This 1976 Ford Escort RS 1800 made history last weekend.
At Historics Auctioneers’ Summer Serenade sale at Windsorview Lakes in Berkshire on Saturday 19 July, applause filled the room as the hammer came down at £278,848 for this classic car – around 100 times its price when new, 49 years ago.
This figure sets a new world record for the Mk2 RS 1800 and, according to auction-data aggregator Glenmarch, anything within this car’s £160-185,000 pre-sale estimate would have been enough to establish a new benchmark.
It unseated a 1975 Ford Escort RS 1800 rally car campaigned by Björn Waldegård, Roger Clark, Ari Vatanen and Pentti Airikkala, that achieved £85,500 with Bonhams at the 2015 Goodwood Members’ Meeting.
Although it is some way short of the £730,000 paid for another Ford Escort, the 1985 RS Turbo first owned by Diana, Princess of Wales, at Silverstone Auctions’ The Classic sale on 27 August 2022.
The Ford Escort’s black-cloth interior looks immaculate
What makes this classic Ford so special?
Other than being one of around 109 Mk2 RS 1800s produced, almost all of which were finished in Diamond White, as seen here, this example was one of five press cars.
