A 1976 Ford Escort MkII RS1800 has sold for a remarkable £276,848 at Historics Auctioneers’ Summer Serenade auction, held at Windsorview Lakes on 19 July – a world record for the model and one of the most significant prices ever achieved for a fast Ford in public sale. Offered with just 24,186 miles from new, and one family ownership since 1977, the Diamond White example was originally one of only five press cars retained by Ford Motor Company during the RS1800’s launch.
Before you start crying ‘How much for a mk2 Escort?!’, let’s first make it very clear that this is no ordinary mk2 – the RS1800 is rightly revered as one of the most successful and important rally cars of its era – and this was the homologation road car version. Introduced in 1975 and powered by the Cosworth-developed 1.8-litre BDA engine, the RS1800 delivered high-revving performance and extraordinary durability in the toughest of international rally conditions. In period, the RS1800 won dozens of WRC events and helped secure the 1981 World Rally Championship drivers’ title for Ari Vatanen – the first time the accolade had been won by a privateer entry.
The road-going RS1800 shared its essential mechanical configuration with its competition counterpart, combining the nimbleness of the tried and tested rear-wheel-drive chassis of the mkII Escort with the twin-cam, 16-valve Cosworth BDA. Just 109 genuine RS1800s were produced, making them rare to begin with – but this particular example, registration ONO 804P, is particularly special.
First registered to Ford on 19 May 1976, ONO 804P was used as one of five RS1800 press demonstrators before being sold on 8 March 1977 to a private buyer who would retain the car within his family until this year’s sale. Used for a number of years, the Escort was treated to an initial restoration in the late 1980s by Colin Beverley – a noted RS enthusiast – who sent the engine off to Holbay for a rebuild. This would ultimately sit on a pallet alongside the restored Escort for many years.
For over three decades the car remained off the road until a second round of restoration was undertaken to return it to roadworthy condition. Finished to a very high standard in its original Diamond White with black cloth trim, and showing only minimal mileage since the rebuild, the car was described by the vendor as ‘probably better than when it was new’.
Historics’ £160,000-185,000 estimate hinted at the car’s value and exceptional provenance, but the final hammer price actually set a new auction world record for the model well in excess of the pre-sale expectations.
To see further highlights from the auction, view the full results at historics.co.uk
