RS2000, not its Best Colour?

Author
Discussion

Roman Moroni

1,059 posts

125 months

Friday 12th January
quotequote all
aeropilot said:
SS427 Camaro said:
A best pal bought what was said to be the last unsold RS2 left in Britain.
He went into Gates of Woodford to buy a new RS2, but there was no demo car and he was told instead to “ Take a test drive in our XR3 demo “ he told them in no uncertain terms that “ He had come to buy an RS2, that £ money was no object and an RS it had to be !! “
The salesman said “ let me see what I can do “
A few days later he got a call saying “ We’ve found you one, it’s in Scotland, it’s the last one left, it’s a Venetian red Custom and it is yours “
Gates of Woodford had obviously sold that beige I mentioned in my post a few up, as I'm pretty sure it was Gates of Woodford who were the Ford dealer that had that 'last one left' Beige RS2 I mentioned above, as the show was in Chigwell, so just up the road from Gates.

And funnily enough, a good mate of mine bought the very last Mk.1 RS2000 that was sold new, although he bought it off the orginal owner rather than buying new.
It was Modena Green reg number OJO567P.

Edited by aeropilot on Tuesday 9th January 21:22
Growing up in the area I spent many a day stood at the front of Mike Youngs in Ilford looking longingly at their stock. To this day I still really hanker after a Mk2 RS, owning one is on my bucket list

500swk

140 posts

65 months

Friday 12th January
quotequote all
2172cc said:
Think that would be Signal Red
another rare colour not on that list would be silver,stratos or something like that.


2172cc

1,128 posts

99 months

Friday 12th January
quotequote all
Roman Moroni said:
aeropilot said:
SS427 Camaro said:
A best pal bought what was said to be the last unsold RS2 left in Britain.
He went into Gates of Woodford to buy a new RS2, but there was no demo car and he was told instead to “ Take a test drive in our XR3 demo “ he told them in no uncertain terms that “ He had come to buy an RS2, that £ money was no object and an RS it had to be !! “
The salesman said “ let me see what I can do “
A few days later he got a call saying “ We’ve found you one, it’s in Scotland, it’s the last one left, it’s a Venetian red Custom and it is yours “
Gates of Woodford had obviously sold that beige I mentioned in my post a few up, as I'm pretty sure it was Gates of Woodford who were the Ford dealer that had that 'last one left' Beige RS2 I mentioned above, as the show was in Chigwell, so just up the road from Gates.

And funnily enough, a good mate of mine bought the very last Mk.1 RS2000 that was sold new, although he bought it off the orginal owner rather than buying new.
It was Modena Green reg number OJO567P.

Edited by aeropilot on Tuesday 9th January 21:22
Growing up in the area I spent many a day stood at the front of Mike Youngs in Ilford looking longingly at their stock. To this day I still really hanker after a Mk2 RS, owning one is on my bucket list
And me as well. Many a Sunday afternoon looking through the window and at the advert in Motoring News. Paid off though as I eventually got mine from him in 1983/84. Still got the number plates....

aeropilot

35,036 posts

229 months

Friday 12th January
quotequote all
500swk said:
2172cc said:
Think that would be Signal Red
another rare colour not on that list would be silver,stratos or something like that.
Silver was never an option on the Mk.2 RS's.

2172cc

1,128 posts

99 months

Friday 12th January
quotequote all
2172cc said:
Roman Moroni said:
aeropilot said:
SS427 Camaro said:
A best pal bought what was said to be the last unsold RS2 left in Britain.
He went into Gates of Woodford to buy a new RS2, but there was no demo car and he was told instead to “ Take a test drive in our XR3 demo “ he told them in no uncertain terms that “ He had come to buy an RS2, that £ money was no object and an RS it had to be !! “
The salesman said “ let me see what I can do “
A few days later he got a call saying “ We’ve found you one, it’s in Scotland, it’s the last one left, it’s a Venetian red Custom and it is yours “
Gates of Woodford had obviously sold that beige I mentioned in my post a few up, as I'm pretty sure it was Gates of Woodford who were the Ford dealer that had that 'last one left' Beige RS2 I mentioned above, as the show was in Chigwell, so just up the road from Gates.

And funnily enough, a good mate of mine bought the very last Mk.1 RS2000 that was sold new, although he bought it off the orginal owner rather than buying new.
It was Modena Green reg number OJO567P.

Edited by aeropilot on Tuesday 9th January 21:22
Growing up in the area I spent many a day stood at the front of Mike Youngs in Ilford looking longingly at their stock. To this day I still really hanker after a Mk2 RS, owning one is on my bucket list
And me as well. Many a Sunday afternoon looking through the window and at the advert in Motoring News. Paid off though as I eventually got mine from him in 1983/84. Still got the number plates....
I think I've recounted this story before but maybe not here. I was 20 and desperately wanted an RS2000 just like Doyle in The Professionals. Mike Young's had a Diamond White with black vinyl roof for sale S reg but didn't quite have enough saved to get it. I took a day off work and persuaded my dad to come with me and have a look at it. It obviously had been enthusiastically driven and was not perfect but you tend to not notice these things . I needed a little more money to get it so was hoping my dad would lend me the difference and say yes. He took one one look at it and said no way........ 'If your going to get one I'll give you the extra and you get the best one' That would be the W reg in Terracotta. I never liked the colour but what would you do? We did the deal for I think £4000?? for a one owner car absolutely bog standard with about 20k miles. I remember he had an RS1800 for less money but my dad only really looked the plate year and age so in his eye's it should be better. I was so proud of that RS2000. I found out after from the RSOC that it was built in the last month of production in Germany. He was a good man my dad.



Edited by 2172cc on Friday 12th January 21:32

SS427 Camaro

6,504 posts

172 months

Friday 12th January
quotequote all
2172cc said:
I think I've recounted this story before but maybe not here. I was 20 and desperately wanted an RS2000 just like Doyle in The Professionals. Mike Young's had a Diamond White with black vinyl roof for sale S reg but didn't quite have enough saved to get it. I took a day off work and persuaded my dad to come with me and have a look at it. It obviously had been enthusiastically driven and was not perfect but you tend to not notice these things . I needed a little more money to get it so was hoping my dad would lend me the difference and say yes. He took one one look at it and said no way........ 'If your going to get one I'll give you the extra and you get the best one' That would be the W reg in Terracotta. I never liked the colour but what would you do? We did the deal for I think £4000?? for a one owner car absolutely bog standard with about 20k miles. I remember he had an RS1800 for less money but my dad only really looked the plate year and age so in his eye's it should be better. I was so proud of that RS2000. I found out after from the RSOC that it was built in the last month of production in Germany. He was a good man my dad.



Edited by 2172cc on Friday 12th January 21:32
What an awesome story !!
I do recall driving past their place in Ley St in my 72 3 Litre Capri, in 82, but the place looked almost deserted. There was a white RS2 sitting in their showroom.

Anyone on here work for SuperSpeed in 1972 ?? As they “ Race Prepped the 16 black Capri 3000Es for the May 72 Brands Hatch Ford Sports Day event.

generationx

6,975 posts

107 months

Friday 12th January
quotequote all
2172cc said:
And me as well. Many a Sunday afternoon looking through the window and at the advert in Motoring News. Paid off though as I eventually got mine from him in 1983/84. Still got the number plates....
My first (black ‘79) RS2 had Mike Young plates on too…

As for resale, I never got more than £2k for one and I thought I was doing well

I-am-the-reverend

712 posts

37 months

Friday 12th January
quotequote all
2172cc said:
2172cc said:
Roman Moroni said:
aeropilot said:
SS427 Camaro said:
A best pal bought what was said to be the last unsold RS2 left in Britain.
He went into Gates of Woodford to buy a new RS2, but there was no demo car and he was told instead to “ Take a test drive in our XR3 demo “ he told them in no uncertain terms that “ He had come to buy an RS2, that £ money was no object and an RS it had to be !! “
The salesman said “ let me see what I can do “
A few days later he got a call saying “ We’ve found you one, it’s in Scotland, it’s the last one left, it’s a Venetian red Custom and it is yours “
Gates of Woodford had obviously sold that beige I mentioned in my post a few up, as I'm pretty sure it was Gates of Woodford who were the Ford dealer that had that 'last one left' Beige RS2 I mentioned above, as the show was in Chigwell, so just up the road from Gates.

And funnily enough, a good mate of mine bought the very last Mk.1 RS2000 that was sold new, although he bought it off the orginal owner rather than buying new.
It was Modena Green reg number OJO567P.

Edited by aeropilot on Tuesday 9th January 21:22
Growing up in the area I spent many a day stood at the front of Mike Youngs in Ilford looking longingly at their stock. To this day I still really hanker after a Mk2 RS, owning one is on my bucket list
And me as well. Many a Sunday afternoon looking through the window and at the advert in Motoring News. Paid off though as I eventually got mine from him in 1983/84. Still got the number plates....
I think I've recounted this story before but maybe not here. I was 20 and desperately wanted an RS2000 just like Doyle in The Professionals. Mike Young's had a Diamond White with black vinyl roof for sale S reg but didn't quite have enough saved to get it. I took a day off work and persuaded my dad to come with me and have a look at it. It obviously had been enthusiastically driven and was not perfect but you tend to not notice these things . I needed a little more money to get it so was hoping my dad would lend me the difference and say yes. He took one one look at it and said no way........ 'If your going to get one I'll give you the extra and you get the best one' That would be the W reg in Terracotta. I never liked the colour but what would you do? We did the deal for I think £4000?? for a one owner car absolutely bog standard with about 20k miles. I remember he had an RS1800 for less money but my dad only really looked the plate year and age so in his eye's it should be better. I was so proud of that RS2000. I found out after from the RSOC that it was built in the last month of production in Germany. He was a good man my dad.



Edited by 2172cc on Friday 12th January 21:32
Great story - thanks for sharing.

SS427 Camaro

6,504 posts

172 months

Friday 12th January
quotequote all

My “ Tweaked “ RS2 with my old “ Tweaked “ Griff back in 2010, the Escort was absolutely bonkers…..

Rob 131 Sport

2,622 posts

54 months

Saturday 13th January
quotequote all
Undoubtedly the best thread of the year so far. You just can’t beat reminiscing about RS2000’s and its competitor, the arguably better Fiat Mirafiori Sport.

Who knows where it will lead and most likely on to the debate regarding whether the flat front was better looking. In my opinion the curved front with the 4 headlights just made the whole Escort thing.

I’ve also wondered whether the RS2000’s real competitor was within Ford’s own stable with the Capri 2.0S.

reddiesel

Original Poster:

2,205 posts

49 months

Saturday 13th January
quotequote all
Rob 131 Sport said:
Undoubtedly the best thread of the year so far. You just can’t beat reminiscing about RS2000’s and its competitor, the arguably better Fiat Mirafiori Sport.

Who knows where it will lead and most likely on to the debate regarding whether the flat front was better looking. In my opinion the curved front with the 4 headlights just made the whole Escort thing.

I’ve also wondered whether the RS2000’s real competitor was within Ford’s own stable with the Capri 2.0S.
Its been a great Thread Rob with some great contributions , so much so that I remembered a long lost Fiat model car I owned in Alitalia livery . I spoke to the old man up in Glasgow last night who is now 86 and still motoring away in his Ford Fiesta . To be fare back in the Seventies and early Eighties he was a Dolomite Sprint Owner (NUS575M , JSG669T ) which surprisingly hasn't been mentioned as an RS alternative back then . Anyway the old man tells me the Model is still in its box in the Loft where its lay for over 40 years so I must get it out when I get back up there .
I owned the 2.0 S and kept it only a few months . In my opinion it never handled anywhere near the capabilities of the Escort and I dumped it for an XR3 .
Glasgow was awash with flat front RS2000s and that was largely down to the fact that the running gear was so easy to recycle onto for example a 1.6 Sport
and if your RS2000 was stolen then this is where your car ended up .
Firenza Droopsnoot and the later Chevette HS I never even sat in and still haven't and that was largely down to the tremendous Brand Loyalty that existed at that time . My old man had come from Triumph Motorbikes hence the Dolomite Sprints

rallycross

12,902 posts

239 months

Saturday 13th January
quotequote all
Rob 131 Sport said:
I’ve also wondered whether the RS2000’s real competitor was within Ford’s own stable with the Capri 2.0S.
I had a few capri's over the years including a 2.0 S with optional recaro seats, only a V6 Capri would be a rival to an Rs2000 the 2.0 was quite a simple thing not special to drive at all, no lsd, so nothing compared to a 2.8i (not surprisingly).

Someone mentioned the Dolomite sprint as a rival these were rare and considered a ticking time bomb due to the head gasket problems, I only got to drive one it had been fitted with a Fiat twin cam engine and some other big changes, it was quick but I didnt buy it, I remember it felt like sitting on a big arm chair high up seating position and it felt really old fashioned compared to an Escort inside. Was a good idea fitting a fiat twin cam as you could get them really cheap from rotten 132/131 which were worth nothing.

I also briefly had a 131 sport which I always fancied more than an Rs2000 it felt a lot more special than the Ford. I swopped my Lancia HPE 2.0 ie for the Fiat but found out later that week it was on HP and managed to swop them back, thinking about it the Lancia was a lot more special than the 131 but obviously was not rwd which is what I fancied. Back in the day when you could get decent Alfa sud/sprint/ 131 tc, HPE for peanuts compared to a Golf or Escort. I was tempted to import a 131 racing volumex from italy about 15 years ago when they were still dirt cheap but bought a Cosworth instead from Venice.

Prices on those VX 131 racing have rocketed (brilliant engine had one in a Beta Coupe VX felt like a 3.0) that was the first car I had with proper recaro seats. Fiat never sold the 131 vx in the UK in italy they did a final version 131 VX in the 4 door model prices on these have also gone right up. autoscout24 used to be a good site to find these cars in italy.

https://www.autoscout24.com/offers/fiat-131-racing...







GTRene

16,948 posts

226 months

Saturday 13th January
quotequote all
nice one, I never new before a few years ago that those racings came also with the color underside variants orange and green, till I was looking for scale 1/43 Fiat 131 Racing in my color, came across of sort like but in 1/18 with the green and or orange underside.

btw great magazine picture in that ad, I downloaded it hehe


rallycross

12,902 posts

239 months

Saturday 13th January
quotequote all
GTRene said:
nice one,
btw great magazine picture in that ad, I downloaded it hehe

Yeah they were a stunning looking car still look special today .


TarquinMX5

1,968 posts

82 months

Saturday 13th January
quotequote all
2172cc said:
I think I've recounted this story before but maybe not here. I was 20 and desperately wanted an RS2000 just like Doyle in The Professionals. Mike Young's had a Diamond White with black vinyl roof for sale S reg but didn't quite have enough saved to get it. I took a day off work and persuaded my dad to come with me and have a look at it. It obviously had been enthusiastically driven and was not perfect but you tend to not notice these things . I needed a little more money to get it so was hoping my dad would lend me the difference and say yes. He took one one look at it and said no way........ 'If your going to get one I'll give you the extra and you get the best one' That would be the W reg in Terracotta. I never liked the colour but what would you do? We did the deal for I think £4000?? for a one owner car absolutely bog standard with about 20k miles. I remember he had an RS1800 for less money but my dad only really looked the plate year and age so in his eye's it should be better. I was so proud of that RS2000. I found out after from the RSOC that it was built in the last month of production in Germany. He was a good man my dad.



Edited by 2172cc on Friday 12th January 21:32
Looking at that regn. no. I would think that was originally supplied by Vospers of Plymouth (The MD had, and I think still has, one of the RS200s from day one).

2172cc

1,128 posts

99 months

Saturday 13th January
quotequote all
TarquinMX5 said:
2172cc said:
I think I've recounted this story before but maybe not here. I was 20 and desperately wanted an RS2000 just like Doyle in The Professionals. Mike Young's had a Diamond White with black vinyl roof for sale S reg but didn't quite have enough saved to get it. I took a day off work and persuaded my dad to come with me and have a look at it. It obviously had been enthusiastically driven and was not perfect but you tend to not notice these things . I needed a little more money to get it so was hoping my dad would lend me the difference and say yes. He took one one look at it and said no way........ 'If your going to get one I'll give you the extra and you get the best one' That would be the W reg in Terracotta. I never liked the colour but what would you do? We did the deal for I think £4000?? for a one owner car absolutely bog standard with about 20k miles. I remember he had an RS1800 for less money but my dad only really looked the plate year and age so in his eye's it should be better. I was so proud of that RS2000. I found out after from the RSOC that it was built in the last month of production in Germany. He was a good man my dad.



Edited by 2172cc on Friday 12th January 21:32
Looking at that regn. no. I would think that was originally supplied by Vospers of Plymouth (The MD had, and I think still has, one of the RS200s from day one).
You are correct Sir. The first owner was in the Royal Navy and bought the car new from Vospers of Plymouth. He then transferred to Rosyth Dockyard in Fife and drove it up there, kept it 3 years and then Mike Young's acquired it from him. Can't quite remember his full name but I do recall reading an article he wrote in the RS Owners Club mag Rallye News giving his ownership experiences with the car. I also remember that he had a very low RSOC membership number so one of the first to join up. I do have that magazine somewhere so if I find it will scan and post if anyone's interested.

paulwirral

3,192 posts

137 months

Saturday 13th January
quotequote all
This thread has jarred my memory into working , I owned most of the cars mentioned in the thread , a few 3ltr capris , a dolly sprint , a r/s 2000 and I bought a 131 sport with the intention of using it for banger racing , it was that cheap back then !
I didn’t wreck it by the way , it was to good a car and I sold it on but I do remember it was a great drive “thrashing the knackers off it “ was the way we described a spirited run back then when there was no such thing as a yellow box on a scaffolding pole .

rallycross

12,902 posts

239 months

Saturday 13th January
quotequote all
paulwirral said:
This thread has jarred my memory into working , I owned most of the cars mentioned in the thread , a few 3ltr capris , a dolly sprint , a r/s 2000 and I bought a 131 sport with the intention of using it for banger racing , it was that cheap back then !
I didn’t wreck it by the way , it was to good a car and I sold it on but I do remember it was a great drive “thrashing the knackers off it “ was the way we described a spirited run back then when there was no such thing as a yellow box on a scaffolding pole .
How did the dolly sprint compare to the RS? I only drove one once.

500swk

140 posts

65 months

Saturday 13th January
quotequote all
aeropilot said:
Silver was never an option on the Mk.2 RS's.
was there not a few silver ones for the queens jubilee year,around 78.

most likely not available to the public though

aeropilot

35,036 posts

229 months

Saturday 13th January
quotequote all
500swk said:
aeropilot said:
Silver was never an option on the Mk.2 RS's.
was there not a few silver ones for the queens jubilee year,around 78.

most likely not available to the public though
Never heard of that before, and not seen it mentioned in any of the books on RS's either, or seen it mentioned by RSOC.

I've never seen a photo of one either, and if they had done that I'm sure its the sort of thing the Ford publicity and factory photographers would have done some publicity photos of at the time, you dont something expensive to commemorate HMG's silver Jubilee and not show it off, like Triumph Motorcycles did with the Jubilee Edition Bonny's and London Transport did with the silver painted Routemasters. So on that basis, I'm skeptical that its true.
Never say never though.


Edited by aeropilot on Saturday 13th January 23:27