Ford had, for a number of years, used active participation in motorsport as a means of getting their showroom doors swinging on a Monday morning, and the new Escort (introduced in January 1968) was to prove no exception.

Popular at Club level in every discipline of the sport, it was at an International level that the name Escort became synonymous with winning.

The Ford Works team was practically unbeatable in the late 1960s/early 1970s, and arguably, the Escort's greatest victory was in the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally being driven by Finnish legend Hannu Mikkola.

This result and the ensuing acclaim prompted Ford to produce the famous Escort Mexico (1.6-litre Kent-engine) road version in honour of the rally car.
Definitely a step-up from the Mexico, the Escort RS1600 was developed using an engine that was essentially a FVA Formula 2 unit, designated BDA (Belt Drive A-Series), that produced 115bhp and 112lb/ft of torque and allowed the RS1600 to accelerate from 0-60mph in 8....