"The Ford Escort RS Turbo was based on the three-door Ford Escort saloon and was supplied in a Diamond White body colour only. The engine fitted to the RS Turbo was a 1600 CVH unit modified to suit the higher loads and the application of a turbocharger. Computerised fuel injection and engine management incorporating turbocharger boost control were also fitted. Aesthetically, the RS Turbo was given a distinctive sporty appearance with a body coloured front grille, bumpers and aerodynamic aids. On the tailgate, an XR3i spoiler (also body coloured) was fitted together with 'RS Turbo' decals. The interior was trimmed in a combination of Monza and Cashmere fabrics and XR3i-type Recaro LS bucket seats were fitted as standard. Production was limited to only 5,000 examples and many were modified in period for racing.
Finished in the well-known rally Diamond White with appropriate decals, this example of the 80’s poster fast Ford, the Series I RS Turbo was on the road and enthusiast owned right up until 2010 when the car was laid up and dry stored by its then owner. In 2019, the car was again discovered and has since been fully recommissioned and given a fresh lease of life just as prices for the Series I cars have begun to rise. Presented with a new MoT test certificate valid until May 2022 and with invoices dating back 30 years when Lex Ford in Maidenhead cared for this RS Turbo. The history file is very good, it shows previous owners, servicing, and sympathetic upgrades in the 37 years since this example was first registered in May 1985. Nothing sets the pulses racing like the working mans hero car with that whirring turbo coupled to the original CVH engine.
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