Classic Rally Escort Mk1 and Mk2s Back From The Dead
A new from-the-ground-up Ford Escort Mk1 is coming next year, from British classic Escort specialist MST. Restomods and continuation cars of all types continue to be a hot commodity, especially now that thrills are increasingly distant from overweight modern machines. The Mk2 Escort will also be given new life, with its 70's-chic body coming back to production in 2027. While far from cheap, these MST machines are meant to actually be driven rather than just collected, and as such start at around $101,000. That's fortune, especially considering the amount of car being built for such an enormous sum, but still less than the $380,000 other shops have charged for Mk1 continuations.
Return Of The Ford Escort Mk1 and Mk2
MST
While you could buy a solid original Mk1 Escort for about $20,000 and build it into something special yourself for another $10,000, these MST machines are something different. These are brand new cars, with fresh bodyshells built to modern specifications and finished with all modern gear and chassis stiffening not found in original cars. A 2.0L DOHC inline-four with 180 hp brings more than enough thrust for a street car that likely weighs less than 1,800 lbs. No word on where the engine hails from, but MST have used Ford and Cosworth engines before. That extreme light weight means this is definitely one of the most expensive vehicles in history to run 185-section width tires, on 13 inch wheels. There is no power steering to inhibit feel or increase weight, though the car is reported to have something resembling a rear bench seat. Four piston brakes up front and discs all around are to be expected with a continuation car of this caliber, though interestingly enough the rear suspension retains leaf springs.
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Fast "Fords" With Limited Runs And High Prices
MST
MST is only building 25 Mk1 and 25 Mk2 cars in total, so if demand for high-end Mk1 Escorts is high enough, they'll likely sell out rapidly. MST has been building parts for these old Escorts for a very long time indeed, and has only this decade gone from only selling parts to also selling completed cars. Their expertise appears deep indeed, though with announcement after announcement of continuation cars or extremely high-end restomods, it could appear there isn't as much support for the bottom end of the market. Just remember that MST will still sell you parts to keep that old and much cheaper Mk1 or Mk2 on the road.
