Anglia Auctions With Another RS

Yep, then as now, if we asked a hundred people, I think 90 would say Escort please.
The Triumph interior isn't unpleasant but the lack of Scheel or Recaro seats and all that wood really indentify it's niche for me. Add that to the 'too many door' bodywork and styling that has it's roots in the 1960's, to me, I see a Cortina 1600E rival. Something like a 1600E with a Lotus twin cam engine would have been.

The RS2000 seems more focused on what it wants to be, what features it should have and who it's audience are.

The main advantage I see in the Triumph is the overdrive gearbox but that isn't a 'motorsport' feature like a ZF 5 speed. As a road car though it's got one up on the Escort for cruising, that's true, but was a lower noise level and better economy at 70mph high on the wish list of our 1970's sports saloon buyer ?

Other opinions may differ & I respect them, but I've made my choice.
Cut me, do I not bleed blue ? !!

I had an RS2000 in the early 80s and loved it, despite the drive train being pretty basic!

I'm glad I did because it means I don't lust after one now, knowing how many better cars £25+K could get me.

The photos are taken on site at Anglia car auctions. It is up to the seller to clean them prior to the sale.

This is a very valid point.

I was lucky enough to work weekends / school holidays for a used car dealer in my teens, and once I'd passed my test was immediately put on the trade insurance. This meant I was able to drive all sorts of things from an early age. As a consequence I don't really have "hankerings for the car I drove and loved as a youngster" because there were so many. I certainly wouldn't drop this sort of money on an Escort, no matter how nice, when there are far more appealing options (to me) available.

The group test reprint was interesting - thanks for posting. Motoring journos always seem to have this image of the buying public as rallying gods, keen to apply a dab of oppo at any given moment. The majority of us have no delusions of grandeur so pictures of an RS in full Roger Clark mode are irrelevant: try that today on a Milton Keynes roundabout and see how far you get. To most buyers back then these were "just cars" and most folk buying them were probably being forced out of an MG BGT / Triumph GT6 / etc due to a growing family. Front wheel drive was coming, and in a few years the market would have the Golf GTI in the mix: probably a better car than any of these and, although way more expensive than they used to be, nowhere near the stratosphere occupied by the RS.

That's fair enough, but for me (and many others) at the time, that last point is VERY much why I have a huge soft spot for the Escort (and Lotus-Cortina and other homolgation specials) over any sports car or other, maybe technically better car of the period. I couldn't give a f**k if a Golf GTi is a technically better car, or an Alfa or whatever, as they are never going to stir my soul, like the Escort RS or Lotus-Cortina etc will, and that includes watching Roger and Hannu etc chucking them around a forest or around a muddy rallycross venue.
AVO stuff especially for me, as its as much the story of a large manufacturer creating a separate almost bespoke production facility to do all sorts of specialist stuff and build some unique vehicles, before the corporate suits got involved and stopped all their fun.

It's good to be part of, isn't it? All views are valid and as someone else said, illustrate the differences that keep the debate going.

I think there's also an influence based on your age. Mr aeropilot is, I believe, a bit older than me so his formative years were a little ahead of mine. I mentioned earlier that I worked for a local used car dealer between 1984-88, during which I passed my test at 17 in 1985. The cars that most interested me then were some of the new-ish stuff we'd get in: Golf GTI Mk1s, Mazda RX7s, Porsche 944s, Opel Mantas, Escort XR3 / XR3is, Astra GTE Mk1s, BMW 323i E21s and the odd Capri, which always felt antique compared to most of the others. Doesn't mean they were bad, just dated.

Ironically, the most expensive cars on that list (Porsche 944) are probably now the most affordable... Funny old world, innit?

For me too, it’s the heritage/comp history that will always have a place in my heart for the likes of the RS Escorts, having watched and wanted at first, then owned several and then the icing on the cake, living the dream of competing in them, bloody marvellous FUN cars.

I do think though they are silly money, IMO 35k tops for a really good one ought to suffice, still if I was selling etc!

Personally, I would not be interested in a standard RS2, Mk 1 or 2, would have to be at least 160 bhp with decent road manners. My Ultimate RS Road car would be a tweaked RS1600 though, the Mk 1 is a beautiful looking car with many great colour choices. An alloy 2lt BD, tuned to around 220 so not too peaky, 5sp box, billies, vented discs, LSD of course and Quick rack,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, but how friggin much would that cost today!

Bring in my 3rd Lotus Sunbeam, has all that plus more, another Fab fun car to drive, and not too silly on prices,,,,,,,,,,,,,, yet!

I’m 64 now, so even older than Aero, kind of agree about rather driving than spannering, especially now I have had just about everything on the LS apart.
I guess at my age, old and a little bit fat, a car like a Dolly sprint ought to be the choice, BUT, I’m not ready for my pipe and slippers just yet

In fairness, that's not a "classic car", more a bespoke-built piece of kit fitted into whatever bodyshell takes your fancy. So it could just as easily be an MX5, BGT, M3, AE86 etc.

Which leaves you with this:



...and £100,000 less in your pension pot.

I guess the point is, how good could you make a Sprint / Tii / Firenza spending the same money?

And if I'm spending your £100,000 (because I don't have that sort of money), it's going here:



Actually it's not going on this one, but you get my drift.

That is proper Fugly, and thank you Aero, he nailed my thoughts exactly

Thanks aero but I'm well up to speed on my Escort mark numbers. I believe MST offer a Mk1 as well, if that floats your dinghy.

Anyway, back on topic: what do we think the Sprint (lot # 286) and RS (lot # 600) will make this weekend?