White trainers on for Escort XR3i Tolman Edition

Having completed the 205 GTI, Tolman is continuing its trip down memory lane with another '80s icon

By Matt Bird / Monday, 1 June 2026 / Loading comments

You’ll be familiar by now with the idea of a Tolman Edition car. The temptation is to call them restomods, but so subtle and well integrated is the work that they transcend the usual classification. Editions are more like what would happen if the manufacturer were to make them again, with no expense spared - see the glorious (and popular) 205 GTI for proof of the approach.

Now there’s another, the Ford Escort XR3i Tolman Edition. For now, it’s a one-off commission, though it wouldn’t be a surprise if some similar cars follow in future. People love a classic fast Ford, after all, and the Tolman approach understandably already has plenty of fans. This latest build is pitched as one that ‘looks just like the one the customer craved as a teenager and performs far beyond what the original could deliver.’

Nothing has been left untouched in the quest for an excellent Escort. So the wheezy old CVH has been treated to the head from a 16-valve Zetec engine, plus new pistons and rods as well as a tougher bottom end. Electronic engine management keeps things tickling along smoothly, with power now rated at 150hp - 50 per cent more than it would have made in period. That’s how lazy a CVH was. While the gearbox is original, Tolman has built a bespoke exhaust for this XR3i.

There are plenty more custom components for this Edition, too, the most notable of which are probably the wheels. From a distance they look like the original ‘Dog Leg’ 14s, but look closer and you’ll see they’re actually 15-inch diameter. They’ve been made specifically for this project by Tolman, with attention to detail such that the rims keep the original centre section so that the cap with the original factory casting marks can be retained. That’s the sort of thing they mean when talking about a ‘non-invasive’ approach. Bigger wheels means a better choice of tyres these days, plus the ability to fit discs all round.

The suspension of the XR3i has also been substantially overhauled, with parts borrowed from the RS1600i plus Bilstein dampers and a unique (again!) anti-roll bar. The engineering and fitting of which was probably the easiest part of the task, really, given a full body restoration was also needed; that included creating a new roof skin with the sunroof aperture in, because no good replacements were available and the original was (of course) rusty. Labour of love probably sells the XR3i short, but it is now undersealed and ready to be enjoyed ‘in all weathers’. Indeed with a DAB radio, LED lights and an alarm with tracker now, it’d be rude not to…

What this Tolman Edition costs hasn’t been shared, though given the 205 driven on PH was £125k it’s easy to imagine this is another six-figure prospect. Money no object doesn’t tend to come affordably, and looking at these pictures Tolman surely has one more happy customer on its hands.

Chris Tolman said: “The XR3i was hugely popular at the time, which means many people have an affinity with them, but revisiting one today would be underwhelming. So just as with the 205GTi, we’ve applied our knowledge to make it drive the way you think you remember the original driving, while looking essentially like the one you yearned for. Balancing a desire to preserve the DNA of the original while meaningfully improving it made this a particularly challenging project. It would have been easier to slot in modern running gear in a restored shell, but the experience and emotional connection the customer came to us to replicate would have been lost. We’ve got two more commission projects this year as we find more customers want a more personal restomod.”

Told you they were in demand. Those new builds can’t come soon enough…