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  • An Eggenberger Ford Sierra RS500

    One of touring car racing’s most significant surviving cars.

The Ford Sierra RS500 That Refuses to Become Just History

An original Eggenberger Motorsport icon preserved for more than three decades enters the world’s greatest historic racing event.

From the heights of the European Touring Car Championship to Allan Moffat’s final victories, this Ford Sierra RS500 is far more than a racing car – it is one of the most authentic surviving examples of the legendary Eggenberger Motorsport programme.

Built by the Swiss team that redefined Ford’s dominance in Group A touring car racing, this chassis competed at the highest level of international motorsport before becoming the centrepiece of Allan Moffat Racing’s Australian campaign. Following its retirement, it spent decades under the careful custodianship of New Zealand collector Bruce Miles, preserving its remarkable originality and provenance.

Today, the car returns to Europe not simply as a historic exhibit, but as a living competition car. Supported by former Eggenberger engine mechanic Daniele Stifani and driven by five-time Bathurst 1000 winner Steven Richards, it represents an extraordinary reunion of machine and expertise.

Few historic touring cars can claim such an unbroken connection to the people who originally built, raced and now preserve them.

Today’s Driver Today’s Mechanic History Enquiries

History: Texaco Eggenberger Motorsport Heritage

European Origins

This Ford Sierra RS500 begun its competition life with the legendary Swiss Eggenberger Motorsport outfit making its international debut at the opening round of the 1988 European Touring Car Championship at Monza, wearing the iconic black and red Texaco colours.

Race records show that Eggenberger Motorsport entered two factory-backed Ford Sierra RS500s at Monza. Following a testing accident involving 388-01 before the start of the season, chassis 388-03 was drafted in as the team’s second entry for the opening round – and went on to win the race.

It was a statement debut for Ford’s European campaign, showcasing the pace and potential that would make the Eggenberger RS500s one of Group A touring car racing’s most dominant machines.

Following its Monza victory, the car was shipped to Australia, where it began the next chapter of its career as Allan Moffat’s iconic No. 9 ANZ (Bank) Sierra.

Image of three Texaco Eggenberger RS500s. Image: Gary Walton

1988: Return to Victory in Australia

Shortly after Monza in Australia in 1988, the RS500 marked Allan Moffat’s return to the top step of the podium after four years away from victory. Sharing driving duties with Gregg Hansford, the pair claimed victory in the 1988 Enzed 500 at Sandown, delivering Moffat’s first race win since 1984.

Automotive historian Roy Diederen describes the result as a significant milestone in Moffat’s career:

“Moffat and Gregg Hansford won the 1988 Enzed 500 at Sandown, his first win since 1984.”
— Roy Diederen

The Bathurst Race That Got Away

Despite their Sandown success, it was the 1988 Tooheys 1000 at Bathurst that became one of the defining moments in the car’s history.

Throughout the weekend the Sierra proved almost untouchable, with Moffat and Hansford leading the race by an entire lap over the field. Victory appeared all but certain until a late safety car dramatically changed the complexion of the race.

Following the safety car, Tony Longhurst’s Benson & Hedges Sierra was able to unlap itself. Hansford followed Longhurst at race pace immediately after the restart before pitting shortly afterwards with terminal engine damage. The engine was cooled off too much during the safety car period and Hansford following Longhurst on full pace with a cold engine caused the head gasket to blow and the block to crack.

What looked destined to become one of Allan Moffat’s greatest Bathurst victories instead became one of the most heartbreaking near-misses of his career.

Image: Unknown

Built for Endurance

Unlike many of its rivals, the car was not developed solely for outright qualifying or sprint race pace.

As Roy Diederen notes:

“The car was never set up for outright speed. Moffat chose to focus on the endurance races.”
— Roy Diederen

While this meant the car never claimed an Australian Touring Car Championship sprint race victory, its strengths lay in reliability and consistency over long-distance endurance events.

Moffat’s Final Race

The car also occupies a unique place in Australian motorsport history as the machine in which Allan Moffat concluded his legendary driving career.

In 1989, Moffat travelled to Japan to contest the Fuji Inter-tec 500 alongside German touring car star Klaus Niedzwiedz. The pair claimed victory on Moffat’s birthday.

“In Japan he partnered with German touring car ace Klaus Niedzwiedz and won the Fuji Inter-tec 500 on his birthday. He then decided, quietly, to retire from driving after the event.”
— Roy Diederen

Rather than announcing his retirement with fanfare, Moffat simply stepped away from competition after finishing his career with another international victory.

Image: Gary Pitt

Image: Glenis Lindley / Speedcafe

Following Moffat’s retirement, Gregg Hansford continued racing the Sierra throughout the opening rounds of the 1990 Australian Touring Car Championship.

However, with limited success and an increasingly constrained budget, the team elected to withdraw mid-season and concentrate its remaining resources on endurance racing.

The team’s final podium came later that year at the Fuji Inter-tec 500, where Klaus Niedzwiedz and Gregg Hansford finished third.

Racing on a Shoestring

By the early 1990s, the team’s fortunes had changed dramatically.

With ANZ sponsorship coming to an end, Allan Moffat Racing was forced to operate on a modest budget, contesting only the annual Bathurst 1000 in subsequent seasons.

Despite these financial challenges, the car remained an enduring symbol of one of Australian touring car racing’s most celebrated eras, carrying with it stories of remarkable victories, heartbreaking defeats and the closing chapter of Allan Moffat’s extraordinary driving career.

Image: Glenis Lindley / Speedcafe

Ownership Under Miles

Following its distinguished international competition career with Eggenberger Motorsport and later Allan Moffat Racing, this remarkable Ford Sierra RS500 was acquired by respected New Zealand racer and collector Bruce Miles in 1993.

Already an avid collector of Group A machinery, Miles purchased the car largely because of its original and iconic Texaco Eggenberger Motorsport heritage. At one stage owning three Sierra RS500s, he raced this example only briefly during the mid-1990s before placing it into dry storage, recognising its historical significance and originality.

For more than two decades, the car remained carefully preserved, effectively becoming a time capsule from the golden era of Group A touring car racing.

In 2019, Bruce Miles commissioned the car’s return to running condition. Great care was taken to retain its originality while undertaking a comprehensive engine rebuild using correct components, ensuring the car remained both mechanically authentic and historically faithful.

A Long Awaited Competitive Appearance

After spending more than two decades carefully preserved in Bruce Miles’ collection, the Sierra RS500 was returned to running condition in 2019 following a meticulous recommissioning program.

The car recently made its long-awaited return to competition in the Historic Touring Car category at the Christchurch Supercars weekend, marking its first competitive appearances in many years.

Driven by Craig Innes, the RS500 joined an exceptional field of historic Group A touring cars, showcasing one of the most authentic surviving Eggenberger-built examples back where it belongs – on the racetrack.

While Bruce Miles was also competing over the weekend, he elected to drive one of his BMW Super Touring cars, describing the Sierra RS500 as a demanding machine that remains every bit as physical as it was in period, thanks to its raw turbocharged performance and the absence of power steering.

The event celebrated not only the return of this significant RS500 to the circuit, but also its continued preservation as a living piece of touring car history.

Today, the car stands as one of the most original surviving Eggenberger-built Sierra RS500s, retaining an extraordinary provenance that spans victories in European Touring Car competition, Allan Moffat’s celebrated Australian campaign, and more than 30 years of careful custodianship under Bruce Miles.

Having spent the majority of its life preserved rather than extensively raced, the vehicle represents an exceptionally authentic example of one of touring car racing’s most iconic homologation specials.

Today’s Driver: Steven Richards

Born in Auckland, New Zealand, Steven Richards is one of Australasia’s most accomplished touring car drivers, with a career spanning more than three decades across Australia, Europe and international GT competition.

The son of seven-time Bathurst 1000 winner and touring car legend Jim Richards, Steven forged his own path to success, claiming the 1994 Australian Formula Ford Championship before progressing through touring cars to become one of the most respected drivers of his generation.

Richards made his mark in Australian touring cars during the 1990s before expanding his career internationally in 1998, joining Nissan Motorsport Europe as a test driver in the British Touring Car Championship (BTCC). The experience further cemented his reputation as an exceptionally skilled development and endurance driver.

Returning to Australia, Richards established himself as one of the sport’s premier endurance racers, claiming an outstanding five victories in the Bathurst 1000 – one of the world’s great touring car endurance events. His victories came with leading manufacturers Ford and Holden, demonstrating his versatility across multiple eras of touring car competition.

Throughout his career, Richards has driven for many of Australia’s most successful factory-backed teams, including Gibson Motorsport, Ford Performance Racing, Triple Eight Race Engineering, and Larry Perkins Racing, earning widespread respect for his technical feedback, consistency and racecraft.

Away from Supercars, Richards has also competed successfully in Porsche Carrera Cup, Australian GT Championship, and a variety of historic and endurance racing events.

Today, Steven Richards remains an active competitor in historic motorsport, where his extensive experience with Group A, Super Touring and GT machinery continues to make him one of the most sought-after drivers for significant historic racing cars.

Today’s Mechanic: Daniele Stifani

Few people understand the Ford Sierra RS500 as intimately as Daniele (Daniel) Stifani, which is why we’re excited to have Daniele on the team for this year’s Old-Timer Grand Prix.

During the legendary 1987 and 1988 seasons of the World Touring Car Championship (WTCC) and European Touring Car Championship (ETCC), Stifani served as an official Ford Sierra Cosworth engine mechanic for Eggenberger Motorsport – the team responsible for some of the most successful RS500s ever built.

Working alongside motorsport legends including Gianfranco Brancatelli, Klaus Ludwig, Klaus Niedzwiedz, and Steve Soper, Stifani was entrusted with preparing, maintaining and fine-tuning the highly-strung Cosworth turbocharged engines that dominated international touring car racing.

The Spa Historic Rescue

Stifani’s connection to the RS500 extends far beyond its original competition years.

During the Spa Historic meeting, the turbocharger on the famous Bastos-liveried Sierra RS500 failed. Responding immediately, Stifani travelled from Switzerland with an original replacement Garrett turbocharger. Working through the night inside the Spa pit garages, he replaced the unit, carefully recalibrated the engine and ensured Gianfranco Brancatelli could return to the starting grid the following morning.

It was a reminder that decades later, there are still very few people in the world capable of correctly preparing these highly specialised Group A racing engines.

Engineering Beyond Parts Replacement

Maintaining an RS500 engine was never simply about replacing components. Every adjustment required absolute precision.

Turbocharger & Wastegate Calibration

Replacing the turbocharger was only part of the process. The wastegate system had to be calibrated to Eggenberger’s original specifications to regulate exhaust pressure correctly. A variation of just a single millimetre in spring adjustment could result in a loss of around 50 horsepower – or worse, catastrophic turbocharger failure after only a handful of laps.

Charge Air Temperature Management

Running boost pressures approaching 2.8 bar, the 2.0-litre Cosworth YB engine generated enormous intake temperatures. Stifani became renowned for optimising intercooler airflow and charge-air cooling, helping maintain dense intake temperatures while reducing the risk of detonation – the greatest enemy of high-performance turbocharged racing engines.

Bosch Engine Management Expertise

As electronic engine management emerged during the late 1980s, Stifani became one of the few specialists capable of accurately calibrating the Bosch fuel injection systems used on Group A Sierra Cosworths. Following the overnight turbo replacement at Spa, careful adjustment of airflow and fuel delivery was critical to prevent dangerously lean mixtures along Spa-Francorchamps’ long full-throttle sections, particularly the Kemmel Straight, where engine failure could occur within seconds.

Stifani Motorsport

In 1990, Daniele Stifani established Stifani Motorsport in Steffisburg, Switzerland.

The workshop has since become internationally respected for the restoration, preparation and ongoing maintenance of Ford Cosworth road and competition cars. Today, collectors from across Europe continue to rely on Stifani Motorsport’s original knowledge, period documentation and historic engine dynamometers to safely calibrate irreplaceable Group A machinery for historic competition.

A Living Link to the RS500 Era

Daniele Stifani is far more than a respected tuner or engine builder.

He is one of the original factory mechanics who helped engineer the success of the Ford Sierra RS500 during its greatest years in international touring car racing. His direct involvement with Eggenberger Motorsport, coupled with decades of continued preservation and technical support, makes him one of the foremost authorities on these legendary Group A cars.

His association with this vehicle represents an authentic and invaluable connection to one of touring car racing’s most celebrated eras.

Vehicle Enquiries

For vehicle enquires, contact Bruce Miles directly:

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