Replacing the Ford Anglia,
the Escort in standard trim was not exactly the most exciting car ever made, especially with the 1.1L engine. Shown is the two door model, four seats, rear wheel drive. It was cheap, cheerful and very popular. Ford released a 1.3L variant, and 1300 E and GT models which had more go in them and better interiors..
So why have I included it in Best of British? Well, Escorts were not all made equal. This simple car was just waiting to bloom, and did it ever.
See this? The Ford Escort RS2000. Still the same front grille, but now with go-faster stripes, fancy alloys and a power plant to die for.
Along with RS1600’s and Mexico’s, all available as road cars, these wolves in sheep’s clothing became one of the all-time great rally cars. In go-faster trim, I think that this was/is the best looking Ford in the UK.
I believe that this was the very first European Ford, a joint venture, but it was way more popular in the UK than anywhere else, and a sheer delight to watch and hear on the RAC Rally. It showed that you didn’t need a blown and injected 7 litre power plant in a car with the proportions of a canal barge to have fun and be a real winner.
The Escort Mk 2 carried on the sporting traditions that the Mk 1 set, but after the Mk 2 came the front wheel drive versions.
The great thing about the early RS Escorts was you had the fun of high power rear drive but in a nicely controllable package, not unlike the BMW E30’s.
For more on the Escorts, take a look here…
