Ford Escort RS 2000 - for gravel and pleasure

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Ford Escort RS 2000 - for gravel and pleasure

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Created on April 2, 2021

Text:

Bruno von Rotz

Photos:

Daniel Reinhard

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Bruno von Rotz

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Ford Motor Company

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Ford/Werk

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Archiv Bernhard Brägger

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Archiv

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - every kilometer feels like a special stage

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - you sit low, which helps the center of gravity

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - the extensions were available ex works

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - Damage has already been repaired once with a hammer

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - ready for the next rally event

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - wheelbase 240 cm

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - dominated many a rally in the early seventies

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - compact, lightweight rear-wheel drive car

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - the face, which resembles a dog's bone, gave it its name

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - only 398 cm long

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - took part in many rallies

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - the normal version is 157 cm wide, with the extensions it is a few centimeters more

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - prepared for rally use, e.g. with engine underbody protection

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - the extensions could be ordered ex works, but it wasn't cheap

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - kerb weight 915 kg

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - the seats are much more recent

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - almost the original fittings, small racing steering wheel

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - heavily cupped sports steering wheel

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - the rally car was modified again and again

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - the additional instruments do not quite match the year of manufacture

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - with four-speed gearbox

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - longitudinally mounted four-cylinder in-line engine with 1993 cm3

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - one overhead camshaft, cross-flow cylinder head

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - Ford lettering on the perforated hood

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - simple round headlights

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - Aluminum wheels from the sponsor

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - voluminous wheel arches would also leave room for wider wheels

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - Racing accessories - Power off

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - clearly labeled

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - applied type lettering

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Ford Escort 1968 invites you to a Sunday drive

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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 RS 1600 (1972) - on the move

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

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Ford Escort Mexico (1972) - sporty version

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

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Ford Escort TwinCam (1968) - the sporty version

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

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Ford Escort RS 1600 (1973) - Competition vehicles as a center of attraction for the stands, here a Zakspeed version with 2000cc, 225 hp, 240 kmh - International Motor Show (IAA) in Frankfurt 1973

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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 RS 2000 (1972) - racing on the road

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1973) - with the characteristic paintwork with the stripe across the flank and on the hood

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1973) - probably from German production

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

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - grippy steering wheel and complete dashboard

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - Gearshift seats with plenty of lateral support

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1973) - Tuning program

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1973) - Advertising - not only built for rally drivers

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - in advertising - an alternative to the ordinary

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - Hansjörg Elmiger and co-driver Max Heinzer are always good for a spectacle on gravel

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

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - Mikkola and Davenport win the 1000 Lakes Rally

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

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

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Ford Escort RS - at the British Car Meeting in Morges in 2007

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Ford Escort RS 1600 (1972) - at the Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este 2016 in Class I "Rally Cars - Heroes of the Special Stage"

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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 2000 (1974) - it feels at home on gravel

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - without a co-driver, the driver has to explore the route himself

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Ford Escort RS 2000 (1974) - ideal for affordable motorsport

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Summary

With the Escort RS 2000, Ford presented a sports car for the masses in 1973. It was not expensive and its suitability for everyday use was hardly diminished, but with 100 hp and a kerb weight of 915 kg, the fast Escort provided plenty of forward momentum. This driving report is about an RS-2000 version from 1974 that has been converted into a rally car with an impressive history and shows it in many photos. It is supplemented by contemporary photos, sales literature and a sound sample.

This article contains the following chapters

Sporty with pleasure
For the popular sport
Largely favorable reviews
A good basis for racing
On board a rally car
Visible history
How many were there?

Estimated reading time: 7min

Preview (beginning of the article)

A lightweight car with a powerful engine has always been a guarantee for a lot of driving pleasure. If the engine was also reliable and the car was reasonably priced, then the car found many fans. In any case, Ford had done almost everything right with the Escort RS 2000. In January 1968, the new Ford Escort was presented to the general public at the Brussels Motor Show, after production had already started in November 1967 and the press had been given an introduction in advance. The new two-door saloon with a standard design (front engine, rear drive) and rear rigid axle was intended to replace the Anglia in the UK and steal customers from the VW Beetle in Europe.

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