RE: Escort Cossie WRC: Time for Coffee
Thursday 15th March 2018
Escort Cosworth. The name might be old now, but the memories and significance of Ford's fastest Escort live on way into the 21st century. It was an exciting road car, it was a successful motorsport car, and it's now a classic asset as well. See this one for sale at £55k for proof of that. Or this one, at £60k. Or this one, at nearly £70k...
Escort Cossie WRC: Time for Coffee?
It's 25 years since the Cosworth made its rally debut; time for a (very fast) trip down memory lane...
This isn't about what Cossies are worth now though, it's about what it achieved as a WRC car. While its debut season in 1993 - yes, a quarter of a century ago - did not result in any titles, Ford did take second in the Manufacturers' Championship and Francois Delecour secured runners-up spot in the drivers' standings. Going without a title during its time as a rally car meant the Escort might not be remembered as a Ford motorsport legend, but that says as much about the exalted standards of the Blue Oval's triumphs as any major failing of the car.
Anyway, this should be a celebration, so here's a video of the Escort Cosworth winning the Tour de Corse in its first season. It's actually a highlights video, featuring both Delecour and teammate Miki Biasion, but it was the Frenchman who triumphed by more than a minute over Didier Auriol in the Celica.
As always he's great value for the victory, getting the #3 Escort bucking, weaving and flaming around the Mediterranean island in spectacular fashion. The livery looks great, the OZ wheels look great, the double headlamps look great... yep, everything about this old WRC car looks pretty great. And we all know proper homologation cars are better. They just are.
So watch and enjoy as the Escort and Delecour romp around Corsica in a small PH anniversary tribute. Should it prompt wistful memories of your own Cosworth experiences, feel free to share them below...
[Source:Wikipedia]
Discussion
Always drooled over these when I was younger, but i seem to remember that they were never as successful as they could/should have been at the time.
I have a signed picture of me aged 11 with Malcolm Wilson and his Blue and Yellow Michelin Pilot Escort Cossie, loved that car and color scheme. Think that colour scheme was actually for national and not WRC rallies though.
I have a signed picture of me aged 11 with Malcolm Wilson and his Blue and Yellow Michelin Pilot Escort Cossie, loved that car and color scheme. Think that colour scheme was actually for national and not WRC rallies though.
1993 was the car's best year with Delecour winning a few events and runner up to Kankkunen in the WRC. The same combination won the Monte in 1994 before his road accident driving a friends Ferrari nearly cost him a limb. Makinen won the 1,000 Lakes in it, and that was as good as it got in 1994; paying an over the hill Biasion mega money was idiotic, and he did very little in the car.
As ever with Ford, could/ should have been a lot better; and at the end of 1994 they intended to close the Boreham competition dept running the WRC campaign - and 1995 was a disaster.
As ever with Ford, could/ should have been a lot better; and at the end of 1994 they intended to close the Boreham competition dept running the WRC campaign - and 1995 was a disaster.
FWDRacer said:
Comprehensively tonked by most of the facing competition of the time. One for the Fan Boys Only.
Not sure that's quite fair is it? Five wins in its first season and second in both driver's and manufacturer's championships is hardly being "comprehensively tonked".
Poor team management, poor luck (Delecour injured for a good chunk of the '94 season) and a change in regulations that better suited the other cars limited the Escort's success in the WRC. Somewhere I've got an old Ford brochure that listed all of its wins and there was simply loads at regional level, including the British, Irish, French and European championships. Heck, Sainz even managed to win two WRC rounds in it in '97, when it was well past its sell by date, even with the WRC upgrades.
As good as some of its rivals? Perhaps not, but still a deeply capable car in its day.
I know it's a bit pedantic and arguing over semantics but surely this is a Group A Escort Cosworth, not a WRC? WRC rules escort was Repsol liveried one wasn't it and had quite a different rear wing to the Cosworth.
Anyway. Great era for rallying this. Things had seemed to have settled down after the end of group B and loads of great looking cars from several different manufacturers. Some great drivers too.
Anyway. Great era for rallying this. Things had seemed to have settled down after the end of group B and loads of great looking cars from several different manufacturers. Some great drivers too.
Vocal Minority said:
Sainz moved to Ford in 1996 - so there was one Repsol Group A car
And then the 1997 Escort WRC - was this all new or just an update on the Group A?
ETA: I guess an update as looking at them side to side many panels are the same!
Ahhh, my history is a bit fuzzy. Didn't realise the Repsol livery came along before WRC rules. I honestly cannot remember what, if anything changed between Group A and WRC. I just remember all the cars suddenly being called WRC instead of Group A. Presume there were some technical differences. And then the 1997 Escort WRC - was this all new or just an update on the Group A?
ETA: I guess an update as looking at them side to side many panels are the same!
SystemParanoia said:
Wasn't Toyota banned for cheating with the the celica ?
Bit later on but yes. Debatable as to whether they deserved a ban or a medal. Some seriously impressive rule breaking.
https://jalopnik.com/how-the-best-racing-cheat-of-...
Vocal Minority said:
Sainz moved to Ford in 1996 - so there was one Repsol Group A car
And then the 1997 Escort WRC - was this all new or just an update on the Group A?
ETA: I guess an update as looking at them side to side many panels are the same!
It was a pretty significant update. Ford wanted to keep the Escort going until the Focus came along, so I believe the FIA granted some dispensation so they could use it with some modifications. While it looks similar, most of the panels are actually different. Front wings were tweaked, rear quarters are slightly wider and obviously the aero package is different. Some tweaks to the front suspension, but major at the rear end, with semi-trailing arms ditched for a multi-link rear end with Macpherson struts (requiring new rear turrets) and some other bits. Engine was also quite heavily revised, with a new turbo and some other bits. Very different cars in reality.And then the 1997 Escort WRC - was this all new or just an update on the Group A?
ETA: I guess an update as looking at them side to side many panels are the same!
Gad-Westy said:
Ahhh, my history is a bit fuzzy. Didn't realise the Repsol livery came along before WRC rules. I honestly cannot remember what, if anything changed between Group A and WRC. I just remember all the cars suddenly being called WRC instead of Group A. Presume there were some technical differences.
Basically it was to allow manufacturers to build 4WD cars from 2WD bases. It eliminated the need for them to make homologation specials, so they could take a 2WD series production car (think 206 and Corolla) and turn it into a 4WD WRC car, without the need for there to be a road-going version of it. There was quite a bit more freedom in the body work too, hence wider arches and the like appearing. Good for getting more manufacturers on board in the short term, but bad because we stopped getting cool road cars like the Cossie!Gad-Westy said:
Ahhh, my history is a bit fuzzy. Didn't realise the Repsol livery came along before WRC rules. I honestly cannot remember what, if anything changed between Group A and WRC. I just remember all the cars suddenly being called WRC instead of Group A. Presume there were some technical differences.
There were a few technical ones - but all still 2 litre turbos. There was no longer a need to homologate - so things like the Impreza WRC begat the P1 and not the other way around. I think they had a wider track, more aggressive arches and wings and so on.
Ford never made a road going Escort equivalent - though it was big evolution of the Cosworth it seems (ETA - thanks to the most informative post above, you posted as I was writing!). Mitsubishi stuck doggedly with the Group A rules with the Evo - the Evo VI being the last Group A car in....1999 he hesitates to say? (ETA again - it was 2001 when the FIA made them use WRC for the Evo VII - disastrously)
Toyota, Hyundai, Seat, Skoda and Peugeot never bothered making something remotely like their WRC cars for the road.
Edited by Vocal Minority on Thursday 15th March 12:08
Edited by Vocal Minority on Thursday 15th March 12:10
I feel quite a lot of nostalgia for the Boreham Rally team, Boreham is just a few miles down the road from where I live.
First knew about it when we went on a school trip to see the police helicopter station, was more interested in the row of RS200's etc parked up near the entrance.
The land is still reportedly owned by Ford Motor Co, they have been trying to get houses on it for a long time.
I've been on that land as I know the farmer, drove part of what is left of the Boreham test track a couple of years ago. Not much left now!
I also donly recall my grandfather talking about going to race events including one Grand Prix there in the 50's.
First knew about it when we went on a school trip to see the police helicopter station, was more interested in the row of RS200's etc parked up near the entrance.
The land is still reportedly owned by Ford Motor Co, they have been trying to get houses on it for a long time.
I've been on that land as I know the farmer, drove part of what is left of the Boreham test track a couple of years ago. Not much left now!
I also donly recall my grandfather talking about going to race events including one Grand Prix there in the 50's.
vindaloo79 said:
The spectators have a death wish. fun viewing...
Yeah, I did read or hear that when they got into the stops, sometimes there would be blood and bits of spectators on the car, or have I dreamt that ? certainly seems plausible given the stupidity of standing in front of really fast cars being driven flat out.FWDRacer said:
Comprehensively tonked by most of the facing competition of the time. One for the Fan Boys Only.
And yet, if you look at the road equivalent of each of the cars in the 1993 WRC season, it's the Escort that has become the most desirable and appreciate the most. Closely followed by the Integrale, which is ludicrously rare due to being made from kleenex.It's only Toyota fans that give a toss about Celica's. Imprezza's weren't around. Does anyone even know what an Evo I is? I love a Clio Williams personally, but as great as I think they are, they were for some reason regarded as 2nd best behind 205 GTi's. Calibra turbo's? They were bad, very bad, even the Vauxhall boys knew if you farted it'd blow the transfer box.
The Escort was, like the Integrale, a special, bespoke road car as well as the Rally aspect. It's why they have lingered in the hearts of many for decades and it's why cars like the Focus RS might not - no history and nothing rare or special by comparisson.
J4CKO said:
vindaloo79 said:
The spectators have a death wish. fun viewing...
Yeah, I did read or hear that when they got into the stops, sometimes there would be blood and bits of spectators on the car, or have I dreamt that ? certainly seems plausible given the stupidity of standing in front of really fast cars being driven flat out.Gassing Station | General Gassing | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff