Ford Escort Mexico - everyday racer for the next generation

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Ford Escort Mexico - everyday racer for the next generation

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Created on December 13, 2017

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

36

Ford Motor Company

11

Klaus D. Lehmann-Gräve

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Archiv

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - taut and sporty, that's how the "Mexico" was designed

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - three generations of Ford Escort

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - the "dog bone" was followed by the more angular Mk2 and finally the front-wheel drive Mk3

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - a "Mexico" ran at almost 170 km/h back then

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - drove away from many an opponent ...

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - ... and from there ...

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - ... and from there ...

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - ... until it disappeared on the horizon

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - Coke-Bottle-Shape - the side line is reminiscent of the Coca-Cola bottle

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - there were no spoilers back then

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - the "Mexico" could also be used in motor racing

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - only the first and third Escort generation had rear-wheel drive, the RS 1600i in the middle is front-wheel drive

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - three generations of Ford Escort - Mk1, Mk2 and Mk3

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - almost like 45 years ago

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - the leaf springs of the rear axle are clearly visible at the rear

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - good all-round visibility is guaranteed

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - easy and light to drive

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - back then you were who ...

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - less than 1.6 meters wide

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - sober interior, a rally car doesn't need more

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - Interior with lots of black and unclad sheet metal

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - extensive instrumentation, the steering wheel is a non-original accessory

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - they didn't have steering wheel rims that thick back then

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - the RS sports seats

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - longitudinally mounted Kent engine

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - with the cross-flow head, the 1.6-liter produced 86 DIN hp

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - as standard, the Mexico came with a Weber downdraft carburetor 32 DFM, here a dual carburetor system from Weber is installed

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - the Mark 1 and the Mark 2 (as RS 2000) in the background

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - that's why it's called "dog bone"

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - Mexico lettering on the flank

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - the "Mexico" badge

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - Mexico lettering on the door

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - the "Mexico" lettering on the rally stripe on the flank

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - drop center rims and chrome wheel covers

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - the "Escort" lettering

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - "Ford" is written on the rear

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Ford Escort 1968 invites you to a Sunday drive

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Ford Escort 1300 GT (1972) - in series trim

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Ford Escort (1969) - Advertisement from 1969

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Ford Escort TwinCam (1968) - the sporty version

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Ford Escort (1970) - The first Escort to be built in Saarlouis in 1970

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Ford Escort (1973) - Production of the Escort and Capri series at the Saarlouis plant

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Ford Escort (1973) - the chassis dynamometer at the 'Saarlouis' plant

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Ford Escort (1971) - the "results" of safety research at Ford - many destroyed or damaged Ford Escort and Capri

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Ford Escort (1973) - now launched in Switzerland as the German Escort, which caused a stir in England - at the 1973 Geneva Motor Show

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - with the optional Rallye Clubman Pack

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - sporty version

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - equipped with alloy wheels and special options

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Ford Escort (1972) - the tuning program for the Escort

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1973) - with two-liter engine and specific livery

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Ford Escort RS 1600 (1970) - Mikkola and Palm at the London-Mexico endurance rally in 1970

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Ford Escort RS 1600 (1970) - Mikkola and Palm win the London-Mexico Rally in 1970, as well as the Rally Italy

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Ford Escort RS 1600 (1970) - Mikkola and Palm win the London-Mexico Rally in 1970

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Ford Escort RS 1600 (1972) - Hannu Mikkola at the East African Safari 1972

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Ford Escort RS 1600 (1973) - Timo Makinen and Harry Liddon win the 1973 RAC Rally

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Ford Escort (1968) - Roger Clark wins the Acropolis Rally

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Ford Escort (1968) - Tony Chappell wins the first round of the Rally Cross Championship

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Ford Escort RS 1600 (1974) - Mikkola and Davenport at the Thousand Lakes Rally in Finland in 1974

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Ford Escort RS 1600 (1972) - in rally use

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Ford Escort (1971) - Hannu Mikkola with Gunnar Palm in the rally Escort

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Ford Escort (1969) - Roger Clark and Jim Porter in the rally Escort

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Ford Escort RS 1600 (1972) - Rally Monte Carlo 1973, Hannu Mikkola at the wheel

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Ford Escort TC (1970) - Gerhard Schüler at Pirmasens German Hill Climb Championship)

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Ford Escort 1300 GT (1970) - Harald Menzel - Team Zakspeed - 300km Nürburgring 1970

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Ford Escort RS 1600 (1972) - ready for racing

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Summary

Launched in 1968, the Ford Escort was designed from the outset to also perform sporting feats, but the very fast variants were too expensive for normal drivers and everyday use. This changed with the 1970 Mexico, which was introduced by the British factory as a result of its great success in the London-Mexico endurance rallies. Now there was 1.6 liter displacement, 86 hp and all kinds of rally accessories at affordable prices. This vehicle report describes the special model, which was produced in considerable numbers, and shows it in many pictures, including sound samples.

This article contains the following chapters

German influences
Connected to tradition
Rally success leads to special model
Technology from motor racing
Accessories from the manufacturer
Not for everyone
A jewel today ...
... and a rarity
Further information

Estimated reading time: 6min

Preview (beginning of the article)

It was on November 17, 1967 that Ford began producing the Escort in Great Britain. It was unveiled at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1968 and was available to buy from March 1968. They called it the first European Ford at the time and there were sporty and powerful variants right from the start, as the credo "Win on Sunday, sell on Monday" was still omnipresent at the time. In the secret test center in northeast London at the beginning of 1968, members of the press got to see the new Escort for the first time. There were good reasons why this took place in Great Britain, as the new car basically replaced the Anglia. It also received many technical components from the British Ford inventory.

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