Ford Escort RS2000 4x4

Highlights

·One of only 350 road cars built

·Three owners from new

·Smart and well-presented example

·Superb interior

·Dry-stored for many years

Overview

Revisiting the past isn’t always a great idea, so when it made its debut in 1991, the Mk 5 Ford Escort RS2000 had a lot to live up to.

But Ford wasn’t shy. A high-profile TV advert was created, an American voice approaching a dust-covered car saying: “I’m gonna make you great again; the people want you back”, followed by Bill Conti’sGonna Fly Now, perhaps better known as the theme tune toRocky.It was an emphatic, unapologetic dusting-off of one of the most revered car names of all-time.

But unlike more humdrum examples of the MK 5 Escort, the RS2000 wasn’t a disappointment. With 148 bhp from its 2.0-litre fuel-injected engine, and with comprehensive chassis revisions, it drove pretty well.

But Ford wasn’t done yet. In 1994, it introduced the RS2000 4x4, of which 237 were made. 88 of these were bought by Malcom Wilson Motorsport to turn into Group A rally cars, after it transpired that it handled phenomenally well.

The following year, the Escort got a comprehensive facelift and a new, more-rounded nose to become the Mk 6, and the RS2000 continued. 500 were made, of which 350 were sold as road cars and the remainder to motorsport outfits to be turned into rally machines.

This one is one of those road cars, and it has been in the custodianship of its current owner for almost 20 years. Its entire history is known, as the vendor bought the car from a friend, who in turn bought it as an ex-demonstrator from a Ford dealership.

It has been part of a collection and has spent several years in dry storage, having been recently recommissioned, and it has covered less than 8,000 miles in the past 20 years, taking the total mileage to 80k.

It’s a completely original, unrestored and unmolested example of one of the rarest RS Fords of all-time, and one of only three Mk 6s currently taxed in the UK.

History and documentation

• First registered on 12 August 1996 and supplied new by Portcullis Motors of Langport
• Three owners
• Current keeper since 2006
• UK V5C in the current owner’s name
• MOT valid to 9 October, 2025 – passed with no advisory notices
• Original book pack and manuals but no service book
• Two sets of keys
• One of only 350 road cars made
• Selection of invoices, including one for a replacement engine at 59,767 miles due to a spark plug core being stripped
• Spare set of wheel centre caps

Interior

• Grey Recaro sports seats in immaculate condition
• Climate control (would benefit from a regas)
• Electric windows
• Manual sunroof
• Original Ford mats
• Original Ford stereo with 5-CD changer under passenger seat
• Headlining is dropping slightly in some places
• Original jack, tools and spare wheel with lock-nut key
• Vendor reports that the fuel gauge can be unpredictable

Exterior

• Original Petrol Blue metallic paint
• Good overall condition with no notable damage
• One small rust bubble on one rear wheelarch
• All wheels and tyres in good order, with one small scuff to one rim and some slight alloy bubbling to another
• Underside has been wax treated and undersealed and the cra has never had a corrosion advisory – rare for an Escort of this era.

Mechanical

• 2.0-litre 16v DOHC four-cylinder
• 148bhp
• Five-speed manual transmission
• New brake discs and pads all-round
• MAGNEX stainless steel exhaust system

Summary

Fast Fords will probably always have a following, with those wearing the RS badge traditionally amongst the most revered. And as RS Fords go, this is one of the rarest.

A brilliant example of a Mk 6 Escort RS2000 4x4, it’s in original condition, and is ready to take to the next level and transform into a show car, which is no less than it deserves.

To arrange a viewing, click the 'Book Viewing' button located under the 'Place Bid' button. Viewings can be booked up until the day before the auction ends, after which the option will change to 'Contact Seller' for further enquiries. This seller is located in Salisbury, Wiltshire.