IDENTITY
Rising prices mean real potential to find a fake XR2 – possibly created from a basic Fiesta and dodgy logbook, or even built 20- odd years ago when a popular target for light-fingered scum.
A reshelled XR2 is substantially less valuable than the genuine item, so keep your eyes open. Make sure the chassis numbers match between log book, VIN plate in the engine bay, and floor beside the driver’s seat ( under a flap in the carpet). Evidence of a ground- off or plated- over chassis number should ring alarm bells, as will signs of a registration number being polished off the windows.
XR2s were built on Ford’s Valencia production line alongside lesser models, and the bodyshell sadly lacks many distinct differences. An easy telltale is a spare wheel well that’s big enough to take a 6x13in wheel and tyre, complete with a bulge in the offside boot floor behind the back seat.
If you’re viewing an especially early car, bear in mind all A-registration XR2s had fewer slots in the windscreen scuttle panel than later Mk2 Fiestas, along with minor differences in the plastic bodykit and rear spoiler.
Finally, check the date stamps on the wheels – an authentic machine should have rims that tally with the car’s build date.