Ford Escort 1600 GT (Mk1) | Spotted
John loves a Mk1 Ford Escort, so guess how happy he is about a 1600 GT...
Where does the Ford Escort 1600 GT sit in the pantheon of great Escorts? I ask that as genuine question. I’m familiar with the Twin Cam, RS1600 and RS2000, but the 1600 GT is not one I remember seeing before. Which makes this all the more appealing, because I might learn something from those with more knowledge. But it’s a Mk1 Ford Escort, and even if it were a boggo-spec I’d still be happy as a pig in the proverbial. I love a Mk1 Escort, so this 1600 GT jumped out at me like a mischievous child from behind a pillar. When saw it while scrolling through the PH classifieds this morning, I was compelled to write about it.
There’s something effortlessly pretty about the Mk1 Escort, don’t you think? I saw this even as a kid. My mate’s mum had a metallic purple Mk1 and I marvelled – salivated even – over it back then, in much the same way I did at the jar of cola bottles in my local newsagent. Which is apt, I suppose, bearing in mind the Mk1 Escort’s sexy, Coke bottle hips.
It's not just its haunches, though. The whole design is harmonious. It has barely a straight line anywhere on its pressings; instead, its collection of soft curves creates beauty, but also presence. There’s a substantialness to it, thanks to those rounded sides and protruding arches that give it three-dimensional depth. And more than a little swagger – certainly more than a compact, affordable, family saloon had any right to have.
There’s a ‘get out my way’ quality to the front end, too. Those two, big, round headlights for eyes, joined together by the narrowed ‘dog bone’ grille rather mimics an aggressive stare. Yet it somehow it manages to be friendly and loveable, too. It’s a loveable rogue, if you will, and the fact that it seems to encapsulate these mixed emotions is a sure-fire sign of an interesting design. Or my inability to read body language, perhaps?
Half a century ago, the all-new Escort was hardly a technical tour de force; but it wasn’t without merit in that department as it took the fight to the arch-rival Vauxhall and its Viva HB. It had rack and pinion steering, MacPherson struts and disc braking up front, plus a range of Kent engines in a variety of sizes and outputs. It was quite the antidote to the ageing and angular Anglia it superseded, although rumour has it the Anglia name almost survived until Escort was decided upon.
Anglia was a well-known and loved brand here in the UK, but because the Escort was from the newly merged Ford of Europe and the first passenger car it spawned (the Transit was its first vehicle), the Latin name for England may have seemed like rubbing salt into some German wounds. So they named it after an adult magazine instead.
As you know, the Escort was a huge hit. Just six years after launch, Ford had rolled the two-millionth Escort off the production line, which, until then, was the sort of build numbers only heard of Stateside. Us Brits loved it, and it’s said 60 per cent of those two-million Escorts had been made here.
And what of this 1600 GT, then? Its technical brief is remarkably similar to the Twin Cam, with its twin-cam, crossflow head and two twin-choke carbs. Was this just a re-branded Twin Cam for the Australian market? It appears the 1600 GT was good for 105hp, which is a tidy amount when you have a good deal less than a tonne to move, as demonstrated by a very handy 0-60mph time of around 10 seconds. From what I can tell, the 1600 GT also came with the 2000E’s gearbox but, again, I’m happy to hear more details on that.
Whatever the specifics, this one looks splendid. Apparently it’s had a new shell at some point, so if you’re searching for originality it might not be for you, but in terms of condition it appears to be a zinger. Presented in fabulous shade of metallic blue, with a matching blue vinyl seats, veneered dash, dished three-spoke wheel and, best of all, the sextet of instruments, I’d be in my happy place sat looking at it from within or without. And absolutely beaming if I was driving it, of course.
SPECIFICATION | FORD ESCORT 1600 GT (Mk1)
Engine: 1,558cc, four cylinder, naturally aspirated
Transmission: four-speed manual, rear-wheel drive
Power (hp): 106@5,500rpm
Torque (lb ft): 100@4,000rpm
CO2: N/A
MPG: N/A
Recorded mileage: 3,000
Year registered: 1971
Price new: N/A
Yours for: £26,950
Sadly, they weren't rust proofed any better than anything else of the time.
My Dad had a 1970 red 1100 from new. He told me it had a failed piston at 8000 miles, well within warranty. Dealer tried to wriggle until he threatened to go to solicitor. Two more pistons failed shortly after warranty, and he had to have the engine rebuilt. He said it was extremely poorly built. Rust began appearing in small areas at around a year old. He sold it at 5 years and 75K, and it was mechanically spent and rust was coming out everywhere.
Incredibly, he went back for more, and bought a new '75 Mk2 1300. I said, why??!? He said there was nothing else available at the time for similar money that was any better. Hmmm. That had its engine rebuilt at 50K and was rusty when sold at 7 years old. Then he bought a second hand Mk1 Cavalier which was obviously better! How, or why, Ford stayed at the top of the sales charts for so long is truly one of life's mysteries.
Yet again, mad money for a very basic mass produced old Ford. I have a few old Ford's I'm just realistic as to what they are/were...
And it's not a twin cam: it's a 1.6 crossflow as fitted to the Escort Mexico (this is effectively a Mexico in all but name).
https://www.carandclassic.com/auctions/1971-ford-e...
https://www.historics.co.uk/buying/auctions/2022-0...
Its weird as it seems every MK 1/2 Escort is now some kind of RS model, whether it stated out as one or not, can see why but its nice to see a fairly original non RS sportier one.
My first car had this engine, Capri 1600 GT, think the Escorts were a bit quicker being lighter but seemed to go well enough and had enough grunt to have me flailing at the wheel on occasion. Its weird as back then you could get 1330, 1300 GT, 1600, 1600 GT, 2000 GT (V4) four cylinder models and the power output went from 57, 64, 72, 82, 93 so a total of 36 bhp covering five engine options !
Then in other markets you could get 1.5 and 1.7 V4's
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:The typical ones I remember were generally driven by old blokes, fag in the corner of their mouth. The caretaker at my primary school had one, all roll ups and creosote. My grandad had one before his Chevette phase, then a Fiesta MK2 and culminating with a Metro 1.1.
Or old ladies in a 1.6 Ghia in Beige going to church.
They were usually terminally rusty, my mates mum had a yellow Mk2 basic sort of one, it got rusty, his dad patched it up, it got rustier, more patching until she then got somethign else but for some reason it lived on the path turning from yellow to green with brown patches. There were clumps of it around it, big clods of filler that had fallen off with rust attached, we used to play in it but the floors got a bit unsafe. Never seen a car rust so viciously. It eventuually got towed away leaving a sort of Turin Shroud imprint of rust, oil spots, moss, Isopon P38 and Signal yellow flakes.
Dont really remember seeing that many Mexico/RS2000 types, except on telly.
:The typical ones I remember were generally driven by old blokes, fag in the corner of their mouth. The caretaker at my primary school had one, all roll ups and creosote. My grandad had one before his Chevette phase, then a Fiesta MK2 and culminating with a Metro 1.1.
Or old ladies in a 1.6 Ghia in Beige going to church.
They were usually terminally rusty, my mates mum had a yellow Mk2 basic sort of one, it got rusty, his dad patched it up, it got rustier, more patching until she then got somethign else but for some reason it lived on the path turning from yellow to green with brown patches. There were clumps of it around it, big clods of filler that had fallen off with rust attached, we used to play in it but the floors got a bit unsafe. Never seen a car rust so viciously. It eventuually got towed away leaving a sort of Turin Shroud imprint of rust, oil spots, moss, Isopon P38 and Signal yellow flakes.
Dont really remember seeing that many Mexico/RS2000 types, except on telly.
Have to say even the base models can be fun - I've a Mk2 1100L in beige in the garage. Even though it's only 40-something bhp it's good fun to drive hard as it's so light. Grippy in the dry, easy to slide in the wet.
I actually prefer the Mk1 shape, even as an owner of a Mk2 RS2000 myself. Something prettier about them and the 6 clock dash that the 1300E and other models like this and the Mexico/RS models had. Of course they rust badly; my first Mk2 was only 7 years old at the time yet pieces literally dropped off it when I drove off. I swapped the engine for a Cortina 1600 crossflow and left the original 1300 gearbox and diff in the car. Acceleration felt brisk compared to the 1300 engine, but low gearing meant it ran out of revs.
My mate had a metallic purple 1300E at the same time and I thought it was great. Probably rotten as a pear underneath, but it got us from place to place with a grin on our faces.
Is it worth the money? Its worth what people will pay for it, so probably yes. Are there more fun/interesting cars for the same sort of cash? Yes, lots.
Definitely one that would require some proper checking out before parting with any hard cash as the original car that the body plates relate to was (as far as I'm aware) a genuine Sunset Red Mexico and was recorded as such with the Ford AVO Owners Club.
However....what is here now is most definitely not that particular car (even if it does contain some of the mechanicals from the Mexico) and the body/chassis plates don't appear to be the originals either. All this talk of 1600GT's/Australian Market/Re-shell etc just muddies the water even further as to exactly what the origins are of it as presented now.
Would still make someone a nice enough Mk1 Escort to go and have some fun with...at a certain price-point.
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