Escort Mk1

Ford Escort, a small family car was manufactured by the Ford Motor Company between 1967 and 2003. The first generation Escort, known as Mk 1 was launched in 1967. It had conventional rear wheel drive and a four-speed manual gearbox. It came with rack-and-pinion steering and a simple leaf spring suspension system. It had a subtle Detroit-inspired "Coke Bottle" waistline and a "dogbone" shaped front grille. Initially Escort featured only petrol engines in 1.1 L and 1.3 L editions. There was a 1300GT performance version available, which featured a tuned 1.3L Kent (ohv) engine sporting a Weber carburettor and uprated suspension. The Escort Twin Cam, which featured a 1.6L engine with a Lotus made 8-valve twin camshaft head, was a high performance car meant for rallying and racing.

The Mk 1 Escort has been the most successful rally car of all times. Ford also made a high performance RS1600 variant, which used the 'Kent' 1.6 L engine with a 16-valve Cosworth cylinder head. This engine was essentially a detuned Formula 3 engine and was designated BDA for Belt Drive series A. Mk 1 Escorts are still popular in the amateur rally scene. The BDA engine would make a distinctive growling sound which could be heard from a distance when the vehicle was driven fast and rough. Ford also produced the RS2000 variant, touted as a more civilised version of the RS1600, which featured a 2.0 L 'Pinto' (ohc) engine.