Before you buy
Ford’s Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) cars are highly sought-after, and over the years plenty of replicas have been created, either reshells of original cars or complete fakes. Distinguishing features include strut-top reinforcements, factory flared arches, radius arms atop the rear axle and black headlining, but there are many smaller distinguishing details known only to the top experts.
It’s definitely worth joining the AVO or RS owners’ clubs and talking with their gurus before buying an RS 1600, Twin Cam, Mexico or RS 2000, because there’s a big price differential between an original and a recreation. The latter may be every bit as fun to drive and a lot less worry, provided you pay the right price.
At the top of the tree is the 16-valve, twin-cam Cosworth Bda-engined RS 1600: only 947 were built, even fewer than the Twin Cam (1263). An RS 1600 without the BDA engine, the Mexico (9382 built) was the perfect club rally car and few stayed standard – although you could buy one without the stripes – and the RS 2000 (4324 built) continued the theme.
Standard models have their own charm and are still hugely practical to own. Very early cars had a one-piece propshaft, replaced with a split prop in mid-1968 to reduce harshness at speed, closely followed by the front anti-roll bar – the firmer springs needed without it set a poor compromise. Specifications continued to improve and the 1300E was a great blend of GT performance with luxury trim.
“I’ve owned this Mexico for 32 years. It competed in the Motoring News Championship in 1971”