Ford Escort Mk. I Two-Door Saloon, 1968
Ford Escort I
Ford Escort I•
•36 مشاهدة
Chassis No.: BBATHK77297
Engine No.: 711M6015AA
Registration: TBC
The Mk. I Ford Escort was introduced in the UK at the end of 1967, making its show debut at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1968 and replacing the successful long running Ford Anglia. It was presented in continental Europe as a product of Ford's European operation. Escort production commenced at Halewood in England during the closing months of 1967 and for lefthand drive markets during September 1968, at the Ford plant in Genk. Initially the continental Escorts differed slightly from the UK built ones under the skin.
The front suspension and steering gear were differently configured and the brakes were fitted with dual hydraulic circuits; the wheels fitted on the Genk-built Escorts also had wider rims. The Escort was a commercial success in several parts of western Europe but nowhere more than in the UK where the national best seller of the 1960s, BMC's Austin/Morris 1100 was beginning to show its age while Ford's own Cortina had grown, both in dimensions and in price, beyond the market niche at which it had originally been pitched.
In June 1974, six years into the car's UK introduction, Ford announced the completion of the two millionth Ford Escort, a milestone hitherto unmatched by any Ford model outside the US. It was also stated that 60% of the two million Escorts had been built in Britain.
This very early lefthand drive Ford Escort two-door saloon was subject to a restoration within the last fifteen years; at that time the vendor believes the engine was uprated to 1300GT specification and the front seats were replaced with Ford bucket seats. Finished in red with black interior, this completely rust free Escort has recently been imported from Finland and is supplied with the Finnish registration document, a UK MoT test certificate which expires in February 2017 and the car has been registered as being in the UK with NOVA. Very early Escorts are hugely sought after and collectable amongst classic car enthusiasts; many of whom fondly remember the iconic vehicle as the first car of their youth.
