1975 | Ford Escort 1600

This is an incredibly rare car and when we supplied it to its last owner, one of our long term regular customers, it was the first Ford Escort 1600 Sport we had ever sold. Not only is this a highly desirable, scarce UK Home Market car, it is also an incredibly rare four door version that was made for just one year in 1975. JRL 162P has been fully restored to an exceptional standard and comes with a comprehensive history file that includes the original bill of sale, original brochure, spare keys, copies of all former logbooks and various handbooks and original document wallet.Ford Dealership Truro Garages Limited supplied the Ford Escort in Daytona Yellow on the 1st August 1975 to its first owner in St Ives, Cornwall. The Escort Sport was sold new for £1,757.37 and after taxes and registration plates cost £2,101.48 with the first owner part exchanging his Ford Cortina GXL.
The St Ives based owner kept the Escort for 39 years, selling in 2014 to its second owner who was based in Falmouth in Cornwall. In 2016 the Escort changed hands for the second time, now heading to Suffolk where the car was subject of a major restoration with invoices and photos on record. The Escort was sold to a Garage owner who stripped the Escort down and carried out a sympathetic restoration on what was a very original, correct car, taking it to a show quality level example.
The body was completely restored with rust removed, new panels and new metal, then the shell was prepared and painted in its original colour and built up with various new trims and rubbers. The engine was stripped down, the block re-bored and pistons, conrods, crankshaft and clutch all balanced. The flywheel had a new ring gear, conrods had new bolts fitted and a new uprated oil pump was fitted. A new Kent GT camshaft plus followers was fitted, the engine re-assembled with new main and big end bearings and, new timing chain, new core plugs and the cylinder head rebuilt and converted to unleaded. The carburettor was stripped and overhauled, the distributor overhauled and mechanically fully re-commissioned and put through an MOT. After the program of work, the Escort headed back to Cornwall and was registered in Newquay prior to coming into the hands of one of our regular customers in Sussex. This is how we came to know the car, and soon after its arrival we sold it to one of our South Yorkshire based customers.
JRL 162P has covered little over 1,500 miles since completion of the rebuild in 2017 and we serviced the Escort in July 2021 carrying out an engine oil change. The car presents superbly, is factory correct with a stunning finish and the interior has an original feel as that of a true time warp. The engine bay is ready to win prizes, so this is an ideal collectors piece and potential show winner. The Ford Escort MKII 1600 Sport is fabulous to drive, its clear no expense has been spared on this immaculate, pristine example. This is an incredibly rare car that also comes with the provenance of one owner for 39 years, present original bill of sale and of course the stunning condition throughout.