A fast Ford steal

Why our markets expert reckons that this special edition XR3i was a bit of a bargain for its new owner

Oh yes there is! Forget all the hype over serious money for any performance blue oval because patience can unearth something like this. OK, it’s not an RS, but XRs warrant just as much attention and aren’t as expensive to buy. Classic Car Auctions did well bagging this ‘All White’ limited edition XR3i and its £7000-9000 estimate wasn’t wide of the mark. One of 150 examples that came loaded with many extras, including an RS bodykit and white RS wheels, the ‘All White’ also featured a white leather interior. It certainly wasn’t a car for the shy and retiring. It certainly was. It had covered 40,000 miles from new and the vendor had aimed to keep it as original as possible – a welcome move when it could so easily have been modified. All too many Escorts of this era have been lost to the tinworm but this one had clearly been well looked-after. There was no sign of rust – the door bottoms, wheelarches and bonnet were just about factory-fresh. The paint was equally good and it was very smart under the bonnet.

The cabin counted for a lot on this example.

The All White’s unique interior was as good as the exterior. There were no signs of wear or neglect and the carpets, door cards and dashboard were in just as good a condition, meaning that there was no danger of the new owner having to chase round looking for hard-to-find replacement trim. It most definitely was. A true fast Ford – but with the added kudos of being a limited edition – with low mileage and being very well presented added up to a great offering. Going for two grand below the lower estimate made this a very well bought modern classic.