FORD ESCORT 2.0 LITRE
LIKE THE MK 1 ESKIES, THE HANDLING OF THE MK 11 FLATTERED DRIVERS' SKILLS AND THE MK II'S 2.0-LITRE GRUNT WAS THE CHERRY ON TOP
In Britain, the only way to enjoy the grunt of a 2.0-litre engine in a Mark 2 Escort was to pay handsomely for one of the sloped-nose RS2000s. In Australia from 1977, even the base-model GL and delivery van were available with the 70kW ‘Pinto’ engine that took Escorts into 160km/h territory. The reason was new emission control measures that overnight had slashed power from Ford’s 1.6-litre engine by 14kW. The overhead-cam, 2.0-litre Cortina motor offered an instant source of extra performance while still meeting the emissions target.
New to the range was a sports-oriented Rallye Pack that included the 2.0-litre engine, bright colours and extra gear that aimed it squarely at younger buyers. Topping the local range was the popular Ghia with its fake timber dash trim, velour seats, armrests, a clock and additional sound insulation. Airconditioning was an option and alloy wheels became standard in 1979.
Two years after announcing its 70kW Escort enhancement, Ford Australia launched a local version of the ‘boy racer’ RS2000. UK cars had alloy wheels but we got steel and Scheel buckets in place of the Brit version’s Recaro front seats. What Australia did get and Britain didn’t was the world’s only regular-production four-door RS2000.
Vans with the more powerful engine were popular with private and commercial buyers and there was a Sundowner version with sporty trim and distinctive graphics.
In addition to decent performance, Mark 2 Escorts offer outstanding chassis balance and durability. So competent is the design that cars with super-powerful BDA twin-cam engines still
contest international rally events against modern all-wheel drive models.
RS2000 engine output was unchanged at 70kW and it used a short-shift gear-lever for more precise changes. Extra weight saw the RS shaded in acceleration by the two-door GL but the slipperier shape helped it reach 172km/h which was 7km/h more than the slab-nosed GL.
Automatics use Ford’s C3 transmission which saps more than its share of power. Full-throttle upchanges are jerky and the gearing encourages overtaking drivers to ensure they have considerably more road than is needed in a manual
Local Mark 2 survivors seem predominantly to be RS2000s and – perhaps unexpectedly – panel vans. You can occasionally find decent Ghias at slightly less than the cost of an RS but Rallye Pack versions very rare.