1979 Ford Escort RS2000 Sedan

You, like us, might have baulked at seeing a Ford Escort RS200 described as a ‘sedan’ in the title – unless, of course, you already know that that is how the Australian-market cars were designated.

Because this RS2000 has come from Down Under:

"Do you come from a land down under
Where women glow and men plunder?
Can't you hear, can't you hear the thunder?
You better run, you better take cover"

And thunder it does, with a two-litre crossflow, high-compression Pinto engine. There are other differences including:

• An anti-roll bar on the rear axle instead of anti-tramp bars, a steel sump where you’d usually expect to find an aluminium one, steel top mounts, and a different gearbox.
• There are also a few changes to the trim spec including different mirrors, a non-RS dashboard that lacks the white needles, an additional plaque under the bonnet stating the exact date of manufacture, and a protective floor plate.
• Finally, the front seats were fitted with roll-top front headrests instead of the fishnets we all grew up sniggering over (although this one has been so equipped).

Built in Australia in 1979, there is a rumour that it was used as a press car, although we don’t have any paperwork to confirm this.

The seller bought ‘KVO 261V’ from a UK-based Aussie in 2017, a year after it had been imported. Like so many of us he started it as a lockdown project – but soon realised he was enjoying the work so much he decided to savour every moment, eventually completing it in 2025.

He’s an experienced panel beater and body man, and it shows in the way every single panel is aligned – and yet, despite his decades of experience, he still asked his mate to paint it for him. As he admits: “I am a bit OCD, and he paints Ferraris for living.”

Finished in its original colour of Signal Orange, it is said to be a matching numbers car with the engine, gearbox, and chassis numbers being the same ones that were fitted on the production line, something that the Letter of Authenticity from the Sporting Escort Owners’ Club confirms. 

The engine was rebored and fully rebuilt, and “everything that has been replaced on the car has been replaced with new parts, with O/E new/old stock used wherever I could.” 

Showing just 27,525 miles on the odometer, it’s so minty-fresh that it still needs those new parts running in. 

Finished in Burnt Orange (paint code Z), the Escort reeks of seventies cool and we’d be amazed if the winning bidder didn’t spend Christmas scouring the Internet in search of a period rally jacket to go with it. Maybe spend the holiday period growing mutton-chop whiskers too.

Because it really does look like it’s just rolled out of a Brentwood showroom; with tight and consistent shutlines, dent- and dink-free panels, and a complete absence of ripples along the flanks, you’ll search long and hard before spotting its few flaws, a slightly squiffy offside rear mudflap, a small mark on the rim of the nearside front wheel, and a tiny scratch below the nearside rear light cluster. 

Modern paint technology means the finish is probably shinier and more durable than anything Ford had access to at the time plus, let us not forget that it was applied by the sellers son who paints Ferraris for a living.

The badges and decals are perfect too, as are the front and rear bumpers, which run straight and true and whose black finish contrasts beautifully with the orange coachwork.

The rear spoiler is a wonderfully deep and dark black; no sun-faded grey here. A set of four ‘Ford RS’ mudflaps add a touch of rally-authenticity and protection in equal measure, while the quad headlamps sit inside a very well-finished nosecone assembly.

The alloy wheels, 13-inches in diameter and almost comically small by today’s standards, are finished in black and silver and fill the wheelarches well. They also give the Escort a suitably sporting stance, aided-and-abetted by the deep chin spoiler. 

Those wheels are fitted with a matching set of 205/60R13 Nankang Econex NA-1 tyres, which were made in 2020.

We will never get tired of telling you that experience shows that matching high-quality tyres are an infallible sign of a caring and mechanically sympathetic owner who is prepared to spend the appropriate amount in maintaining their car properly. 

The lamp lenses are all bright and free of cracks, while the glazing is not only immaculate but has been fitted with new rubber seals. 

Note too the period-authentic tax disc holder, rear screen sticker, and numberplates from Hooleys of Nottingham, which are a lovely touch.

All of which means we can’t see much left for the new owner to do; if concours is your game then some of the edges of some of the black paintwork could be tidied up just a smidgeon but no one other than a show judge is likely to notice that. 

The interior has been finished to the same high standard as the exterior – and the fact the history file includes a receipt from Aldridge Trimming for £1,554 hints that the seller took the same no-expense-spared approach.

Because he forked out for new front and rear seat covers, door and rear quarter panel trims, a parcel shelf, an underdash tray, and carpets for the cabin and boot.

As you’d expect, it looks like new in there – largely because so much of it is new.

The seat bases are good and firm, and having been fitted with new covers, even their edges are free of the usual wear. As perfectly aligned as the coachwork, their seams run arrow-straight and the covers lie flat and taut.

As you’d expect given the Escort’s pedigree, the front seats also provide a huge amount of lateral support and yet are every bit as comfortable as you’d hope.

The three-spoke RS steering wheel’s rim looks like new, and while the centre cap is just a tiny bit faded, you only really notice this because everything else is so good. 

The gearknob is excellent too, as are the gaiters that sit at the base of the gearlever and handbrake. Being so new the door cards, rear quarter panels, and carpets are all still beyond reproach.

The headlining is clean and free of damage. Largely taut too, with only a hint of wrinkling where it meets the B-pillars. 

The boot is nicely trimmed, and the luggage area contains a spare wheel that has been fitted with a Michelin tyre. Lifting the carpet out reveals a show-quality painted floor and the correct sound-deadening mat – but having got this far, that doesn’t come as a surprise, does it?

As for faults, while the twin-spindle Ford radio is period-correct and does light up, it doesn’t work. The seller looked into having it fitted with the guts of a modern DAB radio but decided he preferred to listen to the engine anyway. Still, it’s a thought, isn’t it?

Everything else works as it should. 

Cosmetically, the boot carpet and spare wheel cover have light stains on them, the steering column shroud has sprung apart slightly, and the nearside edge of the parcel shelf doesn’t lie flat, but that’s about all we can see for the new owner to do. 

The engine bay is finished every bit as well as the rest of the Escort; note the Motorcraft battery, for example, when everyone else would have used one from Halfords. 

And the new Ford-branded oil filler cap, the ‘RS’ exhaust manifold, the use of the correct ‘2000 HC’ decal and more including the ‘Ford Motor Company of Australia Ltd’ chassis plates, which have been refitted.

As the video shows, the two-litre engine fires into life with purpose, even from cold. It also ticks over with a rock-steady idle, snarls when provoked, and shows good oil pressure.

The seller tells us that “it absolutely flies!”, which we have no trouble believing; our photographer certainly came back in a very good mood. 

If we’re being ultra-picky – and a car like this encourages you to be so – there are a few mismatched bolts under the bonnet, most noticeably on the offside strut top. But that is being almost unreasonably persnickety.

The black cover that sits between the engine and bulkhead has also seen better days, even if it would be described as being in a good condition on a lesser car. 

The underside has been left in a painted finish, all the better to show off the same high-quality workmanship that’s evident throughout the rest of the car. It would be easy to describe it as being in showroom condition – but we suspect they didn’t look this good when they were new. 

The recent Vehicle History Check is clear, and the Escort comes with a V5 registration document in the seller’s name, letters from The Sporting Escort Owners’ Club and The Ford Motor Company of Australia Limited confirming the car’s provenance, a copy of an advert for the Australian version of the Ford Escort RS2000, and an invoice for the interior trim.

We’ve also uploaded 68 photos documenting the restoration, and we’d encourage you to look through them as the attention to detail is astonishing. 

The Escort doesn’t have a current MoT certificate, and while it is exempt by virtue of its age, we would strongly encourage the new owner to have it MoT’d at the earliest opportunity. The cost of an MoT is a small investment when offset against the purchase and upkeep of any classic vehicle, and it gives an independent, third-party assessment of the car’s condition, which not only provides reassurance to the owner (and any subsequent purchasers) but might also be invaluable in the event of a bump when negotiating with the police and any interested insurance companies… 

What can we say about this amazing Ford Escort RS2000 that you haven’t already muttered to yourself?

In better than new condition, the fact it was built in Australia to meet their legislative requirements and road conditions merely adds extra interest to what is already a staggeringly attractive example.

Which means it isn’t going to be cheap.

But, with an estimate of between £40,000 and £45,000, we think it offers very good value, not least because the market always places a premium on the very best cars of their type, so it might do very well for you in the long-term.

And in the short- and medium-term you will be able to enjoy one of the finest sporting saloons, sorry ‘sedans’, of its generation. 

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays between 10am - 12pm or 2pm - 4pm. To make a booking, please use the ‘Enquire About This Vehicle’ button on the listing. Feel free to ask any questions, or try our ‘Frequently Asked Questions’.