By Classic Yorkshire contributor Tony Lofthouse
A 1976 Ford Escort that’s been with the same family nearly 50 years sold for an eye-watering £278,000 at auction, last month.
The MkII RS1800 was one of just 109 limited edition road-going examples built by Ford’s Advanced Vehicle Operations plant in Essex. Each one was finished in Diamond White.
The seller’s late husband bought the car in 1977 from Ford and drove it for about 10 years, before it was put into storage with just 24,186 miles on the clock.
The car started life as one of five models used by the Ford press team for test drives.
The RS1800 model was powered by a 1.8 litre Cosworth-designed BDA 16-valve engine capable of 115bhp.
It was a car that enjoyed huge rally success, including securing the WRC Drivers’ Championship in 1979 and 1981.
The RS1800 was sold by Historics Auctioneers and described as the lone owner’s ‘pride and joy’. It had been professionally restored twice and becomes the most expensive second-generation Escort ever.
A spokesperson for the auctioneers said: “The Escort RS1800 MkII remains a cherished car amongst enthusiasts and collectors. It is also an icon of Ford’s World Championships’ motorsport history.
“The car had sat in a barn for 35 years with the rebuilt engine sat on a pallet next to it.”
It’s not known what the car’s long- standing owner paid for it in 1977 but a new RS1800 originally cost £2,990 plus tax.
The BHP figure quoted is wildly out – needs doubling to be close to correct !
The Ford Escort RS1800 produced a modest 115 bhp in its standard road configuration, according to Classic & Sports Car. However, for rallying, this engine was tuned to produce up to 255 bhp. The Escort RS1800, a homologation car, was designed to be rally-ready with its powerful Cosworth engine.
Here’s a more detailed breakdown:
Standard Road Configuration:
The 1.8-liter Cosworth engine in the Escort RS1800 was initially rated at 115 bhp.
Rally Tuning:
The engine could be tuned for rallying, reaching up to 255 bhp when upgraded to a 2.0-liter capacity.
I stand corrected and I thank you for enlightening me, I didn’t realise the power output of the production engine was so low.
It was a surprise to me too.