RICHARD BARNETT

This week I’ve reviewed SWVA’s great fifirst-of-the-year sale and previewed both Silverstone’s visits to Stoneleigh and DVCA’s 2016 opener. SWVA was on to a winner with its lovely Cosworth Sierra that made £45,360. However, and perhaps it was a less-noticed however, was the third lot, a non-running (failed transmission) 1990 Ford Escort XR3i convertible that was sensibly in at no-reserve (pictured below). I’m sure a good few punters thought they’d be taking this dark blue, slightly scruffy drop-top for around 500 or so quid. But no – it was bid up to a frankly astonishing £1728 – and that would be before getting it home, sorting the gearbox and attending to any other work. Looks like the days of cheap 1990s performance Fords have just about gone – doesn’t it?