David Mountain founded Mountune in 1980 with the intent to supply competitive race engines for the Mini racing scene. By the late 1980s, the company had shifted focus toward the Cosworth YB engine — a twin-cam, four-valve turbocharged unit whose potential Mountain quickly recognised. Mountune's engineers began intensive development of the YB for both race and rally applications, working closely alongside Ford's own motorsport group at the Boreham facility in the United Kingdom. This collaboration established a durable relationship between Mountune and Ford that would carry the company into championship-winning territory.
Mountune's association with Ford Motor Company proved commercially and competitively significant across multiple disciplines. The company supplied Ford YB engines to works teams and hundreds of private entrants competing in various motorsport championships. The partnership's profile rose sharply in 1990 when the Mountune-powered Ford Sierra RS500 driven by Robb Gravett won the British Touring Car Championship. The victory validated the company's engineering capability at the highest level of British tin-top racing and opened demand for Mountune engines from customers around the world.
In Group A rallying during the early 1990s — then regarded as the pinnacle of the sport — the works Ford Escort Cosworths were powered by Mountune-built 2-litre Ford YB engines. This placed the company at the centre of Ford's factory rally effort during one of the most competitive eras in the World Rally Championship.
The list of drivers who raced or rallied on Mountune-supplied power reflects the depth of the company's reach across disciplines. Rally figures include Stig Blomqvist, Colin McRae, Mohammed bin Sulayem, François Delecour, Carlos Sainz Sr., Malcolm Wilson, Pentti Airikkala, Miki Biasion, Gwyndaf Evans, Juha Kankkunen, and Tommi Mäkinen. Circuit racers who used Mountune engines include Robb Gravett, Robbie Head, Guy Smith, and Tom Chilton. The breadth of this list — spanning British club racing to world championship level — underscores Mountune's position as a volume supplier as well as a manufacturer capable of winning outright.
Beyond Ford and rally, Mountune supplied engines supporting championship entries from Ascari, Petronas, and Proton. The company also prepared engines for the Formula Palmer Audi series. In 2009, Mountune was contracted to build Audi race engines for the new FIA Formula Two Championship, demonstrating its ability to serve constructor-level supply contracts across different regulatory frameworks.
In 2004, Mountune was acquired by Roush Industries, joining expertise and facilities with the Roush Europe operation based in Brentwood, England. The acquisition brought the independent specialist within the orbit of one of North America's most prominent motorsport engineering groups. In 2008, following a management buyout of Roush Europe, the parent company became Revolve Technologies Ltd, returning a degree of operational independence to the British entity.
Mountune's trajectory from Mini engine builder to Ford's primary rally and touring car engine partner illustrates how specialist independents can establish enduring OEM relationships in motorsport. The company's role in the British Touring Car Championship and in the works Ford WRC programme during the YB era places it among the more consequential engine suppliers in British racing history. The 1990 BTCC title won with the Sierra RS500 remains the most visible single achievement associated with the Mountune name.