For decades, Ford Escort has proved its worth in the world of rally racing
When Ford launched its first-ever Escort, most people got confused because they failed to put the car in a genre. After all, the car had the aura of an American muscle, but it was mostly meant for rally racing. Over the years, the Escort proved its worth in rally racing and, therefore, the entire Escort/Escort RS series is hailed as the king of the rallying universe.
Since 1970, the American car manufacturer has given birth to several Escort models. In the following paragraphs, we have listed the models that we feel were the best.
Ford Escort RS1600
This is the model that first wore the RS badging and therefore, we simply cannot ignore the legendary RS1600. Launched in several bright colour schemes, the RS1600 from 1970 was equipped with a 1.6-litre unit that was tuned to churn out a peak power of 115bhp.
1973 Ford Escort RS2000
This Escort is our favourite of all time. The RS2000 was a beautifully designed saloon with two doors and a 2-litre, naturally aspirated engine sending all the power to the rear wheels. It had a power figure of 99bhp along with a torque figure of 146Nm mated to a four-speed gearbox. Weighed merely 914 kilograms, the car had a top speed of 177kmph.
Ford RS200
The Ford RS200 was a rally sports car made to take part in Group B of the World Rally Championship. However, the company also made a version to be sold in the commercial market. Equipped with a turbocharged 1.8-litre engine, the road-going version could generate 250hp of power. The rally-spec variant could be tuned to produce anywhere between 350-450hp.
Escort Mexico
One of the most beautiful Escorts from the Escort line-up, the Mexico, was produced by Ford between 1970 and 1974. Therefore, only a few Escort Mexicos were manufactured. The car drew power from an 1830cc, four-cylinder engine that had a peak power output of 140hp. It had a top speed of 159 kmph along with special features such as magnesium wheels and comfortable interiors, unlike the other Escort rally cars.
Ford Focus RS Mk3
What is a Focus doing in this article? In case you are wondering, in 1999, the Focus was launched to replace the Escort Cosworth RS. So, in a way, the Focus is an Escort. The RS Mk3 was launched in 2015 with a turbocharged, 2.3-litre, four-cylinder engine that made 350hp of power and 475Nm of torque.
