Ford Escort Mk1 Mexico 

• 2021 
• VA09526 
• Vanguards 
• Ford 

8791375

Model cars

Ford Escort Mk1 Mexico

VA09526

Car, Limited Edition

2021

1968

China

100 mm

Copper Brown Built at Ford's Advances Vehicle Operations facility, Ockendon, Essex, the Escort Mexico was launched in 1970 and cost only 1.150 Pound, making it the era's performance bargain. It was built to celebrate Hannu Mikkola and Gunnar Palm's win on the 1970 London-Mexico World Cup Rally, an arduous 16.000-mile event in wich Ford entered a team of Escorts. The Mexico's specification mirrired that the winning car, FEH 1H, as it utilized the heavy-duty Type 49 motorsport bodyshel married to a Cortina 1600GT pushrod crossflow engine in place of the usual Lotus twin-cam. This idea came from ford driver Roger Clark during the pre-event reconnaissance; reliability being more important than perrformance on a maraton rally. The Mexico modelled was owned for many years by a gentleman in Bedfordshire, who also owned a Le Mans green example in poorer condition. In 1990 he sold that car to his neigbour, 15-year-old Gvin Bull, who restored it and used it once he was old enough to drive, before selling it, regretfully. to finf his first home. In 2005, driving past a local garage, Gavin saw the Copper coloured Mexico for sale, recognised it, and found it was still owned by the same farmer neighbour! He couldn't resist buying the car he'd wanted since childhood, and totally restored it with help from good friends Danbury and Tim Mookes. It was purchased by the current owner, Warcestershire-based enthusiast Brian Roberts, in 2020 Numberplate: LUR 500L Limited edition 1.100 pcs. (with certificate)