Introduced in 1970 to celebrate Ford’s success in the London to Mexico World Cup Rally, the Escort Mexico quickly became one of the most desirable performance Fords of the period, renowned for its simplicity, balance and motorsport pedigree Acquired by its long term owner in 1975 and used regularly before being parked up around 1981, it then spent several years outdoors before being garaged from the mid 1980s.

Recently reviewed by Jonny and Russell Lord for The Late Brake Show, its originality and restoration potential were discussed in detail Retaining its original, largely intact interior, the car displays an impressive level of authenticity after more than four decades in storage Fitted with the correct 1.6-litre Kent crossflow engine and 4-speed manual gearbox, the car has not run for many years and will require a complete restoration.

The engine does still turn freely, and a pair of period Corbeau bucket seats used for local rallies in the late 1970s are included but not curren...