Description
This lot will be auctioned via Iconic Auctioneers, The Iconic Sale at Race Retro 2025 - Collectors' Cars on Saturday the 22nd of February, Stoneleigh Park, Stoneleigh Rd, Coventry, CV8 2LG. With their Escort doing so well in the rallying world, it made sense that Ford would try and sell developed versions beyond the usual homologation specials. The job of creating more widely produced fast Escorts was left to Ford's new Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) based in Essex.
The RS1600 of 1970 was quite a focused car that demanded specialist maintenance and attention, however, the following Mexico and RS2000 were far more suited to the 'man in the street'. In June 1973, the Mexico was supplanted by the RS2000 which fitted nicely into the AVO line-up, with its performance almost comparable to the complex RS1600, but with the same reliability and ease of maintenance as the Mexico and importantly, utilised the same Type-49 body shell as the Mexico. It was the first Escort to be powered by the overhead-cam 4-pot, as Ford decided that their 2-litre Pinto engine was to be used in the new model, however, they were faced with the problem of persuading the bulky Pinto engine to fit into the engine bay. The only way of achieving this was to discard the engine-driven cooling fan and replace it with a thermostatically controlled Kenlowe unit and, when finally nestled in place, the Pinto engine produced 100bhp (2bhp more than in the Cortina). The RS2000 once again proved to be a quick and enjoyable car to drive, whilst being more accessible to buy and still offering customers a great choice in terms of colours and options.
Built at Fords Advanced Vehicle Operations factory in Aveley in the summer of 1974 this very special RS200 is a genuine AVO car built for the right-hand drive market and is registered with the AVO Club as a genuine factory Black example (Code Y). We’re informed that the club is only aware of a handful of genuine black cars still in existence and this example has fully traceable history from the date of first registration up to recent times under its eight former keepers.
Such is the condition and provenance of this rare RS2000 that it is has been magazine featured twice, with a six-page spread in Retro Ford in 2013. Previous invoices make fascinating reading, detailing the care invested over the years, including the restoration that took place in 2009 and work with companies such as CWC Restorations for general upkeep and servicing. There is simply too much to list here so we encourage all interested parties to come study the car and the history at the Race Retro event.
In summary, this is a special and rare car that will reward any inspection. With the best Mk1 RS examples now commanding £100, 000-plus, this is a real opportunity to own some of that early Fast Ford magic at an attractive guide price. Rallying in the early 1970s was defined by the Escort Mk1 and if you were a Blue Oval fan, the Porsche Turbo or Lamborghini Countach poster on the bedroom wall would have been rolled up, popped under the bed, and replaced with one of a Diamond White or Olympic Blue Ford Escort Mk1 RS2000.
