Is it time for a new star?
06/21/2017
Of course, we all know the Ford Escort, production of which started in November 1967, around 50 years ago. The hot versions with Lotus or Cosworth BDA engines in particular were responsible for rally and circuit victories for many years. The greatest triumph was probably the victory in the London-Mexico cross-country rally, in honor of which a special model was then built for customers, the Escort Mexico. This was later followed by powerful two-litre variants, which were recognizable by their sloping front end with twin headlights and were very popular in this country.
The early, high-performance Escorts are still sought-after today, with 20 large bills or more quickly changing hands when an enthusiast sells his Escort.
In the slipstream of the "dog bone" Escorts and the RS-2000 rear-wheel drive variants, the front-wheel drive third generation with the tailgate typical of the time was offered from 1980, the hottest variant of which was initially called the XR3. The XR3 was clearly targeted against the VW Golf GTI, but with 96 hp the power was only just enough to cope with the 110 hp of the Golf. Thanks to an intelligently geared four-speed gearbox, which made it possible to reach 100 km/h in second gear, the sprint times at least looked quite reasonable compared to the competition.
In 1982, however, a model appeared that was much more successful in keeping up with the popular GTI, the RS 1600i. Equipped with a computerized ignition, an adjustable front axle and all kinds of sporty accessories, this Escort with 115 was able to hold its own against the other hatchback compact cars, but also cost a lot of money.
Nevertheless, around 9000 were built and sold.
Today, however, the Ford Escort RS 1600i is seen much less often on the road than the Golf GTI and its value is also lower than that of the Wolfsburg. Yet the Escort was and is a really good car that is a lot of fun to drive. Perhaps it's time to reflect on it. Maybe it's time for a new star?
