1980 Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000 Custom - 31,857 Miles

It was back in 1970 that Ford introduced their Rallye Sport models, the RS range. Originally conceived as a means of building limited numbers of homologation specials for competition use, the badge soon became synonymous with performance, style and desirability. By 1976, when the Escort RS2000 Mk2 was launched, the term 'RS' had come to signify something genuinely special within Ford’s line-up.

Unlike the Mk1, which was designed solely by Ford of Great Britain, the Mk2 Escort was a more sophisticated collaboration with Ford of Germany. Based on the two-door saloon shell, the RS2000 employed the proven 2.0-litre, inline four-cylinder SOHC Pinto engine mounted longitudinally to drive the rear wheels. It was equipped with a twin-venturi Weber 32/36 DGAV carburettor, producing around 110bhp, and featured independent MacPherson strut front suspension, leaf-sprung rear axle with telescopic dampers, front disc brakes and rear drums. The RS2000’s signature 'droop snoot' polyurethane nose housing quad headlamps gave the car its unmistakably aggressive appearance, while a 0–60mph time of under nine seconds and a top speed approaching 110mph ensured it went as well as it looked.

In late 1978, Ford introduced the desirable Custom Pack option, adding Fishnet Recaro seats, full door cards, a clock and pod centre console, 6J x 13-inch alloy wheels, boot carpet, remote driver’s mirror and a black-painted rear light panel. These extras transformed the RS2000 into a far more refined and attractive proposition, marking the most highly specified version of the model before production ceased in 1980.

First registered on 1st August 1980, among the very last off the line, this particular RS2000 Custom is finished in its original Venetian Red with the correct brown Custom Pack interior, and is correctly recorded as a 'Custom' on both its V5C and HPI record. Well known to the RS Owners Club, displaying just 31,857 miles from new, the car underwent a fastidious, enthusiast-led home restoration between 2000 and 2004 by the previous owner, Mark Irving. The work was meticulously documented with hundreds of photographs and accompanying video footage still viewable today on YouTube. The result was a truly exceptional example, restored with an attention to detail and authenticity rarely seen outside of professional facilities.

The comprehensive history file reflects the car’s quality and provenance, containing old V5s, DVLA correspondence, letters from the original owner confirming its originality prior to restoration, a selection of old MOT certificates and tax discs supporting the low mileage, and a substantial number of invoices for parts and labour.

Purchased by our esteemed collector in 2010 as one of the very best RS2000 Customs available, it has since formed part of his outstanding private collection of Fast Fords and low-mileage icons, maintained in a temperature-controlled environment alongside similarly significant examples.

Presented today in superb condition throughout, this beautifully restored, correctly specified and well-documented RS2000 Custom represents one of the finest surviving examples of Ford’s late Mk2 performance flagship, a final-year car that encapsulates the appeal and enduring legacy of the Escort RS name.