Escorts Reunited

In 1970 I was a young lad of 10 and all my friends were mad about football, no doubt inspired by England’s world cup win in 1966. We were very excited by the prospect of winning the 1970 World Cup as England was still one of the worlds best teams in the world. Another event, which passed me by at the time, was the Daily Mirror World Cup Rally.

This was the longest and most ambitious rally of the time covering 16 000 miles in six weeks and came two years after the London to Sydney rally. Yorkshires flag was carried by Tony Fall who was paired with footballer Jimmy Greaves. Jimmys football career was fading and it seemed he was unlikely to make the England team.

These events would fade from our memory if it was not for the work of the Historic Marathon Group and it’s members who collect information, organise public displays and reunions.

For the Classic Car show at the NEC the Group reunited four Ford Escorts for the first time in 55 years. Each competed in the 1970 Daily Mirror London to Mexico World Cup Rally, considered by many to be the most gruelling marathon rally of them all. Of the 96 starters, a quarter of the entrants didn’t make it to the end of the European leg, and only 23 cars survived through the Andes to reach Mexico City on 27th May 1970.

Headlining on the HMRG’s Show Stand was the world-famous Hannu Mikkola/Gunnar Palm event-winning Car 18, FEV 1H, a star of the Ford Heritage Collection. Already in the lead after Montevideo, they were fortunate to avoid an emergency vehicle going in the opposite direction, heading for the site of Andrew Cowan’s huge accident in the Triumph 2.5PI.

Alongside was the Works Escort Car number 14 which finished in eighth place overall, registered FTW 48H. Crewed by Poland’s Sobieslaw Zasada and Marek Wachowski they were among the early favourites to win the event.

Next in the 55-year-reunion line-up was the third of the seven Works Fords, Car 85, registered FTW 47H driven by the pairing of Colin Malkin and Richard Hudson-Evans. They unfortunately were hit by a truck in Yugoslavia and retired: the car is still in regular use and completed this year’s Pearl Rally in India.

Completing the HMRG display was the privately entered Ford Escort 1300GT registered CMF 730H, car 45, which finished 23rd and last. It was crewed by Doug Harris and Michael Butler of the Blackpalfrey Motor Club. This was the only car under 1300cc to reach the finish, and was First in Class. It went on to compete in the 1974 London-Sahara Munich World Cup Rally and is still used in competition today in its 1974 livery.

England, survived the knock out stages, only to be knocked out by eventual winners, Brazil and as for Tony Fall and Jimmy Greaves, they came sixth.

The HMRG Group is a friendly, UK based network of enthusiasts dedicated to reuniting historic rally cars, competitors, service crews and supporters from around the world. Its mission is to celebrate and promote the legendary Marathon Rallies and Classic Car Endurance events of the past, while fostering a shared passion for motorsport history. HMRG is enjoying a rapidly growing affection and reputation for bringing together people and cars in a way that few imagined possible when historic rallying began in the late eighties.

See a video here