Ford Escort MK1 Twin Cam

From late 1967 until 1980 over 3 million were built, and a good number of them around the world today are still setting the pace in historic motorsport. Motorsport, rallying in particular, was linked with the Escort almost from its launch in early 1968. In February of that year the Escort Twin-Cam was competing at a rallycross meeting at Croft, while its international rally debut came only a month later when Ove Andersson and John Davenport took a Boreham-built car to the San Remo Rally in Italy, finishing third outright. It was British heroes Roger Clark and Jim Porter who took the new model’s first rallying victory, the 1968 Circuit of Ireland. A star was born.

Over the next 12 years, the remarkably versatile Escort won rallies in dozens of countries around the world, on all types of surfaces, and launched the careers of many of rallying’s big-name drivers. The cars were extensively and continuously developed by the Ford works team at their Boreham base, and even today development continues with modernisation of materials and componentry within the confines of historic competition. Fittingly, it was in the car’s final year as a works entry that it claimed the biggest prize, the World Rally Championship. In this article we look back at the four models of Mk 1 Escort that saw service as works cars, since it was this shape that first appeared all those years ago and the model that enjoyed the greatest mechanical diversity. So, grab yourself a piece of cake and come for a trawl through the family album, as we wish the Ford Escort a very happy 50th birthday.

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Escort Twin Cam

It was reportedly Boreham workshop foreman Bill Meade that uttered the words, “Blimey, one of those things would go like Hell with a Twin-Cam engine in it”. Of course, he was referring to one of the prototype Escorts he and team manager, Henry Taylor, had seen circulating at the Ford proving ground in late 1966. Over the coming months of 1967 a great deal of effort was put into getting the necessary approval and resources within Ford to assemble a prototype, this being finally achieved over a secretive weekend in March ‘67. It was a squeeze, but the Lotus Cortina Twin-Cam engine and running gear could be made to fit, but it took many more months of internal politicking and creation of four more prototypes later in the year to secure the go-ahead for production.

In order to have cars available for start of the 1968 motorsport season, the first batch of 25 Escort Twin-Cams were built at Boreham. It was one of these machines that Ove Andersson and John Davenport took to third outright in San Remo. As a result of this debut appearance, the first step in the long development of the Escort into a rally winner was taken. Andersson insisted there was a problem with the rear suspension, since the rear shock absorbers had followed the norm of regular Escorts and were mounted at a steep angle, compromising efficiency as the suspension travel was taken up.

With the pounding they received under rally conditions the shocks were ‘going off’, leaving the rear axle practically bouncing up and down. Back at Boreham the team quickly developed the rear turret kit that allowed vertical mounting of the Bilstein dampers, a fitment to serious rallying Escorts to this very day. From this point the development continued apace and the car’s speed and reliability improved. In time, bulging wheel arch extensions, 5-speed ZF gearboxes and heavy- duty Atlas rear axle housings with 4-wheel disc brakes all became part of the Escort package. And what a successful package it was, with wins coming thick and fast in Ireland, Holland, Austrian Alpine, Acropolis, the Scottish and Finland. Even though the Escort was becoming faster, so was the opposition. Textsource www.rallysportmag.com

Ford Escort MKI Twin Cam – FIA Racecar (ready 2 race)

This Escort Twin Cam is ready for immediate use, it is road legal and can therefore be used for rallies, hill climbs and circuit racing.

The Escort was sold by a well know Austrian automotive journalist was to the company LAMPLMAIR in Mattsee (Salzburg) in 2019 . The current owner bought it from Lampelmaier and had it repainted as well as the engine and chassis reworked.

The Escort is built according to FIA rules.

The FIA HTP is valid until 31.12.2029.

The Rallycar has not yet completed a single race. A rust-free Escort GT body served as the basis for the bodywork.

The Engine is a Lotus Twin Cam  1. 598 cc with

• Weber carburettor 45
• Steel crankshaft
• Forged pistons
• Steel connecting rods
• New AP Racing sintered metal single disc clutch
• Lightweight alternator Gearbox: ZF Close Ratio Ford Motorsport racing gearbox
• New one piece prop shaft with fine balancing
• Large gearbox tunnel Rear axle: Rear axle with 75% ZF lock and reinforced drive shafts
• Panhard rod Front axle: Reinforced axle beam
• Dom strut
• Reinforced strut mount

The Body is a rustfree Escort GT body.

• New extensions
• repainted (old english white)
• Makrolon windscreens with sliding windows front
• all suspensions reinforced
• Superlightweight GRP engine and boot cowl
• HEIGO roll cage
• Super Lightweight Lithium Ion starter battery 1,2 Kg.
• 40 litre aluminium racing tank
• Electric fuel pump
• Pedals with 3 cylinders and balance beam

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