The RS (Rallye Sport) identity has been an important part of Ford's sporting image for a long time. Over the years, the Rallye Sport name has been applied to 19 spectacular road car models, which often proved their point by winning in races, rallies, in rallycross - and in the marketplace. The 'RS' badge has never been applied lightly, for each and every model and derivative has offered outstanding performance, roadholding, vehicle safety and value for money. RS-badged Fords have always shared a proud sporting tradition and have been built in many different forms. The Ford Escort RS 2000 was a huge success both in competition format and as the 'executive express' of its time.

The RS2000 on offer today was built in 1979 and has had 6 former keepers from new, the last since 1988. Finished in black with black interior, this genuine Custom was restored over a 4-year period and was rebuilt to largely original specification. The shell was completely stripped, rebuilt to factory specification and required no welding as the car had been Ziebart treated at the factory. The suspension and brakes were all fully restored and the drive train had the following completed: New cam belt fitted, new water pump, new exhaust system including manifold, new rocker cover gasket, full carb rebuild, valve clearances adjusted, timing and fuel mixture optimised, rebuilt type 9 five-speed gearbox fitted and all oils replaced. The fishnet seats were stripped and re-trimmed in the correct Beta cloth and all original carpets were removed, cleaned and re-fitted.

The results are very impressive and the car looks as good today as it did in 1979. Following the restoration, this highly sorted RS was featured as part of Pistonheads' 'PH Heros' by Dale Lomas in March 2015, and he certainly enjoyed his time with DPR 155T.

"There's a temptation to offer a direct comparison to an E30 M3 or maybe a first-generation MX-5. But even those two differing examples of simple RWD fun can't quite match the wobbly hilarities and irresponsible sense of danger pedalling the Escort hard down a country lane... This particular example isn't just rust-free and shiny, it's also had more than its original purchase price spent on servicing in the last year alone."

Supplied with a photographic record of the rebuild, V5C and fresh MoT, this is one of the nicest RS2000s we have seen for quite some time. Though not 100% original, it has been rebuilt with driving in mind and the driving experience is better for it. We encourage all prospective bidders to contact the office for further information or to arrange a pre-sale inspection.

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