1974 Ford Escort RS2000

We know this car because the vendor bought it at one of our auctions five years ago. 

Back then, it was a superbly fettled and sorted, built-to-the-hilt, track-ready car with plenty of authenticated history and a wad of invoices, bills and receipts from all the right names in the worlds of fast-Fords and motorsport engineering.

And it still is.

The car has been kept warm dry and properly looked-after by the vendor, who is well-known to us and has an excellent collection of fine and interesting classics.

The car was purchased by ADR Racing in 1997 as a rolling shell from well-known Ford competition aficionado and amateur rally driver Ian Harwood, whose eponymous firm finally pulled own the shutters on its Ellesmere Port operation in 2004, by which time it had earned a reputation as a destination one-stop-shop for all things fast-Ford. 

A sizeable number of the UK’s enthusiasts and AVO (Ford’s Advanced Vehicle Operations skunkworks) owners can trace their parts/cars back to Ian Harwood, who often sold off discarded Ford competition cars. 

It is ADR Racing, and their founder Richard Peyer, we must thank for building this car so well in the first place. 

Their skill in doing so was reflected in the car’s successes over many years in the BRSCC Ford Saloons Class B Championship.

This car has the correct ‘BFAT’ prefixed chassis plate and 20-stamped engine. 

Decrypting the chassis plate numbers reveals that the chassis belonged to the 187th Escort built in March 1973 at Ford’s Aveley plant and was first registered on 21st March ’74. 

The large ‘20’ stamped on the engine block further tells us that the correct RS2000-spec engine remains present. 

The other physical clue to the car’s authenticity – other than its badging and rear window vents – is the word ‘Olympic’ printed on its chassis plate, which refers to the car’s splendid shade of Ford Olympic Blue 886, one of just 7 paint colours available for the RS2000.

As far as we’re aware, the car’s last competitive adventure was at a BARC race at Snetterton in 2019. 

Either way, it’s clearly been maintained exceptionally well and, when last auctioned by us, had recently been brought back to its full former glory by competition specialist SGS Services.

Thankfully, the car’s Olympic Blue finish and matching deep blue stripe remain and look superb, as you might expect of a car that had just been resprayed in 2021 and has barely covered any miles since.  

Prior to that respray, the car had all and any hard-earned scars, dinks, dents or other blemishes ironed out and removed. 

Which is why, today, it really doesn’t look like a car that spent 20 years aggressively competing for podium places at Snetterton, Donnington, Castle Combe and the like.

Obviously, there are other clues to the car’s racing pedigree. 

Wide Minilite alloy wheels fill those flared arches and are shod in Toyo Proxes R888s – a default tyre for racing drivers who want and need their car to grip the tarmac like an angry gecko. 

The gold paint on the wheels goes a long way to creating the car’s undeniably striking aesthetic.

The front end has the competition look, with a drilled front panel that allows air to flow over the engine oil cooler. 

There are also tow straps front and back for when the race has ended a little earlier than planned, plus the mandatory high-vis rear LED ‘rain light’ fitted to the underside of the rear bumper. 

While we’re on the bumpers, the fit isn’t perfect on the front ¼ chrome items, either they or the front indicators are slightly wonky. A minor imperfection that’s no more significant than the small patch of overspray at the bottom of the rear screen seal on the offside.

The chrome-work throughout is very decent, save for the odd spot of foxing on the rear bumper.

As expected, opening the door reveals the sort of totally-stripped cabin you would hope and expect to find in a vehicle that’s been built to post quick lap and stage times.

There’s exposed steel everywhere with chequer-plate foot panels protecting the floors. 

The cabin is very workmanlike and spartan with the usual factory clocks replaced by readouts for important stuff like battery volts, coolant temperature and oil pressure. 

There are also large ‘idiot’ lights for oil pressure, ignition and battery charge – the kind you can still read while upside down, under water, or being shaken about like a lone sock in a tumble dryer. 

The conventional speedo and rev counter can be found in the middle of the dash. 

Other purposeful driving paraphernalia include a handsome and weighty Momo metal gear knob, a roll cage, Cobra Monaco seats, Motamec harnesses, and a high-grip steering wheel. 

The alloy sheet forming the centre console contains the mandated competition safety stuff – master battery cut-off, fire extinguisher with Lifeline Power Pack and system tester box. 

There’s also an additional bank of toggle switches for all the lights and electric fans, etc.

We understand that this Escort has been setup for tarmac and the ride height and reported stiffness would certainly back that up. 

Top-end Bilstein suspension has been fitted, with a pair of coilovers on the front axle and some shock inserts on the rear. Top mounts look solid (rather than bushed), which would also explain its lack of give in the ride department. 

As is common, the threads on the coilovers are showing some surface corrosion. 

There are plenty of other bushes under here – on the anti-roll bars and steering rack for example – all of which appear near new and of an upgraded nature. 

Releasing the bonnet pins and lifting off the lightened bonnet (inner cross supports chopped) you’re met with the somewhat unexpected sight of a surprisingly tidy engine bay. 

Again, there’s no mistaking the nature and intended purpose of the beast. 

Not with the upgraded silicone top rad and radiator overflow hoses, twin throttle cables, fuel accumulator/swirl pot and braided steel fuel hoses that feed those massive twin carburettors. 

There’s also an adjustable front upper strut brace, tied into the suspension turrets, taking some flex out of the shell. 

We know that the engine has been upgraded as we have a rolling-road printout. We think the horsepower figure will still be about 150 at the wheels. More than enough to provide some very lively performance in such a light car. 

Having a good look underneath we did spot a few tell-tale scars from racing; there’s a battered bit of floor and another dent in a chassis leg, but nothing excessive. 

The rust protection seems to have been topped up when the car was resprayed 5 or so years ago. There’s evidence of old repairs and plates welded in here – plus what appears to be largely just some surface rust – but it all looks pretty solid and sturdy to us. 

This Ford has had a rather large 25 former keepers, but that’s not unheard of for a car that’s spent a long time in competition. Many love the idea of racing but either run out of funds or talent or both within a season or two. 

Of course, there’s always the allure of more competitive cars and series, which means a car often gets sold on faster than if it were solely a road car (this Escort is road legal by the way, or would be if it had an MoT certificate). 

Either way, it’s abundantly evident that the car’s most recent owners have ploughed a good deal of time and money into its upkeep and condition. 

There are numerous invoices and receipts for work carried out from around 2018 onwards, largely through SGS Services of Suffolk. 

That work included, but was not limited to, the following.

New head gasket, clutch cable, water pump, timing belt, steering wheel, fuel hose, gauges and assorted clips and cables – a total of £1,735.

A further £1,232 was spent at SGS on a new battery, hi-torque starter, wheels and hydraulic fittings in March 2018. 

By the end of August 2018, this Escort had been brought back to rude, race-ready health by SGS for a total of £4,763. 

Looking further back in the history we have in our possession (which begins in the late 1990s) there are loads of invoices from some of the biggest names in fast-Ford and motorsport circles including; Burton Power, Demon Tweeks, Quaife, Titan, Serck, Rally Design, JBM Motorsport and Autoquip.

There’s also an invoice for the car’s shell, minus engine and transmission, from Ian Harwood Ltd in 1997. 

The vehicle comes with a recent, clear, HPI report, a V5C and a selection of invoices, bills and receipts attesting to money spent on it over the years.

This is a single-minded, purpose-built, track-focussed machine, so you’ll look in vain for cup holders, picnic tables or a vanity mirror.

Of course, if you wanted to jump in and drive to the Le Mans Classic, you could. 

But you’d almost certainly crawl out on your hands and knees, begging for the services of a chiropractor…or a priest.

If, however, your heart is set on clipping a few apexes, bouncing gently off a few trees in a forest, or just blasting along some twisty B roads somewhere mountainous, you’ll struggle to find a car better equipped for those pleasures than this.

On the other hand, you could of course commit yourself to the task of turning it into a perfectly useable, well-mannered, day-to-day Mk.1 Ford Escort.

Your car, your money, your choice.

Either way, you’ll be getting a properly engineered and very well looked-after car with an impressive track pedigree.

We’re confident to offer this fine car for auction with an estimate of £35,000 - £40,000.

Viewing is strongly encouraged, and this lot is located at THE MARKET HQ in South Oxfordshire. Viewings are STRICTLY BY APPOINTMENT and we are open weekdays (apart from Bank Holidays) 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’.