More fast-road Fords

It wasn’t just the XR2 that Ford got so right out of the box — here are three more go-faster Blue Ovals from the classic era.

Scorpio 24v

Filling the time gap between the Sierra Cosworth 4x4 and the first Escort RS Cosworth was this very different Cossie. The reason for its existence was Ford of Germany, who wanted to get a piece of BMW’s action. The standard Scorpio, with 150 bhp, couldn’t cut it, but with a quad-cam, four valves per cylinder conversion of the 2.9-litre Cologne V6, Ford changed all that. Cosworth not only did the design job, but built all the road car’s engines too, in Wellingborough. The combination of the engine, the automatic transmission, the power assisted steering, the ABS brakes and the plush interior made for an awesome and understated executive express. As did the effortless high performance, especially as no-one else seemed to realise what was passing them — only the wider wheels, and a tiny ‘24v’ badge gave the game away.

Mk2 Capri S or Ghia

For a combination of understated performance, style and practicality, you can’t beat the Mk2 3-litre of the mid-1970s. A GT or S would be fine, but we reckon the Ghia is the better bet. Unless you knew, or cared, which ones had the vinyl roof, and which alloy wheels belonged where, it was often difficult to pick one out. With a top speed of nearly 120 mph, Ford’s down-there servicing costs, simple running gear, enough space for a growing family and all the top-of-the-range toys, it was a great business car that you could also use for fun at weekends. 3-litres are very easy to drive fast without effort (that torque curve, once again) and you’re not likely to get hot and bothered after a long drive. Many of them had power steering (which was standard on the Ghia from 1975), and they handled as well as any other classic Ford of the period.

Mk2 Lotus Cortina

Often overlooked in favour of the iconic Mk1, the Mk2 was better built (Ford built the Mk2, whereas Lotus put the Mk1 together), it also rode better, it had more space, and it was a whole lot more reliable. They had a comfortable interior, lots of equipment and toys — and by the standards of the day they went like hell. Mk2s could reach 104 mph, and 0-60 mph in 11 seconds, which was quicker than any other Ford until the Escort Twin Cam arrived in 1968. Maybe the Mk1 was slightly faster (it was a whole lot lighter, and not nearly as solidly screwed together), but you could never be sure of getting to the end of a long journey in one of those without calling the breakdown services.