BUYING: RS Turbo

It’s not the bargain it once was, but for a bona fide slice of turbocharged ’80s fast Ford, you won’t go wrong with a Series 1. Here’s why.

What you need to know if you’re in search of a Series 1 Escort.

With the RS1600i having already convinced many RS fans that a front-drive Rallye Sport Escort was no bad thing, Ford presented even more evidence with the December 1984 launch of the RS Turbo.

While it didn’t steer from the rear like its predecessors, what it lacked in tail-happiness it made up for in sheer outright pace. The first European production Ford to feature a turbocharger, plus a Viscous Coupling limited slip differential to help put its power down, it was the fastest Escort ever.

As with its cooking counterparts, the RS Turbo was powered by the CVH motor. In 1598cc form, it was literally boosted to 132 bhp with the addition of a Garrett T3 turbocharger, running at a warranty-friendly 0.5 bar. The XR3i’s K-Jetronic fuel injection was revised to suit and christened KE-Jetronic. The mechanical upgrades saw the RS Turbo accelerate from 0-60 mph in 8.3 seconds and hit a top speed of 125 mph.

It’s GTi-killing acceleration was aided by a 4.27:1 final drive, while the B5 five-speed transmission was strengthened via a stiffer casing and stronger teeth.

The suspension was also unique to the Series 1, with such enhancements as an adjustable tie-bar arrangement and a 12 mm rear anti-roll bar. The budget obviously didn’t stretch to upgrading the brakes though, the new Escort having to make do with the XR3i’s stoppers.

The RS Turbo looked the part too. Available only in striking Diamond White, it featured a Marley Tiles-produced bodykit, colour-coded Orion grille and XR3i rear spoiler, and 6x15 inch seven-spoke alloys. Inside, there were Monza Recaros, although the steering wheel was simply that of the XR3i and if you wanted a sunroof, electric windows and central locking, you had to pay £470 for the Custom Pack.

Priced at £9250, the RS Turbo literally scorched out of showrooms with over 5500 sold in the UK in just over a year. It’s arguably even more desirable today, but while some Series 1s have sold for as much as £50,000, you can still get a tidy, usable one for under a third of that. Granted, that’s still not cheap but if you want a bona fide, tidy RS Escort that’s the right side of £15,000, then the Series 1 could well be the, erm, white choice.

“THE SERIES 1 WAS THE FIRST EUROPEAN PRODUCTION FORD TO FEATURE A TURBOCHARGER”

“AVAILABLE ONLY IN STRIKING DIAMOND WHITE, IT FEATURED A BODYKIT, XR3i REAR SPOILER, AND SEVEN SPOKE ALLOYS”

“THE RS TURBO LITERALLY SCORCHED OUT OF SHOWROOMS WITH OVER 5500 SOLD IN THE UK IN JUST OVER A YEAR”