In the United States, we never really got to know the sprightly, rear-wheel drive Ford Escort (Mks I and II), as by the time the small family car was introduced here for 1981, it had modernized, switching to a front-wheel drive layout.
That fact might lead most to dismiss the car as “nothing special,” but to do so would be a mistake; the Ford Escort had quite the successful rally racing career, even propelling two drivers to first and second place finishes in the 1979 season of the World Rally Championship.
Photo: Cool & Vintage
With that in mind, take a look at this: a 1974 Ford Escort RS2000 (Mk I), which is being sold by Cool & Vintage in Europe. Petrolicious brought the car to our attention, and it’s been the recipient of a thorough restoration and modification process. The original 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine – a mill the Ford Escort RS2000 borrowed from the Pinto – has been massaged by Julian Godfrey Engineering to produce 206 horsepower. That’s roughly double its original factory power rating.
Paired to the newly-invigorated engine is a ZF 5-speed manual transmission, which sends the torque through an Atlas limited-slip rear. The clutch and “Monte Carlo” brakes are from AP Racing, but should something happen to go wrong, this Ford Escort RS2000 comes equipped with an automatic fire-suppression system. Other racing-inspired features include a full roll cage, strut braces, racing bucket seats, and a trunk-mounted fuel cell, plus a few lightweight alterations like a bumper removal, acrylic windows, and a fiberglass hood and trunk.
Photo: Cool & Vintage
All-in, a total of £135,000 (about $197,000 US) were spent on this Ford Escort’s restoration, and it’s only been driven for a total of about 2 hours since. Price is available upon request (see the original listing here), but we suspect this Ford Escort RS2000 will be anything but cheap.
Then again, can one truly put a price on absolute joy?
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