The era of performance-focused Fords, in the UK at least, began over 50 years ago when in 1968 the Ford Escort Twin-Cam went on sale. Its 110hp Lotus twin-cam motor gave it good performance and while it was not officially a ‘Rallye Sport’ model it laid the groundwork for cars like the fabulous 1970 Escort RS1600. RS models have been an integral part of Ford’s range ever since, and many have become desirable classics thanks to their speed and relative rarity. Ford fans will be pleased to hear that the Classic Car Auctions (CCA) sale being held at the Practical Classics Classic Car and Restoration show this month will feature two sought-after RS models as well as low-mileage Fiesta XR2.
The headline act, however, is undoubtedly the 1977 Escort RS2000 X-Pack. This car has been in the same family for 30-years and is completely unmodified. That in itself makes it an unusual find but this 124hp RS was also used as the original Tricentrol publicity car and has nearly every X-Pack performance option that was available at the time. The RS2000 has a comprehensive history file but, having just been taken out of dry storage, will require recommissioning to get back on the road. Estimates are between £30,000 and £38,000.
Next up is a 1983 Escort RS1600i, of which 2500 were built for the UK market, though years of “enthusiastic” driving has whittled that number down to an estimated 95 cars. This particular RS1600i has undergone a thorough restoration and looks box fresh despite having covered 79,100-miles. The estimated value of between £20,000 and £25,000 may be a bit low as a similar model sold for £46,000 at last year’s auction. The 1984 Fiesta XR2 is another rare find; it has been in storage since 1986 hence the low 23,670-mile odometer reading, and it is expected to sell for up to £18,000. In all, there will be at least 12 Fords on sale, including a restored 1968 Mustang GTS. It takes place at the NEC in Birmingham, UK, on March 23-24.
Images courtesy of Classic Car Auctions
