1973 Ford Escort Mk1

The Ford Escort Mark I was introduced in 1967 and was a commercial success in many parts of Western Europe, and remarkably, in the UK it was the best-selling car during the whole of the1960s. In June 1974, less than six years after the car's UK introduction, Ford announced the completion of the 'Two Millionth' Ford Escort, a milestone unmatched by any Ford model outside the USA. The Escort used a brand new unitary construction bodyshell and came with a choice of 1098cc or 1298cc four cylinder, overhead valve engines. It also featured contemporary styling cues in tune with its time: a subtle Detroit-inspired "Coke bottle" waistline and the "dogbone" shaped front grille arguably the car's most famous styling feature. The Escort became very successful as a rally car and they eventually went on to become one of the most successful rally cars of all time. The Ford works team was practically unbeatable in the late 1960s / early 1970s and, arguably, the Escort's greatest victory was in the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally being driven by Finnish legend Hannu Mikkola.

This Ford Escort Mk1 1300 was built into a lightened sprint/track-focused car approximately six years ago with 95% new parts. Lift the bonnet and you will find an all-steel 1300 Crossflow engine with dry-sump mated to a 4-speed dog box and an alloy differential housing. There is a tension strut brace across the front and a rear rose jointed anti-rollbar. Suspension is provided by adjustable Bilstein shock absorbers all round, and the braking is assisted by AP front calipers and an adjustable bias pedal box.

A Safety Devices front and rear roll cage keep occupants safe, along with Sparco bucket seats.We recommend that potential buyers should satisfy themselves as to the legality and currency of all the safety equipment in this car, i.e. seats, harnesses and fire extinguishers.

This car will arrive at the sale with a NOVA reference number allowing potential buyers to go on and register the car with the DVLA to obtain a UK V5c. Since completion, this Escort has been lightly used having only competed in two sprints in Ireland, and therefore represents a fantastic route into either continuing with sprints or circuit racing. Or perhaps, with the appropriate modifications it could be used as a rally car, where Escorts are synonymous with success.