The 12 Greatest Works Escorts
16th April 2020
Race or rally, Ford was always king throughout the Escort’s reign — here are the 12 Greatest Works Escorts!
XOO 349F
Alan Mann Racing Twin Cam
Year: 1968
Engine: 215 bhp FVA engine in 1968, 185 bhp Lotus twin-cam in 1969
Major successes: Outright winner, 1968 British Saloon Car Championship, plus three outright race wins in the 1969 Championship
FEV 1H
‘Mexico special’ World Cup Rally winner
Year: 1970
Engine: 140 bhp 1.85-litre Crossflow
Major successes: Rallied only once, winning the 16,000-mile London-Mexico rally outright, driven by Hannu Mikkola and Gunnar Palm
RWC 455K
Safari RS1600
Year: 1972
Engine: 200 bhp 1.8-litre BDA
Major succeses: Rallied only once, winning the 1972 East African Safari rally, driven by Hannu Mikkola and Gunnar Palm
LVX 942J
Esso Blue RS1600
Year: 1972
Engine: 200 bhp 1.8-litre BDA, 240 bhp alloy 2-litre version from late 1972
Major successes: Won the 1972 RAC rally. Started 15 events in 1972/1973, winning four Internationals and eight National events
LAR 801P
RS1800
Year: 1976
Engine: 240 bhp 2-litre BDG
Major successes: Timo Makinen drove it to win the 1975 RAC Rally, then Ari Vatanen won the 1976 RAC Rally Championship
POO 504R
RS1800
Year: 1976
Engine: 240 bhp 2-litre BDG
Major successes: Boreham’s legendary jinx car of 1976/1977, became a regular winner for Hannu Mikkola in 1978/1979, including winning Portugal in 1979
POO 505R
Cossack RS1800
Year: 1976
Engine: 240 bhp 2-litre BDG
Major successes: Roger Clark’s favourite Escort, which won the 1976 RAC rally. Started 10 Internationals, winning three of them
STW 201R
RS1800
Year: 1976
Engine: 240 bhp 2-litre BDG
Major successes: A brand new car for the 1977 Safari, Bjorn Waldegard won the event outright, and it was then retired as a show car
EUW 938V
RS1800 Vatanen/Rothmans car
Year: 1980
Engine: 240 bhp 2-litre BDG
Major successes: The hardest-working of all the Rothmans cars. New in 1980, it tackled 11 events in two years, winning twice, finishing nine times
K832 HHJ
RS Cosworth
Year: 1993
Engine: 360 bhp 2-litre Mountune YB
Major successes: New for the 1993 Tour de Corse, where it was driven to victory by Francois Delecour. Never again used in an event, it became a 360 bhp test car
L730 ONO
RS Cosworth
Year: 1994
Engine: 320 bhp 2-litre Mountune YB
Major successes: New for the 1994 Monte Carlo rally, where Francois Delecour drove it to victory. Ford’s first Monte win since 1953
P8 FMC
Escort WRC
Year: 1997
Engine: 330 bhp 2-litre Mountune YB
Major successes: Built by M-Sport for 1997, it gave Carlos Sainz victory in the 1997 Acropolis, and was used five times in that year
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