A problem-filled development, plus internal apathy against the car (which had little in common with the production version of the Mk3 Escort) led Ford to abandon the project in frustration in 1983, leaving them without a new vehicle to enter into Group B.

A double wishbone suspension setup with twin dampers on all four wheels aided handling and helped give the car what was often regarded as being the best balanced platform of any of the RS200's contemporary competitors.

However, only one event later, at the Rally de Portugal, a Ford RS200 was involved in one of the most dramatic accidents in WRC history, claiming the lives of three spectators and injuring many others.

[2] Another Ford RS200 was crashed by Swiss Formula One driver Marc Surer against a tree during the 1986 Hessen-Rallye in Germany, killing his co-driver and friend Michel Wyder instantly.

[3] The ban on Group B racing effectively forced the E2 model into retirement; however, more than a dozen of them were successfully run from August 1986 until October 1992 in the FIA European Championships for Rallycross Drivers events all over Europe, and Norwegian Martin Schanche claimed the 1991 European rallycross title with a Ford RS200 E2 that produced over 650 bhp (485 kW).

One RS200, which found its way into circuit racing, originated as a road car; it was converted to IMSA GTO specification powered by an over-750 BHP 2.0 litre turbo BDTE Cosworth Evolution engine.

[4] Competing against the numerous factory-backed teams such as Mazda, Mercury and Nissan, with their newly built spaceframe specials, despite being a privateer, the car never achieved any real success to be a serious contender[5][6][7] and was kept by the original owner.

A parts car was built in England and later used to compete in the unlimited category at the Pikes Peak International Hill Climb, where it was driven by Swede Stig Blomqvist in 2001, 2002 and 2004[8] and in 2009 by former British Rallycross champion Mark Rennison.

However, due to its cult status and Group B legacy, the car's value has increased to over six figures, with the highly sought-after Evolution (EVO) models selling for significantly more.

[10] Group B required any modifications and upgrades had to be homologated by building a further batch of 20 road models to certify the revised specification.

During the sales programme a Canadian entrepreneur, Murray H. de Weerdt, approached Ford with a proposal to purchase 20 cars and to commission them to have a better level of equipment in an attempt to produce a more marketable "ultimate RS200".