Modest power, exhilarating effect": why the Ford Racing Puma is a proper hero car

Ford’s Racing Puma is remembered as a compact hot hero that never quite matched its own promise. The Puma ST160 concept debuted at the 1999 Geneva Motor Show with expectations of 160 bhp, but the production Racing Puma ended up at 153 bhp and cost about £23,000 versus roughly £13,000 for the regular Puma. To avoid homologation rules, Ford sold it as an aftermarket kit, built on a standard Puma and modified by Tickford in Daventry. Power gains were paired with rally-inspired changes including wider track, stiffer Eibach suspension, Alcon four-piston 295mm brakes, and limited-slip diff options—yet fewer than 490 were sold in the UK.