1974 Ford Escort Mk1 RS2000

The Escort RS2000 was the last car to be introduced to Ford's 'Advanced Vehicle' range in June of 1973 and dovetailed nicely with its performance almost comparable to the more complex RS1600, but with the reliability and ease of maintenance of the Mexico. The car used the same Type 49 bodyshell as the Mexico and RS1600, however there was a new engine in use at Ford, the 2-litre overhead cam, 100bhp, 'Pinto' design, which seemed, on paper, ideal for the RS. Ford then had the major problem of persuading the, less than slender, Pinto engine to fit into the engine bay, which was something it had never been designed to do. The only way of achieving this was by discarding the engine-driven cooling fan and replacing it with a thermostatically controlled Kenlowe unit. The most appropriate gearbox was the German 'E-box', which was totally different to the one fitted to the RS1600, and the final drive was 3.54:1. The car was launched in England on 11th November 1973 priced at £1,586. The RS2000 once again proved to be a quick and delightful car to drive, whilst being more accessible to buy and still offering customers a great choice in terms of colours and options.

Offered here is one of the most exacting presentations of a restored RS2000 that we have ever had the pleasure of representing. It’s the result of the well-documented labours of a self-confessed perfectionist mechanical engineer who devoted five years of his life, split between running his engineering business and the rebuild of the RS that enjoyed a dedicated position in his immaculate workshop.

BFATPS00357 was already known to the AVO Club when it was purchased by our vendor in May 2015. He recalls that he used it for about a year before an oil leak became a nuisance, and it wasn’t long before the decision was taken to embark on a full restoration with the confidence that the partnership of Julian and Rick from J.A.Richardson Body Repairs of Whitstable shared his desire to create one of the best-restored Escort RS2000s to be seen anywhere. It was completely stripped to a bare shell, mounted in its own portable jig and shipped to Julian and Rick who set about the restoration, replacing any areas of minor concern with new panels. The whole process is documented, with well over 200 photographs that display the extraordinary level of preparation needed to produce the best. Whilst at the body shop, all the removed components were either refurbished, replaced, repainted or re-plated with a fastidious (possibly even obsessive) attention to detail in order to present every component as if it had just left the factory in 1974. The lusty 2-litre Pinto is the original unit and the shell still displays its original Type 49 stampings.

When the work was completed, our vendor decided that it was far too good to use and has consequently offered it to Iconic Auctioneers, the accepted leading auction house when it comes to significant 'Performance Fords', to hopefully find its place in a dedicated RS collection.

The history file contains a copy of the original registration document showing that it was registered to it's first owner on 19th April 1974, various invoices, the original owner’s manuals and a magazine feature from around 1999/2000.

Rallying in the early 1970s was defined by the Escort Mk I 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 Ford Escort Mk I RS2000.