1975 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 1975 Ford Escort Mk1 RS2000 in 'very-1970s-cool' Daytona Yellow and is on offer from a significant Ford Collection curated by a true aficionado of the marque, who 'knows' his Blue Ovals. Our vendor has known the car for a very long time, having owned it in the past and only selling it to a similar enthusiast who kept it in a similar Collection for some 15 years, until buying it back recently, returning it to his stable of Fords. Whilst in the previous ownership, it was fitted with four Cibie driving lights, with the correct brackets and a set of alloy wheels

He has thoroughly enjoyed driving it again, treating it to a comprehensive service at specialists Tremona Garage of Southampton (who have looked after the car in recent years), but has decided he just has ‘enough’ cars. He understands this car to retain its original shell, engine and chassis tags and 'Beta' cloth interior and it's accompanied by a large history file with paperwork going back to 1982. A great driving example, this is a car to be treasured but isn’t merely a show-pony and still has all the 'go' you’d associate with an RS.

With the best RS2000 examples now commanding £100,000-plus, this very capable and enthusiast-owned example offers great value and 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 Daytona Yellow Ford Escort Mk1 RS2000.

Professional images to follow soon.