The appeal of a classic Ford Escort rally car is simple to grasp. Our own RacingPete has one, remember, for all the same reasons that lots of people have one: the nostalgia appeal is enormous, for one, motorsport memories little more evocative than a sideways Escort blaring through the woods. There was a direct family association with his car, too. Add that to the enormous fun available behind the wheel, iconic good looks and a great community behind them and you have the foundation of a very popular classic rally car.
And while the charm of a Mk1 or Mk2 Escort will endure for a long time yet, times do change. Most of us probably still think of those old Mexicos and RS2000s being 30-odd-year-old cars but, well, rear-drive Escort production wound up in 1980 - the very newest ones are now 45. The most elderly rear-drive Escorts are well on their way to being 60. Yikes.
Which means that what you’re looking at here is one of the new breed of classic Ford Escort rally cars. As of next year, this 1996 Group N Cossie will be eligible for all sorts of historic rallies. Which is intriguing on its own, given the enthusiasm that currently exists around 1990s motorsport; just one look at the FIA European Historic Rally Championship calendar, with visits to Greece and Finland, is almost enough to have the Nomex packed already. But this particular Escort is additionally noteworthy as it has actual provenance from the era.
No, it wasn’t a competition Cosworth. But it was built by M-Sport in 1995, then used on both Rally Argentina and Rally Australia as a recce car. Which is a claim to fame not many old Escorts can boast. It’s believed that three such cars were created, all with motorsport shells, Kevlar floors and a racy YB under the bonnet; Carlos Sainz wrote one off, so there’s only one other fast Ford like this around. (Some of the Sainz parts actually found their way to this one, said to be driven by none other than Colin McRae.)
It’s been with the current owner for 14 years, so they’re extremely well invested in the history and provenance of this Cossie. They’ve used it for shows and hillclimbs predominantly, with useful updates along the way like a full suspension overhaul and a respray with the famous Valvoline livery. With the white wheels and spotlights, it’ll most certainly still cut it as a show car. It even boasts some authentic rally patina.
There’s no reason, moreover, why it couldn’t be used as a super-invigorating road car. There’s an MOT until next summer, an engine with almost 300hp, and a gloriously raw, stripped-out interior - complete with ‘McRae’ and ‘Grist’ on the Sparco seats - that would make every lane feel like a special stage. There are miles on it, too, so it’s hardly like you’d be spoiling a museum exhibit.
But it deserves to properly compete, surely, having been built to competition spec and never really rallied in anger. It’ll need the safety kit upgraded to modern gear, and obviously you’ll need someone brave enough to co-drive, but just think of the adventures a car like this could open up. And you don’t need us to explain how cool competing in a Ford Escort used by the rally team could be. Bidding starts on the 11th.
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