Twin Cam
106bhpPut a Lotus engine in a family saloon and the rally era began.
Specs & values →
1968–2002 · Six generations · One legend
The FordEscort
It started as a family car and went on to win eight RAC Rallies in a row. The full story, generation by generation, from the Mk1 Twin Cam to the RS Cosworth, with specifications, production numbers and what each model is worth today.
The generationsSix marks.
Six marks.
Pick yours.
Each generation has its own guide: when it was built, the engines, the models collectors want, what goes wrong and what to pay.
1968–1974 · Rear-wheel driveEscort Mk1
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 →
1975–1980 · Rear-wheel driveEscort Mk2
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 →
1980–1986 · Front-wheel driveEscort Mk3
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 →
1986–1990 · Front-wheel driveEscort Mk4
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 →
1990–1995 · Front-wheel driveEscort Mk5
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 →
1995–2000 · Front-wheel driveEscort Mk6
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 →The RS bloodlineThe cars that made
The cars that made
the badge matter.
RS1600
120bhpThe first car to wear the RS badge, powered by Cosworth's 16-valve BDA.
Specs & values →Mexico
86bhpNamed after a 16,000-mile rally win and sold to the people who cheered it on.
Specs & values →RS1800
115bhpAround 109 road cars, and a world championship.
Specs & values →Explore
Everything Escort.
Price guideProject, good and excellent values for 31 models in 2026.
Buying guideThe inspection checklist, fake-spotting and paperwork checks.
Rally historyFrom the 1970 World Cup Rally to the Cosworth's Monte Carlo win.
Unusual factsDiana's black RS Turbo, the RS 1700T and more.
FAQQuick answers to the most-asked Escort questions.
Free 46-page PDF
Don't buy a
Don't buy a
£40k mistake.
A fake Mexico or a rotten RS2000 can cost you more than the car. The Escort Buyer's Bible is 46 pages of what the specialists check, written for people about to hand over real money.
- Chassis and VIN checks to spot a genuine RS
- Rust maps for every generation, Mk1 to Mk6
- Price guide covering 31 models, from Harrier to Cosworth
- Printable inspection score sheet