Description Early carburettor model; restored at a cost of over £10k about 17 years ago, including rebuilt engine, and only 300 miles since; a super example of this classic Eighties hot hatch at a very tempting guide price The MkIII generation of Ford’s already legendary Escort was in production from 1980 to 1986 and featured novelties such as front-wheel drive and a newly-fashionable hatchback body.

To compete head-on with VW’s all-conquering Golf GTi, a hot XR3 version was available which signalled its sporty prowess with a distinctive whale-tail spoiler and cloverleaf alloy wheels.

Featuring a tuned version of the 1.6-litre CVH engine fitted with a twin-choke Weber carburettor, uprated suspension and numerous cosmetic alterations, it instantly caught the public’s imagination and became a cult car with boy racers of the Eighties.

With 96bhp on tap the XR3 could sprint to 60 in 9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 113mph which made it every bit as fast as the Golf GTi even with 1...