Retroford Magazine present the 2nd Show Car of the 1300E Owners Club at NEC2024

After the early 1973 pre-launch advertising film narrated by Patrick Allen, who appeared in voice on the 1984 smash hit single "Two Tribes", by Frankie Goes to Hollywood, they produced a remake video ahead of the series 2 launch to correct the mistakes made.

Patrick still enthused about the new head turner and included the individual features of a heated rear window, rubber boot mat and spot lights as before but when they went on to the mechanical highlights there was a subtle difference -  the 1300E shared the same 72bhp 1.3ltr cross-flow engine, as the Sport and GT models, connected to a 4.125:1 close ratio gearbox meant that the 1300E could reach 0 - 60 in just over 13 seconds. The top speed was a claimed 93mph. Had Ford been over enthusiastic themselves with an early 99mph top speed? Was it artistic license? or were they not able to manufacture a power plant that would reliably hit this speed? Afterall Ford UK had their problems in the 70’s as well as those on the international stage that would hit other models hard too.

Interestingly, brochures up to February 1974 still quoted a top speed of 99mph on the 1300 GT which the 1300E was based. A mystery lost in time perhaps.

According to the Ford Escort 1300E Owners Club they had made other mistakes too as 1300E’s were built at the Halewood plant and only a few very early ones (pre-October 1973) were finished off at AVO Aveley, Essex.

Fords dream executive saloon was still  going strong into 1974 and Pattrick Allen’s final statement for the 1300E of “luxurious, comfortable, roomy, fun to drive and value for money” whilst encouraging you to “make sure you backed this certain winner” continued to sell cars.

Series one Escort 1300e’s we made from March 1973 to the end of Sept 1973. Cars after this date are referred to as Series Two and were fully built at Fords Halewood plant.  Around 11,000 were built in total and production finally ended on the 16th December 1974. From the original 3 colours of purple velvet, amber gold and venetian gold, the 1300E was eventually available in 14 body colours, according to the Ford brochure.

Retroford Magazine presents The Ford Escort 1300E Owners Clubs second display car RWC890M an early series 2, 2 door 1300E, built in February 1974, and registered on the 14th May 1974, by Ford Dealership Doe Motors Ltd of Essex.

The car is affectionately known as “Wilf” and its original purchase price was £1230.00. If the car was bought today for the same price but accounting for inflation etc it would cost £16,065.23. What would it fetch though if it went to auction?

The car is officially on paper a 7 owner car, but due to disabled taxation class changes, the first 3 owners were effectively the same person, and it was with that family for the first 27 years of its life. The car was then purchased by Miss R Dalby of Bedford via Affordable Classics, she had it featured in the SEOC MK1 register magazine, and it was subsequently used as her wedding car, she treated the car to a re-spray in 2004, keeping the car till April 2010, when she sold it to Mr. C English, who kept the car for 12 years, selling it to Mr. P Maycock of Bedford in March 2022 in a fairly stripped down condition.

Harry purchased the car in October 2023, in stunning Miami Blue with rare Marquis blue beta cloth interior.

During 2014, the car was taken to pieces for what looked like a sympathetic restoration and in doing so losing many vital parts. The car was not put back together until Harry purchased it in 2023 and he had the painstaking task of sourcing the missing parts. It finally spluttered back into life in June 2024.

The car is still a low mileage example, at a genuine 40,000 miles, with an extensive paperwork history, including the original cheque that was used to pay for the car!

The car was at this year’s AVO National day, and Harry is proud to be at NEC 2024 for this car’s 50th Birthday.

Retroford Magazine loves this cars colour combination and would like everyone to see this everyman’s executive saloon on stand 8-070.