1974 FORD Escort RS2000 MkI

There is definitely something about old school rallying cars that we can’t help but gravitate towards here at The Coolector and we’re always understandably excited when we see one as awesome looking as this 1974 FORD Escort RS2000 MkI going under the hammer. Going up for sale with Bonhams, this 1974 FORD Escort RS2000 MkI is definitely on the visually bold end of the spectrum and will add more than a splash of colour to any car collector’s line up of vehicles.

At the very top of the first page of Ford’s book of rally superiority there is the original Escort. Though Blue Oval machines had been setting competitive times in the mud since immediately after the war, it was the arrival of the Lotus Twin-Cam-powered Escort in the 1960s that really set the tone as the one to beat. That impressive, revvy little contraption from Norfolk had previously been slotted into the Cortina and the Lotus power might have made the Ford Lotus Cortina a fearsome touring car star, but its shell wasn’t up to the prodigious punishment of international rallying. The Escort was designed from the off to be much stronger; with half an eye on competition set into its DNA. And that’s what you can get your hands on here.

BREATHTAKING MACHINE

This is an aesthetically amazing, sounding and driving machine – we can’t get enough of it here at The Coolector. The team at Bonhams have done a lot of homework on it considering it’s nearly 50 years old and like all race cars it’s common to see them modified or altered depending upon their track history. According to their in-depth research – backed up in its history file with a receipt – the car was purchased in 1997 as a rolling shell from well-known Ford competition aficionado and amateur rally driver Ian Harwood.

This 1974 FORD Escort RS2000 MkI has the correct ‘BFAT’ beginning chassis plate and 20-stamped engine (this one was converted to a racer some time ago). Decoding its chassis plate showcases figures that tell those in the know that it belonged to the 187th Escort built in March 1973 at Ford’s Aveley plant and was first registered on 21st March’74. That aforementioned large ‘20’ stamped on the engine block also indicates that the correct RS2000-spec engine remains in-tact.

The vehicle’s original Olympic Blue and matching deep blue stripe paint job are still very much in evidence and look incredible. The vendor informed Bonhams that the car’s just come out of the paint booth. An avid collector, he was determined to have every bump and scar on this Escort repaired, inside and out. It looks like its mission accomplished as the exterior finish on this machine is far better than you’d likely expect for a car that’s spent at least the last 20 years of its life in competition. It’s that life on the race track and rally stage that truly dominates the visual side of things here. Wide Minilite alloy wheels fill those flared arches and come fitted with the default mega-grip tarmac tyre, Toyo Proxes R888s. A once in a lifetime opportunity to own a piece of rallying history.

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