Back in May 2023, a very cool, imported 1988 Ford Escort XR3i popped up for auction, which was notable given the fact that we rarely see these models offered for sale in the U.S. That model was originally sold to a customer in Italy before it spent some time in the UK, though the previous owner imported it to the U.S. in 2022 before parting ways with it shortly thereafter. Now, this same 1988 Ford Escort XR3i is back up for auction again, giving someone else the chance to bring it home.
Last time we saw this Ford Escort XR3i, it had 54k kilometers (around 34k miles) on the clock, and it apparently hasn’t been driven much in the past year-plus, as it has accumulated just 450 additional kilometers. Now, it’s back up for grabs via Bring a Trailer, and it remains in excellent condition with shiny gray paint and red accents that look like new, aside from a few paint chips and the typical faded trim pieces. There are plenty of unique touches present including fog lights and five-spoke alloy wheels, which are wrapped with Firestone Roadhawk and Firestone TZ300 tires.
Inside the cabin, one will find gray cloth seats with patterned inserts that match the door panels, coupled with a few amenities such as a digital clock and power windows, though the rear cargo cover is damaged and the blower doesn’t work. Power comes from the original 1.6L I-4 engine, which was factory-rated to send 105 horsepower to the front wheels via a five-speed manual transmission.
Though a bit underpowered by today’s lofty standards, this 1988 Ford Escort XR3i is still a cool, quirky, and undoubtedly fun little car to drive, as well as a pretty special piece of Blue Oval history, making it a popular target among those seeking something different to add to their collection. Last time around, it sold for $17,750, so it’ll be interesting to see what this same machine hammers for a little over a year later, too.
We’ll have more cool auction finds to share soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more Ford Escort news and around-the-clock Ford news coverage.
Comments
Of all my time studying automobile shapes, designs: this 1988 Ford Escort XR3i mimicks 3 other branded designed cosmetic featchers: first; the rear 1/4 glass, dash, under hood of the 1984-1990 Chevrolet Chevette & second, the tail light design mimick’s the BMW’s & Mercedes.
Utter rubbish! This very successful car was designed and engineered by Ford of Britain for sale in Europe. A crappy Chevette would be the last car they would copy or benchmark!!
I wouldn’t take him seriously, the years he gave for Chevette don’t even correspond to actual production.
Perhaps more study is required. A lot more.