Ford Escort generations
The European Escort ran to six generations over 34 years, from the rear-drive Mk1 to the Mk6 that bowed out in 2000. Here's how they compare.
| Generation | Built | Layout | Engines |
|---|---|---|---|
| Escort Mk1 | 1968–1974 | Rear-wheel drive | 1.1 & 1.3 Kent OHV; 1.6 Kent crossflow (Mexico); 1.6 Lotus-Ford Twin Cam; 1.6 Cosworth BDA (RS1600); 2.0 Pinto (RS2000) |
| Escort Mk2 | 1975–1980 | Rear-wheel drive | 1.1, 1.3 & 1.6 Kent; 1.6 & 2.0 Pinto; 1.8 Cosworth BDA (RS1800) |
| Escort Mk3 | 1980–1986 | Front-wheel drive | 1.1 Valencia OHV; 1.3 & 1.6 CVH; 1.6 diesel; 1.6 CVH turbo |
| Escort Mk4 | 1986–1990 | Front-wheel drive | 1.1 & 1.3 OHV; 1.3, 1.4 & 1.6 CVH (incl. lean-burn); 1.6 EFi; 1.6 CVH turbo; 1.6/1.8 diesel |
| Escort Mk5 | 1990–1995 | Front-wheel drive; 4x4 on RS2000 4x4 and RS Cosworth | 1.3 HCS; 1.4 & 1.6 CVH; 1.6 & 1.8 Zetec 16v; 2.0 DOHC 16v (RS2000); 2.0 Cosworth YB turbo |
| Escort Mk6 | 1995–2000 | Front-wheel drive | 1.3 Endura-E; 1.4 CVH; 1.6 & 1.8 Zetec; 1.8 diesel and turbodiesel |
The Coke-bottle original. The Escort replaced the Anglia in January 1968 and was a hit straight away: light, simple and rear-wheel drive. Ford's Advanced Vehicle Operations turned it into a rally weapon, and it has been a motorsport legend ever since.
Read the Mk1 guide →
Project Brenda. The Mk2 kept the Mk1's proven rear-drive underpinnings under a crisp, square body with far more glass. It was cheap to run and easy to modify, and in RS form it won world rally titles.
Read the Mk2 guide →
Project Erika. A complete break from the past: front-wheel drive, a hatchback and the new CVH engines. It won European Car of the Year in 1981, sold in huge numbers, and the XR3i became the hot hatch every 1980s teenager wanted.
Read the Mk3 guide →
The smooth facelift. A thorough update of the Mk3 with a smoother nose, new dashboard and lean-burn engines. Options like mechanical anti-lock brakes and the heated "Quickclear" windscreen showed that family-car kit was moving upmarket.
Read the Mk4 guide →
From ridiculed to redeemed. Reviewers panned the Mk5 at launch for its dull chassis and old engines. Ford answered with the 1992 Mk5a facelift, 16-valve Zetec engines, a new RS2000 and the car everyone remembers from the decade: the RS Cosworth.
Read the Mk5 guide →
The final chapter. The last Escort got an oval grille, airbags and a sharper chassis. The RS2000 carried on until 1996 and the GTi arrived in 1997. The Flight and Finesse editions saw the Escort out alongside the Focus until July 2000, and the van stayed on sale until 2002.
Read the Mk6 guide →