FORD ESCORT XR3i
PROJECT £2000-4000 // USABLE £4000-6000 // GOOD £6000-15,000 // EXCELLENT £15,000+ // PRICE WHEN NEW £6520 (1983)
Time has definitely been kind to the XR3i – it’s as goodlooking as ever.’
Ford’s move to front-wheel drive for the Escort in 1980 created a dilemma when it came to replacing the RS2000 and 1600 Sport. Key to the appeal of those cars were their honesty and simplicity. Would a fast MkIII be enough?
Ford threw everything it had at Uwe Bahnsen’s smart hatchback to create this sporting Escort. It was given a huge (for the time) spoiler for the tailgate and matching air dam and wheel spats, plus a smart set of alloys inspired by the Porsche 928’s. Inside, there were red pinstripes for the sports seats, giving it real showroom appeal. The suspension was lowered and stiffened – and boy, did it look good for it.
The development budget seemingly ran out when it came to the engine. The original XR3 was given the mildest tune-up for its carburetted 1.6-litre CVH engine. Maximum power was up from 79bhp to 96, which wasn’t quite good enough to compete with the Golf GTI’s 110bhp. Reviews were mixed; the XR3 was praised for its good looks and planted handling, but condemned for its unrefined and gutless engine (compared with the Golf) and poor ride quality. Did buyers care? No. Within weeks of its launch the XR3 was the biggest-selling hot hatch of them all.
Selling like hotcakes, the Special Vehicle Engineering division was tasked with developing the XR into the product it always should have been, the fuelinjected 105bhp XR3i, which debuted in 1982. Now on the pace, with uprated suspension and bigger rear brakes, the XR3i was far more warmly greeted by the road testers, and it remained a best seller via its 1986 facelift and to the end of its production in 1990.
The XR3’s transition to classic status followed hard on the heels of the RS boom of the 2000s and 2010s, and now they’re considered up there with the best of the Rallye Sport cars but without the stratospheric prices. Are they any good today? Well, time has definitely been kind to the XR3i – it’s as good looking as ever. On the road the sharp steering and terrific handling make this a bundle of fun to take out for an early morning blast. The gearchange isn’t as sharp as any rear-wheel drive Escort, but none of the hot hatches here are particularly blessed in that department.
What about the performance? The XR3i feels quick off the mark, and the on-paper figures are competitive with the Golf. But the delivery isn’t quite there. Long-ish gearing means you don’t need to extend the CVH engine as much as you might in, say, the 205 GTi. That’s a good thing, as it has all the refinement of a cement mixer... albeit a fast one.
Does it matter that much? Not in a world where forays into the red line are reserved for boy racers, not classic car owners. Change up at 4000rpm, and enjoy a perfectly acceptable drive.
There’s an active social scene and plenty of club support. Parts availablity is good on the mechanical side – less so when it comes to trim and fittings. Buy a tidy one without mods, although that does comes at a major premium.