Return of the Mk1 Ford Escort: 150 ‘new’ examples will be built – but the price tag is astronomical
The Ford Escort Mk1 RS is back… sort of.
A limited-edition ‘continuous mod’ of the iconic 1970s car is being built for buyers with deep pockets, but only 150 are available, so you better act fast.
Fifty years after the last Escort MK1 RS rolled off the production line, the new Mk1 RS models will be ‘an authentic continuation’ thanks to their ‘approved chassis numbers’.
The makers of the reborn Escorts, Boreham Motorworks, are in a unique position as the official brand licensing partner of the Ford Motor Company, meaning the high-performance variants will carry the Escort name and Ford badge.
And although you get 296 hp and 10,000 rpm, you have to part with a lot of money for it.
That’s because the Ford Escort Mk1 RS Continumod costs from £295,000.
Production will start in late 2025 and the order books are now open for you to get your name on… if you can afford it.
A new Ford Escort MK1 is coming and it’s a ‘continuous mod’ of the original car that was so loved in the 1970s
The new Escort Mk1 is promised to be ‘blueprint accurate and historically sympathetic’ to the original, but will ‘combine the timeless spirit of classic cars with modern engineering, design and advanced manufacturing’.
Very unlike other restomods who are not allowed to use the licensed badges and names of the original cars on which they are based, these brand new Escorts will have Ford-approved continuation chassis numbers, making them exceptionally rare purchases.
They are built from the ground up and do not use original ‘donor’ escorts.
The Escort is offered with a choice of two petrol engines and comes with an updated Ford Twin-Cam four-cylinder 1.8-litre engine that produces 182 hp, or a four-cylinder 2.1-litre motorsport engine that produces 295 hp.
The former comes with a four-speed manual gearbox while the latter comes with a five-speed manual gearbox.
The brand new Escorts will have no donor cars and will have Ford-approved continuation chassis numbers, making them exceptionally rare purchases
Boreham Motorworks promises the cars will be ‘blueprint-accurate and period-sympathetic’ to the original
Boreham Motorworks said the Escort will “proudly” celebrate the “exceptional performance and handling” of the Escort Rallye Sport line, which “set a new benchmark for what it means to drive a high-performance car.”
To do this, Boreham added forged steel connecting rods, a billet crankshaft and advanced fuel injection.
To make it feel like a real Mk1 Escort, it doesn’t have power steering, anti-lock brakes or traction control.
This will result in a “raw driving experience that has made the RS Escorts performance icons,” according to the maker.
The Escort comes with a 1.8-liter Ford Twin-Cam four-cylinder engine producing 182 horsepower and 9,000 rpm, or a 2.1-liter four-cylinder engine producing 295 horsepower and 10,000 rpm.
Boreham said the Escort will “proudly celebrate” the ‘exceptional performance and handling’ of the Escort Rallye Sport line
Based on the two-door Escort RS bodies produced by Ford’s Advanced Vehicle Operations before it closed in 1975, design director Wayne Burgess (who himself owned a Mk2) adhered to an exterior design philosophy of “simplicity and form, stripping away all unnecessary ornamentation.” to leave only the essential’.
With a machined aluminum grille, simple taillights, deleted side bumpers and new door handles, mirrors and components, the car looks phenomenal – seamlessly blending the old with the new.
Inside, the driver benefits from continued simplicity, with vintage style but modern functionality; The low, horizontal dashboard opens up the Alcantara-leather mix interior, with a compact dashboard in the deep dish, a three-spoke steering wheel, an analogue-inspired instrument cluster, heated screens and air conditioning.
In keeping with the old rally escorts, there’s an optional four-point harness instead of the standard three-point inertia reels, as well as racing helmet storage in the rear compartment and a full roll cage with removable door bars for increased rigidity.
Wayne Burgess commented: ‘Every detail, from the minimalism of the exterior to the thoughtful functionality inside, is about distilling the essence of what made the Mk1 so special.’
The design, both outside and inside, revolves around ‘simplicity and form’ with a mix of vintage and modern
The Alcantara-leather mix interior has a low dashboard, with a compact dashboard in the deep, three-spoke steering wheel and an analogue-inspired instrument panel
There’s an optional four-point seat belt in place of the standard three-point inertia reel seat belts, as well as racing helmet storage in the rear compartment and a full roll cage with removable door bars
Although the photos look great, they come with a hefty price tag of £295,000 and the book is now open
As mentioned, however, there are only 150 cars up for grabs, and to get a slice of this limited-edition rally-style pie, enthusiasts will need to shell out at least £295,000.
Considering you’re looking to spend anything from £40,000 for a good condition MK1 to £100,000 for a best-ever RS2000, that’s a hefty premium for a modern reincarnation.
The ‘finest example’ Iconic Auctioneers had ever seen sold for £108,000 in 2023 after a five-year restoration.
However, when a similar example came up for sale in November this year (after a £130,000 rebuild), it failed to meet the reserve price.
However, the new Escort comes with a two-year/20,000-mile warranty and will go into production in the third quarter of 2025.
Customers will be able to see the car in person next summer before production begins.
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