1 Ford Escort RS1800

Vote: 24.2%

The front-engined, rear-wheeldrive rallying icon took a while to find its ultimate iteration. The Mk1 came to life in late 1967 but the Mk2 RS1800 was when it really hit its stride on the stages. The car was initially fitted with a two-litre BDG powerplant, but the upgrade to an aluminium Cosworthdeveloped engine breathed new life into the Escort’s story. The RS1800 took 20 victories in the World Rally Championship over a seven-year stretch from 1975 until 1981 with Bjorn Waldegard, Hannu Mikkola and Ari Vatanen all proving adept at taming the beast.

The Mk2’s storyline in the World Rally Championship only properly came to an end as Group B was emerging and manufacturers moved away from its production-based machines. But it is the memory of a sideways Escort through the forests – something that is a regular sight even today – that is something that has captured the hearts of our readers.