1971 | Ford Escort RS 1600

With little over 1000 ever made, rarely do we see a genuine Ford RS1600. This example is special in so many ways and is a car we are delighted to welcome back having previously supplied it. Powered by the legendary 1.6 litre BDA engine developed by Cosworth and found in a multitude of motorsport applications, the rare RS1600 models were built at Ford Advanced Vehicle Operations and paved the way for other iconic Ford Escort RS models. The Ford Escort RS1600 was the car that started the RS phenomenon and born as result of Fords success on the International Rally scene. This remarkably interesting car is a well-documented, low mileage example that comes with an unrepeatable history.

Between 1972 and 1974 the Escort was used for Motoring News Road rally events. The Escort was colour changed from Maize to White during its early life and then competed in many events with some success, and even a winner. Owner Peter Lancaster rallied the RS and competed in the Mardlebury Rally, Arlington Straight Rally, Alnite Rally, Uniflo Brent Vale Rally, Unifo Mad Hatter Rally, Unifo Rally of Breckland, Britvic Rally, Karebrand Cloverleaf Rally, Burmah Trophy Rally, Noreaster Rally and Pheonix Rally. With the comprehensive history we have original photos (even the tiny proofs from the motorsport photographers) from some of the events, entry lists and results lists, the sets of rally regulations and all the rally door/boot plates. When the car's owner passed away in 1978, the car had covered just over 50,000 miles and it was then left dry stored in a garage and discovered in 2002 when sold by the early owner's mother - the car effectively in the same family for over 30 years.




In 2002 the RS1600 was purchased from Peter Lancaster's mother by the then, current MKI Escort Registrar. He then spent three years lovingly restoring the Escort using genuine Ford parts. The work was documented through photographs and the history file contains pictures of the original Maize painted floor pans. The car was stripped down to a bare shell and was painted inside, outside and underneath to an incredibly high standard. The underside is genuinely as attractive as the top. The RS was treated to various new rubbers and trims, a pre-cautionary engine rebuild was carried out and the rest of the mechanicals re-commissioned and overhauled as required. Burton Performance Ltd carried out an engine performance analysis and recorded excellent compressions. The RS BDA engine is date stamped 28th September 1970, and according to the AVO register this would fit with a mid-1971 registered RS1600 as the engines were built by outside contractors resulting in longer lead times compared with normal production engines which were churned out by the hundreds each day at Dagenham. The restoration was featured in the Rallye News Magazine and three editions cover the full story of the car history adding further provenance. The Registrar fully documented all the information given to him by Peter Lancaster's mother which makes for interesting reading. The car has been inspected by the current AVO Owners Club registrar who has de-coded the VIN plate and confirms all entries are correct in accordance with the original Ford Rallye Sport Dealership parts book - a letter is in the history file to confirm this.




From 2006 to 2016 this rare Fast Ford sat in a renowned collection and in 2018 sold to one of our customers in Scotland who enjoyed some touring with the car, and some events in Scotland. We took the RS1600 in part exchange in a deal with a Porsche 930 Turbo and since then have supplied the RS to two long term customers of ours. The RS1600 has covered around 2500 miles since completion of the restoration and is mechanically in exceptional condition. OTW 594K presents superbly with a fantastic bodyshell with body colour underside, lovely trim, detailed engine bay and boot compartment. This is a true collector's piece, and without doubt one of the most exceptional available worldwide with the added provenance of low mileage, long term family ownership and information from the cars restorer who was a prominent figure in RS1600 circles.