INTERIOR

Being basic and poorly equipped falls in the XR2’s favour, with little to worry about. Unlike other Fords of the era, the dashboard isn’t prone to cracking, and it’s shared with other high-level Mk2s. Similarly, the rear parcel shelf is a common component – so if you find one sagging or chopped-around with speaker holes, you should be able to source a replacement without too much effort.

The same can’t be said of the seats or door cards, which were unique to the XR2 and don’t wear especially well. A car with top-condition trim is well worth paying for.

Early XR2s were equipped with charcoal- coloured Rainbow cloth cabins, while pale grey/blue Shadow Monaco was used from autumn 1986. Seat bolsters are prone to sagging, frames can fail, and the material tends to tear. The very earliest XR2s also wore different front seats from later-1984 machines, with map pockets and unusual headrests. Try finding those on eBay…

The two-spoke steering wheel changed from grey to black in autumn 1986, and the centre console lost its cassette storage and electric tailgate release at the same time.