XR2s/XR3is in the 90s.
Discussion
So I bought a red F reg MK2 XR2 as my first car back in 2013, and by then they'd gained a good and classic image again. I remember though, when I was a kid in the 90s-2000-ish, I saw a fair few on the roads, and they seemed to be appearing alot on dramas and soaps on TV as the "bad guy's" car. So just curious, how were these cars regarded back in the 90s in real life? When they were cheap as peanuts and all over cruises and in pages of Max Power and Fast Car?
The saying "she's had more pricks in her than an XR2" was not uncommon. They were usually s
theaps driven by wanna be hard men and wide boys when I was younger, with the mods becoming sorrier and sorrier with every passing year until the were extinct. s cars, basically.
I'll never view a crap to drive, cheaply made, throwaway FWD Ford as a classic I'm afraid. It's curious to see one that hasn't been ruined after all these years but I don't understand why you'd want to own one at all.
theaps driven by wanna be hard men and wide boys when I was younger, with the mods becoming sorrier and sorrier with every passing year until the were extinct. s cars, basically.I'll never view a crap to drive, cheaply made, throwaway FWD Ford as a classic I'm afraid. It's curious to see one that hasn't been ruined after all these years but I don't understand why you'd want to own one at all.
had umpteen xr2s in the late 90s
very popular in the cruise scene, where I was, many running far more than the stock 86bhp. then again was the same with Novas.
I had a white one colour coded bodykit twin 40s, cam and a PLR exhaust, incredibly good fun and budget friendly warm hatches. our whole circle of friends had an XR2 at one point or another. they were solid little things as well, properly engineered and everything seemed built to last. although even then they suffered from rot.
had a stripped and caged XR3i running RS turbo running gear as well.
very popular in the cruise scene, where I was, many running far more than the stock 86bhp. then again was the same with Novas.
I had a white one colour coded bodykit twin 40s, cam and a PLR exhaust, incredibly good fun and budget friendly warm hatches. our whole circle of friends had an XR2 at one point or another. they were solid little things as well, properly engineered and everything seemed built to last. although even then they suffered from rot.
had a stripped and caged XR3i running RS turbo running gear as well.
I moved to Sarfend the week of the fuel strikes when it seemed to be peak Barry Boy.
The locals were serenaded by the dulcet tones of dozens of Barryed up XR3i's for most of the evening at weekends. I was having a wander around town one Saturday afternoon and some chavved up Escort came screaming up to a set of lights. A few yards away there was a poor person who heard the commotion, he looked around to the swamp donkey he was with at the time and said "Escort" with a twitching nod of acknowledgement, nay, approval.
There was some program on the telly at the time about poor people and they focused on a couple of families, one of which had got themselves borrowed up to the neck to buy some XR3 cabrio thingy. They were often show proudly driving around their local area and I distinctly remember them being interviewed about the car and the wife saying how they had saved hard for it and how many people like them do you see in cars like that? Like she'd made some sort of clever business deal that netted her millions and this was her first Rolls. When in fact she was target audience for the car.
The locals were serenaded by the dulcet tones of dozens of Barryed up XR3i's for most of the evening at weekends. I was having a wander around town one Saturday afternoon and some chavved up Escort came screaming up to a set of lights. A few yards away there was a poor person who heard the commotion, he looked around to the swamp donkey he was with at the time and said "Escort" with a twitching nod of acknowledgement, nay, approval.
There was some program on the telly at the time about poor people and they focused on a couple of families, one of which had got themselves borrowed up to the neck to buy some XR3 cabrio thingy. They were often show proudly driving around their local area and I distinctly remember them being interviewed about the car and the wife saying how they had saved hard for it and how many people like them do you see in cars like that? Like she'd made some sort of clever business deal that netted her millions and this was her first Rolls. When in fact she was target audience for the car.
This may sound strange now....
But, there was a time in the early to mid ninties when this sort of thing was a status symbol. Regardless of whether you think they are any good (they genuinely were no matter how snobby folk get about them), if you could afford one you were doing alright.
I started off in the early nineties at 17 with a Nova SR, but switched to fords and a string of XR2, XR2i, RS Turbos (both fiesta and escort) and as enjoyable as they were (in that fine tradition of reasonably quick souped up hatches) at 20, to be driving anRS Turbo with its associated costs meant you were doing alright.
No I caveat that with the fact that me and my mates were northern, educated to GCSE standard at best and from either well off working class or aspiring middle class.
Simpler times I'm sure, but an XR2 and a pair of Armani Jeans did wonders with the local female population. Probably no different to a young lad now in an S Line Audi and a Stone Island Jacket.
Not of any concern for those studying at university then or now I suppose but back then for us apprentices they were something to aspire to.
But, there was a time in the early to mid ninties when this sort of thing was a status symbol. Regardless of whether you think they are any good (they genuinely were no matter how snobby folk get about them), if you could afford one you were doing alright.
I started off in the early nineties at 17 with a Nova SR, but switched to fords and a string of XR2, XR2i, RS Turbos (both fiesta and escort) and as enjoyable as they were (in that fine tradition of reasonably quick souped up hatches) at 20, to be driving anRS Turbo with its associated costs meant you were doing alright.
No I caveat that with the fact that me and my mates were northern, educated to GCSE standard at best and from either well off working class or aspiring middle class.
Simpler times I'm sure, but an XR2 and a pair of Armani Jeans did wonders with the local female population. Probably no different to a young lad now in an S Line Audi and a Stone Island Jacket.
Not of any concern for those studying at university then or now I suppose but back then for us apprentices they were something to aspire to.
I learned to drive in my mum's Mk3 XR3i when I was 17 and it was new. Absolutely loved it and, inevitably, rolled it in to a ball soon after passing my test. Always promised myself one and in 1991 that "dream" came true. "B"-reg 3i in Mercury Grey. What a pile of st. The rustiest least reliable car I've ever owned, couldn't get rid of it quickly enough. That would be my last XR.
t. The rustiest least reliable car I've ever owned, couldn't get rid of it quickly enough. That would be my last XR. LaurasOtherHalf said:
This may sound strange now....
But, there was a time in the early to mid ninties when this sort of thing was a status symbol. Regardless of whether you think they are any good (they genuinely were no matter how snobby folk get about them), if you could afford one you were doing alright.
I started off in the early nineties at 17 with a Nova SR, but switched to fords and a string of XR2, XR2i, RS Turbos (both fiesta and escort) and as enjoyable as they were (in that fine tradition of reasonably quick souped up hatches) at 20, to be driving anRS Turbo with its associated costs meant you were doing alright.
No I caveat that with the fact that me and my mates were northern, educated to GCSE standard at best and from either well off working class or aspiring middle class.
Simpler times I'm sure, but an XR2 and a pair of Armani Jeans did wonders with the local female population. Probably no different to a young lad now in an S Line Audi and a Stone Island Jacket.
Not of any concern for those studying at university then or now I suppose but back then for us apprentices they were something to aspire to.
That's a really good insight, and now I feel like a bell end for being such a snob about them.But, there was a time in the early to mid ninties when this sort of thing was a status symbol. Regardless of whether you think they are any good (they genuinely were no matter how snobby folk get about them), if you could afford one you were doing alright.
I started off in the early nineties at 17 with a Nova SR, but switched to fords and a string of XR2, XR2i, RS Turbos (both fiesta and escort) and as enjoyable as they were (in that fine tradition of reasonably quick souped up hatches) at 20, to be driving anRS Turbo with its associated costs meant you were doing alright.
No I caveat that with the fact that me and my mates were northern, educated to GCSE standard at best and from either well off working class or aspiring middle class.
Simpler times I'm sure, but an XR2 and a pair of Armani Jeans did wonders with the local female population. Probably no different to a young lad now in an S Line Audi and a Stone Island Jacket.
Not of any concern for those studying at university then or now I suppose but back then for us apprentices they were something to aspire to.
Had an 88 XR2 from 1999 - 2002. Bought it for £250 as a replacement for our disintegrating E plate Fiesta 1.6D. Liked it a lot and after 3 months transferred all the running gear from the diesel over and drove it for a years afterward. Worked well too and on our local, twisty lanes not really any slower either.
dme123 said:
I'll never view a crap to drive, cheaply made, throwaway FWD Ford as a classic I'm afraid.
The Mk1 & Mk2 XR2 and the Mk1-3 XR3/XR3i weren't crap to drive, they were actually pretty good. Not that quick by modern standards when a pretty tame warm hatch puts out 180+bhp but it was a different era.TwigtheWonderkid said:
The Mk1 & Mk2 XR2 and the Mk1-3 XR3/XR3i weren't crap to drive, they were actually pretty good. Not that quick by modern standards when a pretty tame warm hatch puts out 180+bhp but it was a different era.
Yeah. I mean, in context, the XR2s are double the power of the base model Fiesta of the era. Ford's lowest-powered current Fiesta is 80bhp, and while the ST is 180bhp, the XR2-equivalent doubling of that base model would be 160bhp, which is going to shift along ok.An XR2 with the pepperpots changed to RS alloys was the coolest thing you could have, along with shiny rubber cleaner on the tyres.
My brothers obsession with cleaning cars and his car valeting business, started with a brand new XR2 with these RS alloys with massive (for the time) 185/60 low profile tyres. An early first of type XR2 mk2 could be singled out with the remote boot release near the handbrake. Ford then removed this in a cost cutting measure. If I remember right there was a bit of a recession and it was secured for £5500, a heady £1500+ saving on list price. The XR2 had a group 4 insurance rating (in the days of 9 groups iirc). A Brooklands 280 Capri was the other option seriously contemplated at the time, but insurance at group 6/7 ruled it out for a learner =:O
My brothers obsession with cleaning cars and his car valeting business, started with a brand new XR2 with these RS alloys with massive (for the time) 185/60 low profile tyres. An early first of type XR2 mk2 could be singled out with the remote boot release near the handbrake. Ford then removed this in a cost cutting measure. If I remember right there was a bit of a recession and it was secured for £5500, a heady £1500+ saving on list price. The XR2 had a group 4 insurance rating (in the days of 9 groups iirc). A Brooklands 280 Capri was the other option seriously contemplated at the time, but insurance at group 6/7 ruled it out for a learner =:O
I think it could be understandably hard to grasp the appeal of the early XR models if you didn't grow up in the 80's /90's. They weren't fast compared to the French and German offerings yet they were so incredibly appealing to young lads. All these hot hatches were. We'd come through years of our dads driving Vauxhall vivas, ford cortina, boring saloon cars. The elder generation thought desirable cars were still big Rovers, or sports cars were old triumphs and MG's. Young lads thought these were crap, and they were crap compared to what was suddenly on offer. Maybe not now those rovers and Mg's have classic appeal, but in the late 80's they were desperately un appealing to youngsters.
Nowadays I'd imagine most youngsters parents drive around in stylish Audis or the like, your average car these days is a fantastic piece of kit. My dads cars were so incredibly boring and dull compared to the metallic blue hot hatches that suddenly started hooning round.
Nowadays I'd imagine most youngsters parents drive around in stylish Audis or the like, your average car these days is a fantastic piece of kit. My dads cars were so incredibly boring and dull compared to the metallic blue hot hatches that suddenly started hooning round.
We had an XR2 which I guess was about 5 years old at the time. Not going to set any new standards, but a pretty good all rounder, enjoyable, and easier to live with than the 205. I comfortably did a 500 mile round trip once but it was also fine on B roads etc.
The XR3i was viewed a bit like some view Audis and BMWs now. Associated with status-seeking, boy racer and tailgating. Despite this, I bought one on a whim. Low tech, low spec and disappointing in every respect other than the heater and seats iirc. A triumph of marketing over substance imho.
Still, both from an era of smaller, lighter cars and simpler fun.
The XR3i was viewed a bit like some view Audis and BMWs now. Associated with status-seeking, boy racer and tailgating. Despite this, I bought one on a whim. Low tech, low spec and disappointing in every respect other than the heater and seats iirc. A triumph of marketing over substance imho.
Still, both from an era of smaller, lighter cars and simpler fun.
I never fancied one but I lived through the time when they were very popular cars.
The XR3i and XR2 were perfectly good little cars in their price brackets. It is easy to say "they were naff" when your budget was double what they cost. Yes, there were better cars around but they mostly cost a lot more, arrived late to the party or had far worse durability.
The XR3i and XR2 were perfectly good little cars in their price brackets. It is easy to say "they were naff" when your budget was double what they cost. Yes, there were better cars around but they mostly cost a lot more, arrived late to the party or had far worse durability.
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