Ford Escort RS Turbo

Ford announced its all-new Mk III in 1980, the new car being the first Escort model to feature front wheel drive and a transverse mounted engine. Ford had by now mastered the marketing art of offering a whole range of engine and trim options, from base models to Ghia and sporting derivatives.

A "hot-hatch" version, the XR3, was available from the start and was followed by a much "hotter" limited edition version in 1983, the RS1600i. The RS1600i only lasted in production for the 1983 season, for 1984 Ford launched the new Escort RS Turbo.

The RS Turbo used a combination of a tuned 1.6 litre Escort engine and then added a Garrett Turbo. This package worked very well in the Escort and produced a healthy 132bhp, making it one of fastest Escorts.

To start with the RS Turbo came only in colour-coded White paintwork, in 1986 the whole Escort range received a facelift with the RS Turbo gaining alternative paint colours and ABS brakes. The RS Turbo was very successful for Ford, becoming a favourite with tuners and remained in production until 1990.

A contributor to Motorbase advises the following:

Not all the series I rs turbos were white they also factory produced 7 red lightnings and 3 black lightnings,one of the red ones being owned from new by the late HRH Princess Diana. Most of the cars were custom models (elec pack/tinted windows etc.) strangely the rarer non-custom models are now worth considerably more than the custom models.These cars DID come with the option of ABS you didn't have to wait for the series II, but it was a mechanical ABS system and they rarely improve braking performance, I don't think there are any surviving examples. Regardless of it's charming looks you should be aware that this is actually a poor car, totally inferior in almost every way to the series II which itself isn't a great car.  Neither model did any real rallying and on the road a standard car simply isn't fast enough; not even able to beat an XR2 to 60mph and gets thrashed by todays modern clio 172's etc. because they were working class cars most have spent all of their 24 years in the british weather and although made of quality German steel all will have now rusted substantially.

If you are serious about buying one of these old, slow rustbuckets I would advise finding an import.  Malta is the best place to find cars like this...right-hand drive and rust-free due to the climate.  Sinking £3000-£12000 in one of these cars is madness, sure they look good but that's it, buy a special edition print from ford, frame it and then go out and buy a proper car.  For the minimum of £7000 (for a good one) you can have an '07 subaru WRX with 10,000 miles. "Chip it up" to 300 bhp and you will have a 4 wheel drive rally car that does 0-60 in 4.9 secs a top speed well in excess of an Escort/sierra cosworth and absoloute reliability.  I know the WRX doesn't look great but it's a marvel of engineering...a proper car.