1997 Ford Escort WRC - ex-Sainz/Moya - Chassis #4

Few names in international rallying command the same reverence as Ford, Sainz, Kankkunen and Escort. In 1997, the World Rally Championship entered a new era with the introduction of the World Rally Car formula, replacing the long standing 'Group A' category. The new rules allowed greater technical freedom and marked a significant departure from the more production-based homologation models of the previous decade. It also marked a turning point for Ford, who for the first time did not run the Works cars themselves from the Boreham-based Ford Motorsport. Instead, the running and later the engineering of the cars was handed over to former Ford Works driver, Malcolm Wilson's M-Sport organisation.

This car, originally constructed in 1996 by Ford Motorsport at Boreham, was one of the earliest factory Escort WRCs and competed under chassis #4. In 1998, following M-Sport’s takeover of the Works Ford development programme, it was upgraded to their latest chassis and roll cage specification, as confirmed by Gordon Vincent of RV Fabrications (formerly ACS Ltd), who personally carried out the modifications in period. From that point, the car appeared in period records as chassis 4A. However, Vincent has verified that the car retained the same physical shell throughout, bearing shell number MS97WR00001/R01/04/1/97.

P6 FMC made its debut at the 1997 Monte Carlo Rally in the hands of Carlos Sainz and Luis Moya, who drove it to second place overall. Throughout that season, it contested multiple rounds of the World Rally Championship, including the Swedish Rally, Rally Portugal, Rallye de France–Tour de Corse and the Acropolis Rally, with a driver line up that also included Juha Kankkunen, Armin Schwarz and Jarmo Kytölehto. Highlights included multiple WRC podium finishes and a third place result on Rally Finland in the hands of Kytölehto.

After two years as a Works-entered car, the Escort was campaigned by Ford Turkey during the 1999 and 2000 seasons, competing in Turkish and Greek rallies before being sold to David Robinson, who rallied it in the UK until 2015. A regular invitee to Goodwood (making its debut there in 1997 and appearing countless times over the following three decades), the current owner has used the car sparingly for British events since then, including notable appearances at the Goodwood Festival of Speed and SpeedWeek, where it has been driven by both Stig Blomqvist and Juha Kankkunen.

Mechanically, the car benefits from a comprehensive and costly engine rebuild carried out in 2020 using all correct specification parts. It has covered very few miles since, with just two appearances at Goodwood accounting for the current mileage. The Escort remains in unrestricted specification and is described as 'on the button' and ready for competition.

Now eligible for historic rallying and wearing its original factory livery, this Escort offers an exceptionally competitive platform within pre-2000 WRC events. It is complete with a substantial competition history file including period results, verification of shell identity, engine build details and documentation confirming its factory provenance.

This is a rare opportunity to acquire a genuine works Ford Escort WRC with direct links to Sainz, Kankkunen, Blomqvist and the golden era of World Rallying. It remains one of the most significant early examples of the WRC formula and is ideal for collectors, historic competitors or marque specialists seeking an iconic and usable piece of rallying history.