Is this the Next Escort Sport? – 20th June, 2017

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Anyone who follows the prices of old Fords will know the price of Mk1&2, 2 door Escorts has gone nuts in recent years. Mark 1 Mexicos or RS cars are off the charts and out of reach for most people and now the humble Mark 2 1600 Sport is quickly heading in that direction with a half decent one fetching $20k plus now. So what’s next? Is the mark 1 Ford Focus ST170 the next Escort Sport. If it is then this example at Turners Whangarei is a must buy.

Both of these sports models were built from a humble but successful family car. So just for fun, let’s compare the iconic Ford Escort Sport with the Focus ST170.

The Escort is a rallying superstar that won many of the great rallies in the 70s and is still hugely popular today in historic rallying. They are rear wheel drive and the Sport model has a 1600cc crossflow engine that produces 85hp mated to a four speed manual box.

The Focus also has a great rallying pedigree with the mark 1 winning a bunch of WRC events with the brilliant Colin McRae at the wheel. The ST170 is front wheel drive with a Cosworth designed 170hp engine and a 6 speed manual transmission. It also has bigger wheels, sports interior and a 3 door body shell. Like the Escort Sport, the ST170 is not the top of the range RS model.

Now, rear wheel drive over front wheel drive will be a deal breaker for some but the Focus really does have the pedigree to become a collectible classic. It’s fast, sold in limited numbers, has motorsport history, is based on a very popular family car and it’s a performance Ford.

So the future looks bright for good examples of the sporty Focus and now might be the best time to buy one. This one is available right now for $4900 drive away. That’s money in the bank surely? More details here.