101-mile Escort for sale
Norwegian left-hooker RS1600i time-warp up for grabs in London auction
An untouched 1983 Ford Escort RS1600i with 164 kilometres on the odometer that has been unearthed from a private collection in Norway is now for sale.
The Escort, which has never been registered in the UK, is expected to fetch £30,000-40,000 at Bonhams’ London Olympia sale on 6 December.
The left-hooker belongs to a prominent fast Ford collector in Norway, who feels that the time has come to move it on. It comes with the original purchase invoice, original certificate of conformity, Norwegian registration papers and an RS1600i workshop manual.
A spokesperson for the auction house says: ‘We are delighted to be offering the RS1600i. The vendor has owned the car for many years and is looking forward to passing it on to a new owner.
‘Given the importance and vast development of the Ford RS1600i in the Ford RS Rally Sport range, we are confident that this car will attract a high level of interest.’
The Escort XR3 provided the basis for the fuel-injected RS1600i, which was one of the first designs developed by Ford’s newly instigated Special Vehicle Engineering department. Compared with the XR3i, the RS1600i had a raised compression ratio and faster camshaft, solid tappets, a larger exhaust system and twin-coil ignition. The five-speed transmission had lower overall gearing for improved acceleration and the suspension was also uprated for better handling/ride.
The Norwegian fast Ford fan is also selling a 1986 Ford RS200 at Bonhams’ 2 December sale.