covered high miles thanks to a 0-62 figure of 8.4 seconds and the possibility of mid-40s mpg.

The StreetKa proved that Ford could be creative, with the roof chopped off the innovative little city car. Designed by Ghia and produced by Pininfarina, the Blue Oval firm teamed up with Kylie Minogue for its debut at the 2003 Paris motor show.

Hugely popular in the 1980s, the Orion 1.6i Ghia was a UK-only phenomenon. The thinking man’s Escort XR3i with a boot, it packed the same 104bhp punch from the 1.6-litre fuel injection engine. Red stripes in the bumpers and side mouldings set it apart from other Orion models.