Full Description
SORRY NOW SOLD – SIMILAR WANTED
A first month production AVO National Day winning Mk1 Ford Escort RS2000.
EQUIPMENT
Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) Type 49 heavy duty body, front quarter bumpers, strengthened chassis rails, strengthened flitch plates, reinforced front suspension strut top mounting plates, rear radius rods, safety glass, anti-burst locks, black painted aluminium grille, quartz iodine headlamps, six pod sports binnacle, leather rimmed sports steering wheel, heater fan, two speed wipers, courtesy light, washable plastic headlining, push-round ashtray, steering lock, cigarette lighter, hazard warning flashers. RS Accessories; RS wiper aero-foil, centre console, clock, Ford push-button radio, headrests, Rallye Sport alloy wheels. Aftermarket Accessories; Tracker
EXTERIOR
This remarkable proven winning RS2000 still has the same competition developed Type 49 heavy duty 2-door body that it left the Advanced Vehicle Operations factory in October 1973. Amazingly original, an album of photos taken during a painstaking rebuild by RS renowned, CWC Restorations on behalf of a fanatical enthusiast, prove all panels are factory fitted except two front wings. Finished in Diamond White, (Code B), with Blue decals the paintwork is still virtually flawless despite have been repainted in 2009 and correct to how the car left the factory. Such is the standard of this car that on its first outing to AVO National Day in June 2010 it was awarded 1st Place and continued to enjoy the limelight to the present day. Original factory fitted items like the 7” diameter round sealed beam Cibe IODE H4 headlights, Ford Triplex glass, Ford FoMoCo rear lights and reversing lamps and even period Wingard door mirrors and RS wiper aerofoil remain fitted. The underside is show exhibiting quality and factory standard splendour. Being a very first RHD example it still has the angled rear dampers connected to a black mounting beam rather than upright rear shocks poking through the boot floor, a change made after just one month in production and very few British RS2000’s have this layout. Truly astonishing in all respects.
INTERIOR
Body hugging, reclining and luxurious RS seats still trimmed in the original Black fabric, (Code A1), are immaculate in appearance and along with the rest of the interior, spotless. Fully equipped with an immaculate dash and centre console, all sports instrumentation function including the correct 130mph and 7000rpm speedometer and tachometer. The Ford push button radio is disconnected and the Kienzle clock is operational. The boot area is factory specification with even the plastic hinge cover, albeit missing two clips, and speaker cover remaining fitted! An as new Ford jack is present in correct fawn colour bag.
ENGINE & TRANSMISSION
A matching numbers example that has been cherished throughout the decades with the 2.0 Ford ‘Pinto’ unit performing faultlessly. With a quoted 100bhp, a top speed of 110mph and 0-60mph in 9 seconds is despatched with a bark through the expensive custom made stainless steel exhaust mimicking the original item. A refresh of the immaculate engine bay was undertaken in 2014 after a period style battery leaked now replaced with a modern item. Short snappy gear changes are provided by the factory standard Ford Type-E 4-speed gearbox which is an absolute delight to use.
WHEELS, TYRES & BRAKES
The pristine and optional Rallye Sport alloy wheels measuring 5.5×13 inch are all correctly date stamped with genuine RS centre caps. 165 HR13 Dunlop SP Aquajet tyres are fitted to all four corners with an unused spare correctly slanted in the boot held with a rubber strap and ‘I stop quick on Dunlop Grip’ period sticker. The direct acting vacuum servo assisted dual-line braking system works effectively.
HISTORY FILE
Rallye Sport Escorts including the Mexico, RS1600 and RS2000 were built at Fords Advanced Vehicle Operations factory in Aveley, all practically handbuilt. This stunning example was built in the first month of RHD production in October 1973 and was one of the initial cars to leave the assembly plant with unique features. A total of just 3,759 AVO RS2000’s were built for the RHD market and this example is registered with the AVO Club and well known in the RS Owners Club. The Agreed Valuation produced by the AVO Owners Club concludes ‘cars like this are rarely found. It is original to the last detail’ is a testament to the cars exacting standards. Proven on the show circuit with prestigious wins at AVO National Day and Castle Coombe there is little doubt this is one of the finest examples. A complete history file includes early documentation tracing every owner, original handbooks and a photo album of the meticulous works carried out by Charlie Chisholm at CWC Restorations. Two files with old MOT certificates, previous registration documents and numerous invoices track the cars history. A front page cover star and eight page feature in Retro Ford Magazine Sept 2013 boldly asks, ‘Is this the UK’s finest concours Escort?’ A rare opportunity to buy one of the finest examples for the next discerning Blue Oval Collector.
HPI Clear.