If all goes to plan, the iconic RS badge will be back on the Ford Focus in 2016. We look back at some of the best Ford RS models

Ford's legendary RS badge is back with a bang with the new Ford Focus RS and that news will be music to many Fast Ford fans' ears. To celebrate this, we've done our homework and gone through the history books to find some of the key cars that helped make the Ford RS badge so popular.

If you haven't yet, take a look at our 2016 in-depth Ford Focus RS review, and even watch deputy news editor Jonathan Burn get behind the wheel in our video review.



The Ford Escort RS1600 was the car that started the Ford RS phenomenon. Born as a result of Ford's success on the international rally scene with the Ford Escort Twin Cam, the Ford Escort RS was conceived out of a collaboration between Ford Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) - the division of the company that built performance Fords - and the Rallye Sport (RS) dealer network that marketed them.

The engine in the Ford Escort RS1600 was based on the 1,557cc Kent motor in the Twin Cam, but Ford AVO had teamed up with tuners Cosworth to improve the twin-cam engine by developing a 16-valve 1,599cc cylinder head to keep Ford racking up successes on the international rallying stage.

? The greatest fast Fords

The Ford Escort RS1600 was now good for 120bhp - an outstanding figure for 1970 when the first RS1600 rolled off the production line at Ford's Averly plant in south Essex.

The Escort RS brought performance to the masses thanks to a £1,447 pricetag, plus a top-speed of 113mph from a car that weighed just 870kg.

The Ford Escort RS1600 paved the way for other iconic Ford Escort RS models such as the first generation Escort RS2000 and the ultra-successful RS1800 World Rally Car.

The RS1600 is just one car that features on Ford's amazing animated GIF image above, which showcases every fast RS Ford... ever!