1972 Ford Escort Road/Rally/Regularity

If you’re looking for a reference-quality, concours winning Ford Escort MK1 then this ain’t it. On the other hand, if you are looking for a multi-role, highly competitive, well-engineered and turn-key car that’ll only set you back a fraction of what it would cost you to build your own, then read on.

As a much-prized two-door, non-sunroof 1972 model, the Escort was originally sold with a 1300cc engine under the bonnet and built to XL specification. It was fitted with a 1600cc lump at some point before gaining the 2-litre engine it is fitted with today. 

In the same owner’s hand for the past four years, it belongs to a regular competitor in the arcane world of historic road-rallying (such as HERO, HRCR, etc), a man whose talents extend way beyond driving and into navigating and spannering. This means that he knows what works (and, even more importantly, what doesn’t…) and has ensured that his car has all the Good Stuff.

He describes the car as having an “outstanding mechanical specification”, a description we would endorse. Honesty compels us to confess that he has had two DNFs with the Escort: one was due to him ripping the exhaust off after an enthusiastic jump, and the other was due to a snapped clutch cable. Having learned his lesson, an alloy sump guard will help prevent a repetition of the former, while a spare clutch cable should eradicate the latter. 

Freshly MOTd’ (with no advisory points) it is, he says, “ready to drive up to Scotland and compete.”

Finished in Ford Monza Electric Blue, the car’s front wings come from a Mexico, while the rears are the factory originals. The Escort looks very purposeful and while it is a real eyecatcher, it is understated compared to some we’ve seen and, to our eyes at least, all the better for it.

The panels are in very good shape for a competition car that has been used in anger; it’s not concours but it is straight, very solid and looks very good from ten feet. Faint praise? Not really, because a motorsport weapon like this can’t be unblemished because if it is then the driver is going to hold back for fear of picking up damage. (Not that this has any, you understand, just the odd easily overlooked imperfection here and there.) Rust? a couple of bubbles at the bottom of the door, and above the headlights - purely cosmetic and definitely no 'rot'.

The bonnet is held on with pins, and two huge Cibie spotlights dominate the front of the car, acting in a supporting role to headlights that have been converted to run halogen bulbs. The rear sports a period Lucas 576 reversing light that will provide illumination when you’re reversing back onto a forest road after an over-enthusiastic entry into a tighter-than-expected corner.

The chromework, including the front quarter bumpers, is in good shape.

The wheels are 5.5” and fitted with tyres that have only done one event. The car also comes with quite a few spare alloy wheels and tyres. Please see photos for the details.

It is also fitted with an FIA-approved cut-off switch, along with front and rear towing eyes. The underside is a bit dinged here and there but is has been freshly painted and protected with wax. The floor pans, including that of the boot, are fairly solid.

Oh, and the boot can only be opened using a key, so it’s wired into place ensuring easy access during events. This is typical of the thought that has gone into engineering this top-flight competition machine.

The driver and passenger are held snugly in place with the rare and much-prized Ridgard RS9 bucket seats, which are mounted on welded subframes. A pair of Securon harnesses restrain the pair, and the original door cards and headlining are still in place. The rear seat is still in place too because some competition regulations require it, and it hinges forward to give access to the boot. Rear carpets are included but not fitted. 

A full safety cage protects the occupants, while a genuine Twin Cam speedometer goes higher than the standard one, which is handy given how well the car performs. 

The car has the classic six-dial dashboard and all the gauges work and are accurate, with the exception of the one for the fuel. However, a super-cool sight gauge has been fitted to the boot-mounted tank, which takes care of that problem. 

A Springalex deep-dish steering wheel is fitted, along with a Brantz Inter 2 Tripmeter with wheel sensor. It also has an internal fuse box, plus a map-light for the navigator, an LED strip light, a pen holder, and internal brake and fuel lines. 

Charging sockets are in place for phones, the potti lights, etc. and the boot has a restraint in there to hold two spare wheels. The boot is also home to the battery and a tool box - and the latter has even been bolted to the floor to keep it secure no matter how quickly you are travelling.

The car’s mechanical specification reads like a dream. It comprises, in brief, a 2.1-litre Pinto engine with a big valve cylinder head, a mild road camshaft profile, and twin Weber 45DCOE carburettors. It is fed by twin Facet fuel pumps that pump petrol from a boot-mounted Ralloy alloy fuel tank.

The engine exhales via a two-inch, four-branch exhaust manifold and its power is estimated to be in the region of 120bhp, which means that it is powerful enough to light up the rear wheels but still reliable enough to ensure you can complete in a series of events with having to rebuild it on a regular basis.

It also has twin ignition coils and is cooled via an alloy radiator and manually operated electric fan. The engine bay itself is very clean and full of lovely details; you really do need to come and see it in order to fully appreciate just how well executed it is.

The gearbox is a five-speed type 9 feeding through a Salisbury rear axle, a 4:1 limited-slip differential, and Group 1 half-shafts. The car has a quick steering rack and uprated steering joints.

The front brakes are discs taken from an RS2000 and are fitted with M16 calipers. The rear brakes are uprated 9” REA rear drums and the system is fed by Aeroquip flexible brake hoses. The handbrake was hydraulic, but this was converted back to cable to meet class regulations. The hydraulic system is still there though, so converting it back would be a straightforward job that shouldn’t take more than a couple of hours.

The car sits 35mm closer to the floor than standard and damping is via Bilstein struts at the front and adjustable Spax units at the rear. An uprated anti-roll bar has been fitted, along with polybushes all round, an anti-dive kit, a World Cup crossmember, and a strut brace.

The bodyshell itself had been strengthened prior to the vendor buying it. It has been done to a “good standard” according to him, and we’re happy to take his word for it as he knows far more about the subject than we do.

A few spares are included such as a distributor and leads, spark plugs, new coolant hoses, a spare clutch cable, fan belts, a nearside rear window rubber, some touch-up paint, and a spare set of keys. 

A working and complete original Mexico 1600cc engine and GT four-speed ‘box are available to the winning bidder by separate negotiation.

The online MOT history shows nothing of concern whatsoever and the MOT certificate itself is valid for a full twelve months.

The car comes with a number of expired MOT certificates plus a sheaf of invoices and bills to confirm the work that has been done to it, along with some delightful period photographs of it being used in competition along with a typed summary of its specification.

It has the original owner’s handbook, plus a workshop manual. (This, plus a hammer and an adjustable spanner, should enable you to fix 99% of any faults that arise…)

The V5 registration document shows the Escort as still having a 1600cc engine, so will need altering if that worries you.

Please visit the documents section of the gallery of this listing where you will find photos of this and other paperwork to support our claim that this car has been restored and maintained to the very highest standard.

This is not a car for everyman. It’s not original, and it’s not built to full FIA specification either, which means it falls between the two camps, straight into the sort of territory inhabited by chaps who are looking for a full-on, no-frills, highly competitive competition car that can be used for track days, rallying, hillclimbing or regularity events, up to and including HERO and HRCR events. 

In other words, the sort of driver for whom performance is more important than the having unblemished paintwork, and the sort who values competitiveness and reliability more highly than a concours finish.

Because this is The Real Deal. And turn-key; enter tomorrow, race next weekend. Built and maintained by a man who knows his stuff better than most, its sale price will almost certainly represent only a fraction of the sum it cost to build it. While reference quality Escorts can top £50,000, we think that this will sell for between £11,000 and £15,000, at which price point it offers the winning bidder the chance to compete at a high level for not a lot of money. 

In fact, the only drawback we can see is that you will never be able to use the car’s performance to excuse any lack of your own…

Viewing is always encouraged, and this car can be seen here at The Market HQ in Abingdon; to arrange an appointment please use the ‘Contact Seller’ button at the top of the listing. Feel free to ask any questions or make observations in the comments section below, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.

If needed, please remember we have a network of trusted suppliers we work with regularly and can recommend: Classic & Sportscar Finance for purchase-financing, Thames Valley Car Storage for storing your car, AnyVan for transporting it, and Footman James for classic car insurance.

BORING, but IMPORTANT: Please note that whilst we at The Market always aim to offer the most descriptive and transparent auction listings available, we cannot claim they are perfect analyses of any of the vehicles for sale. We offer far greater opportunity for bidders to view, or arrange inspections for each vehicle thoroughly prior to bidding than traditional auctions, and we never stop encouraging bidders to take advantage of this. We do take a good look at the vehicles delivered to our premises for sale, but this only results in our unbiased personal observations, not those of a qualified inspector or other professional, or the result of a long test drive. 

Additionally, please note that most of the videos on our site have been recorded using simple cameras which often result in 'average' sound quality; in particular, engines and exhausts notes can sound a little different to how they are in reality.