HERITAGE: Fiesta XR2
Stunning Mk1 that’s still showroom fresh.
Pepperpot alloys, fade-out sidestripes and a pair of grille-mounted spotlights. Boxy and brutish, any first-generation Fiesta XR2 knows how to make a mark. This example — a 1982 car with 47,000 miles and flawless Diamond White paint — goes even further: all-but entirely original, it’s a time capsule of a go-fast decade. No wonder Mick and Allan Lewis, father-and-son concours competitors, itched to buy it. “We’d heard about it for a while,” says Allan, “but it wasn’t advertised for sale and the owner didn’t want to sell.” The pair wouldn’t take no for an answer. It took months of persuasion but the XR2 is now their own.
Both Ford lovers have been here before. Mick owned a silver, 1983 XR2 when it was barely two years old and Allan, then aged 10, quickly fell in love. “We had fond memories of that Fiesta,” he smiles, “so I ended up with a white one of my own when I was 16.” He’d keep the car until he was 19, selling only to trade up to the hot hatchback’s Mk2 replacement. “I wish I’d kept my Mk1 though,” he muses, “it was my first car and I’ve always regretted letting it go.”
Allan was behind the wheel as they drove the XR2 home. “I had a smile from ear to ear,” he remembers, “then I put my foot down in third gear and thought ‘What’s going on here?’” More used to his Ultimate Green Mk2 Focus RS, the Ford fan was experiencing a culture shock — and he didn’t want to change a second. “I thought my shoulder was popping of its socket at the first corner but it’s a lot better than the one I had decades ago. Even the gearbox still feels tight: this Fiesta could be a new car.”
The benefits of a three-owner history don’t end there. The bodywork, engine, driveline, suspension, brakes, wheel and tyres are all original, as is the entire interior. Looking at the taut and spotless bench, Allan also maintains that the rear seats have never been occupied. A bulging paperwork file only adds to the Fiesta’s
allure: every single MoT certificate remains with the car, while the original bill of sale gives an insight into the first keeper’s priorities. Sold new in Margate, the XR2 was delivered without tinted windows, sunroof or an FM radio but with a bargain £5295 price tag.
Minor imperfection
No project is ever perfect but it takes Allan’s direction to find even a minor flaw in this ’80s diamond. Zone in on the passenger rear wheelarch, focus hard enough and a small scuff is just about visible. “It’s just one wee bit and it’s driving me insane,” he laughs. Father and son would never consider changing it for a replacement part though: the XR2’s originality is all-important. Instead, the pair are working with their sponsor, Scottish detailing specialists Angelwax. “John, their chemist, is creating something that will soften the plastic just enough that it can be smoothed out,” Allan explains.
It won’t be the only custom potion to grace the bright white Fiesta. John is in continual conversation with the Lewis family and develops custom products to work with the car’s cellulose paintwork. “It’s fantastic. I’ll explain what isn’t quite how we’d want it, then a week later we’ll have something produced and ready for the XR2,” Allan smiles. The reward for their labours is clear: the all-original paintwork pops, thanks to the time Allan and Mick have spent clay barring, polishing and sealing the bodywork. Initial preparation alone
“WE’VE TRIED NOT TO REPLACE ANYTHING —THE CAR’S HISTORY WOULD SLIP AWAY”
took five weeks, the pair even employing toothbrushes to catch every speck of dirt.
By focusing on the details, Allan and Mick have also sharpened the Fiesta’s engine bay. The motor, air cleaner and even the Waxoyl remain original but the smaller detail parts have benefited from close attention. Every nut and bolt has been examined, Mick removing rusty items to shotblast and nickel plate them before refitting the original Ford parts to the car. “We wouldn’t want to rip them out,” says Allan, “then the history would start to slip away.”
One change has even moved the Fiesta a step closer to factory condition. Having noticed that the jubilee clips were both rusty and nonoriginal, Allan embarked on a national search for genuine Ford replacements. The hunt received help from the owners’ friends in the classic Ford scene and lead them to London, Glasgow and a crash repair centre that happened to have a Fiesta. The damaged Mk1 was a prolific help: every one of its clips have since been fitted to the XR2.
Preserved and pristine, this Ford always turn heads. “We went to the Scottish Car Show last year and the public were obsessed,” Allan grins, “even the traffic police were gobsmacked! One officer told us they remembered chasing young kids in them and didn’t think there were any left…” The XR2 has won 19 trophies from 17 shows to date, with appearances at Waxstock and the NEC Classic Motor Show planned for 2019.
Far more than the plaudits, Allan and Mick value the XR2 for the shared experiences it provides. Lewis senior bought the Fiesta in response to his son’s health scare and never plans to let it go. “It’s brought us a lot closer together,” says Allan, “and I could never tell Dad how much it means to me. It’s made our bond even stronger; it’s incredible.” When you’re maintaining perfection, two heads are better than one.