Ford - Ford Focus

The Ford Focus is a small family car made by Ford and sold in most Ford markets worldwide. It was launched in 1998 in Europe and 2002 in Australia. Since then, the Ford Focus has become the United Kingdom's best selling car, following in the success of its predecessor, the Ford Escort. In 2001 and 2002, the Ford Focus was the world’s best selling car. A new version of the Ford Focus was launched in Europe in January 2005.

The Ford Focus replaced the Ford Escort.

The first Ford Focus World Rally Car made its debut in rallying on the 1999 Monte Carlo Rally with Colin McRae and Simon Jean-Joseph at the wheels of the two cars, replacing, for the first time in a generation, the venerable Ford Escort. It was immediately on the pace, setting many fastest stage times, but a vehicle weight issue meant that the two Ford Focus' were excluded from that event. McRae went on to give the Ford Focus WRC its maiden victory on the Safari Rally in February of the same year and took victory again in the following rally, the Rally Portugal.

The MkI Ford Focus WRC went on scoop further victories over the years for McRae, Carlos Sainz and Markko Märtin from then until it was phased out in favour of the MkII Ford Focus offering in late 2005. The Ford Focus, a winner in both Marcus Grönholm's and Mikko Hirvonen's hands in the two-car factory BP-Ford squad that contested the 2006 World Rally Championship, duly racked up the manufacturers' title, spelling the end of a formidable twenty-seven year wait for such an honour in this series for the Blue Oval.

All the rally cars are built, prepared and run for Ford by M-Sport, the motorsport team based in Cockermouth, Cumbria in Northern England. The team is managed by Malcolm Wilson, a well known former British rally driver.

Ford Focus rendered in 3dsmax © Les Still