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Classic Motor Show 2022

06 Oct 2024

Retroford Magazine Present Old Skool Fords’ 4th Display Car at NEC 2024

OldSkoolFord Stand: 8-090
Retroford Magazine Present Old Skool Fords’ 4th Display Car at NEC 2024

Ford Escort Mexico “Who says there’s no room for the individual?” Ford once again producing another brochure and strap line for their cars. This time it was a sportier Escort Mk1. Sticking with the Jason King “playboy spy” style theme of long hair, droopy mustache, smart suit with flares and Cuban heels it wanted to remain suave and sophisticated even if the owners were not always like that – well it was the 70’s.

At the launch of the Escort Mk1, Ford only produced a 1300GT performance version, with a tuned crossflow (OHV) engine, Weber carburetor and uprated suspension. On the interior it featured additional instrumentation with a tachometer, battery charge indicator, and oil pressure gauge. Another variation, the Escort Sport was sold too with flared front wings from the AVO range of cars but a poorer interior.

From early on Ford were keen to compete in Group 2 international rallying and they even had desires on world domination. Fords’ flagship car was the Escort Twin Cam, released in January 1968, based around a stronger version bodyshell known as the Type 49 and other strengthening and suspension upgrades.

Early victories boosted Fords plans and the Twin Cam was soon replaced with the RS1600 – essentially the same car but with the stronger, more powerful Cosworth BDA (Belt Drive A Series) engine.

The Ford works team was practically unbeatable in the late 60s and early 70s. In the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally, an RS1600 driven by Finland's Hannu Mikkola and Swedish co-driver Gunnar Palm was seen as perhaps the Escort's greatest win not to mention the eight back-to-back RAC Rally victories too.

In honour of this rally car win, the Escort Mexico (1598 cc crossflow-engined) special-edition road versions were born. Introduced in November 1970, 10,352 Mexico Mk 1’s were built using bodyshells with additional strengthening panels in high stress areas, making them more suitable for competition.

The ‘Mexico”, was the everyman version of the high-maintenance RS1600. The Escort Mexico using a much simpler 1601cc version of the crossflow ‘Kent’ engine along with being easier to maintain and tune by the would be rally home mechanic of the time. You even had a mouthwatering and wallet emptying wealth of aftermarket tuning parts, along with official Ford Rallye Sport components, suitable for the Mexico. But even in standard form, the Mexico was just fun to drive.

The RS 1600 was a film star as well, which was used by Ford on a promotional video narrated once again by Pattrick Allen mentioning its win in the brutal Rome to Athens Rally. It featured a scene of the RS1600 racing on ice and snow in “On Her Majesty's Secret Service” with George Lazenby as 007. The advert by Ford using a scene from the film and a family donning crash helmets and getting into a standard 4 door Escort with Patrick Allen saying “Let your family in on the sporting life” – Cheesy yes, but it was the 70’s.

So where does the name plate 1600 GT sit in the plethora of great Escorts? This has been debated on many forums with many answers including stripe placement, year of build, country of build or sale. One for you the reader to go and research.

OldSkoolFords fourth display car, on stand 8-090 at the NEC Classic Car Show 2024, though may give you some inspiration as its Sean’s 1971 original and unrestored genuine Mk1 Escort Mexico.

AUT 73K was built at the AVO plant in Aveley, Essex in September 1971. The Ford Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) factory was a high-performance car production that operated from 1970 to 1975.

It was ordered by its original owner from Ford main dealer Clark Cars of Narborough, on 30th September 1971, and registered the next day on the 1st October 1971, with an original purchase cost of £1,150.44.

The car was purchased by Sean in March 2022, and is an absolute joy to drive, it is unrestored and retains its original paintwork and all its blemishes plus original features of an early Mexico to prove its authenticity, such as slotted steels, battery in boot, no Mexico boot badge and many others. The car is in regular use and can be seen at many shows throughout the year.

Retroford Magazine can see this car being a major magnet for all fast retro Ford devotees at NEC 2024.

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