FORD ESCORT MKIII
1980 90
Sometimes it’s easy to forget just how much of an impact the Escort MKIII made when it was launched. Its smart hatchback styling and well-designed interior were a million miles away from the MKII it replaced. They were miles apart technically, too, with the new car – known internally as Project Erica – taking shape from 1976 as Ford’s riposte to the Volkswagen Golf.
The MKII – codename Brenda – was a facelift of the original 1968 Escort – a conventionally engineered rear-wheel drive saloon powered by a range of Kent and Pinto engines, which had powered to the position of Britain’s second bestselling car (behind the Cortina) thanks to its huge model range, low running costs and slick driving experience. As such, the MKIII would have a very tough gig ahead of it.
The MKIII was a very dierent beast. It wore a smart set of clothes, penned by Uwe Bahnsen’s Ford of Europe design team based in Germany, and rather like the Granada MKII, it was angular, sharp and looked very much a product of the early 1980s. It was underpinned by a development of the Fiesta’s platform and powered by a selection of the Fiesta’s Valencia engines alongside the all-new, British-built CVH overhead-cam power unit.
Had any other manufacturer launched the Escort MKIII in September 1980, it would have been seen as a conventional competitor in the family hatchback market, but because it was Ford and the car would need to maintain the huge sales of its predecessor, the rm played it safe. Reecting many UK buyers’ mistrust of frontwheel drive cars and their perceived complexity and high running costs, Ford marketed its new car under the tagline, ‘Simple Is Ecient’.
Once the testers got hold of the Halewoodbuilt Escort, it soon became apparent that it had everything the family car-buyers needed, being roomy, practical, and economical. There were some issues with the earliest examples’ ride quality but the rm worked quickly to x this weakness – and it was eective in giving punters what they wanted. The three- and ve-door hatchbacks were joined by a three-door estate and, later, ve-door estate and Cabriolet versions, followed by the Orion four-door saloon. Let’s not also forget the XR3, XR3I, RS 1600i and RS Turbo models – it seemed that there really was an Escort MKIII for everyone.
Ford’s hard work paid o from 1982 and the Escort took over from the Cortina as Britain’s best-selling car. It remained in that position moreor-less consistently through the 1986 facelift (to become the MKIV) and to the line’s replacement in 1990. That is what success looks like, and all its rivals were seeking to emulate it.