1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo S1

The much-revered Escort RS Turbo S1 was supplied in the distinctive "Diamond White' body colour only. The engine utilised was a 1600 CVH unit modified to suit the higher loads and the application of a turbocharger, whilst also benefitted from computerised fuel injection and engine management incorporating boost control, producing a healthy 132bhp. It was the first front-wheel drive road car in the world to use a compact viscous-coupling design LSD instead of a normal mechanical LSD, which greatly improved cornering and drivability.

Aesthetically, the RS Turbo was given a distinctive sporty appearance with a body-coloured front grill, bumpers and aerodynamic aids. The interior was trimmed in a combination of Monza and Cashmere fabrics and Recaro LS bucket seats were fitted as standard. Production was limited to only 5,000 examples and many were modified in period for racing and/or crashed.

The Series 1 presented here is something very special indeed. It was first registered on 1st August 1985 and has been enjoyed by just four owners since, who between them have covered just 17,769 miles. The original owner kept it for less than a year, but the next was its custodian from 1986 until 2010, although he only used it for a couple of years before placing it into storage until November 2010 when it was sold. The next owner was fairly short-term and sold it to the 4th owner in March 2011. There is an MOT Certificate from this period showing 17,602 miles. This owner only used the car to take it to the MOT station and covered less than 150 miles in five years!

Our vendor - who has owned some of the best examples of Ford cars in the UK - sought-out this particular car with the intention of creating the ultimate RS S1 Turbo, capable of winning a Concours event. The car was so good to start with, this painstaking process involved many hours of simply cleaning and detailing, plus a thorough mechanical re-commissioning. The bodywork was all totally original but had picked up some very small marks when in storage, so these were professionally addressed to the highest standard. The end result is a car that puts originality first, right down to small details like its original Michelin MXV tyres and unused spare wheel. The original interior is in simply superb condition wholly commensurate with the low mileage. Our vendor commissioned a very expensive stainless-steel replica of the original exhaust system, made to the exact dimensions of the OEM unit.

The goal was achieved - this car won "Best in Class' at the RSOC 'National Day' Concours d'Elegance in August 2017, being judged against some of the very best S1 RS Turbos in the country. This was no small achievement given how revered this particular model is and how determined their owners can be when it comes to owning the absolute best.

It was at the "NEC Classic Car Show' in 2015 that Silverstone Auctions achieved a record price of £60,188 for a Series 1 RS Turbo with 5,568 miles. Knowing our vendor's standards with Ford cars, the RS S1 being offered here is likely to be as good. This could well be a very shrewd investment and is not to be missed.