1973 Ford Escort Mk1 RS2000

With their Escort doing so well in the rallying world, it made sense that Ford would try and sell developed versions beyond the usual homologation specials. The job of creating more widely produced fast Escorts was left to Ford's new Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) based in Essex.

The RS1600 of 1970 was quite a focused car that demanded specialist maintenance and attention, however the following Mexico and RS2000 were far more suited to the 'man in the street'. In June 1973, the Mexico was supplanted by the RS2000 which fitted nicely into the AVO line-up, with its performance almost comparable to the complex RS1600, but with the same reliability and ease of maintenance as the Mexico and importantly, utilised the same Type-49 body shell as the Mexico. It was the first Escort to be powered by the overhead cam 4-pot, as Ford decided that their 2-litre Pinto engine was to be used in the new model, however they were faced with the problem of persuading the bulky Pinto engine to fit into the engine bay. The only way of achieving this was to discard the engine-driven cooling fan and replace it with a thermostatically controlled Kenlowe unit and when finally nestled in place, the Pinto engine produced 100bhp (2bhp more than in the Cortina). The RS2000 once again proved to be a quick and enjoyable car to drive, whilst being more accessible to buy and still offering customers a great choice in terms of colours and options.

The car presented here is a 1973 Ford Escort Mk1 RS2000 that was specially sourced on behalf of our vendor by marque specialist, Tony Collins of Car and Classic Restorations in Herne Bay. The car was known to be exceptionally original but needed restoration after years of slumbering in storage and so, in 2019, it began an absolutely no-compromise restoration, with the emphasis on creating a car as close to original-spec as is possible. Using the car’s original parts and NOS components, when necessary, but never conceding on it being ‘just right’ – it was a real labour of love, with our vendor assisted by one of the foremost Ford experts/collectors in the UK.

The bodyshell was dipped and then expertly repaired where necessary, before being sent to a specialist e-coating company. The engine was sent to David Moore Engineering of Surrey for a complete rebuild, again utilising all original parts where required and the gearbox and rear axle were sent to Copthorne Classics of Sussex, where both were rebuilt, again with original componentry. The interior was expertly restored back to its former glory by Mark Webber of M&K Auto Upholstery. The car was 90% complete by June 2024 when it was finished off and made ready for the road by Dave Brooks of DBRS, another highly respected Ford restoration specialist in Kent and again by Copthorne Classics. The file contains dozens of photographs documenting every stage of its transformation, they are quite something to see – the work involved has been first class and as thorough as any restoration we have seen: https://classiccarrestorations.globalworkshop.com/guest

The car is now an exceptionally restored example – one of the best available, surely. The investment of time, skill and money has been sizeable – the latter well exceeding £100,000. It's been a real dilemma for our vendor to ‘let it go’, but a change in circumstance has forced his hand. He would dearly love it to go to a fellow true Ford enthusiast, because he has loved the journey with this car and really wants someone to enjoy owning and driving it in years ahead.

With the best Mk1 RS examples now commanding £100,000-plus, this is a real opportunity to own some of that early Fast Ford magic. Rallying in the early 1970s was defined by the Escort Mk1 and if you were a Blue Oval fan, the Porsche Turbo or Lamborghini Countach poster on the bedroom wall would have been rolled up, popped under the bed, and replaced with one of a Diamond White or Olympic Blue Ford Escort Mk1 RS2000.