The Escort RS1600i was built for homologation purposes to enable Ford to take the car into competition. Ford only planned to make 5000 due to the requirements needed for homologation in the new junior class for rallying, also known as Group A. However as with most fast Fords the RS1600i sold so well they ended up producing over 3000 more than the initial 5000 they had planned. Unfortunately for UK based Ford fans, most of these units were destined for foreign shores, with only 2500 coming to the UK.
This then put the RS1600i above the XR3 and XR3i in rarity as well as performance. With the RS1600i having better all-round performance than the XR3 and XR3i, it was slightly overlooked in the wider car community in favour of its older Escort siblings with more competition heritage.
The RS1600i however is basically a race car in road trim, with race-bred engine and suspension technology. The little Escort is a tuner’s dream though, with the car easily being able to produce far more power and handling with some tweaks.
The owner has had this car for 33 years, since 1988, and before that, the car has had 5 owners in short succession since its production in 1983.
During its time with the current owner the car has not wanted for anything, with the current owner being a member of the RS owner’s community and taking the car out for shows and generally treating it with the respect it deserves. After some extended time sat up in storage, the car has recently undergone some recommissioning work to get it back to the condition you see here.
This work included an engine refresh, some interior restoration, namely the foam fluting on the seats, the original side bolsters and seat coverings are in amazing condition, an exhaust and suspension refresh as well as some sundries to give the car a renewed lease of life. The car is now looking for a new custodian due to the current owner not having the space to keep it.
Seeing as the current owner has owned the car for 30 plus years, the paperwork is remarkably comprehensive. MOT certificates from the 80s and all receipts and service invoices are present, with the most recent work having been carried out being documented in the history file.
The paperwork also includes the original sales brochures and service book which are delightfully 80’s in their presentation. Current MOT lasts for the car until December 2021.
Stepping inside the RS is like stepping back in time, especially now the front seats have been given some love and the bolsters and channels are like new. The front seats give an indication of just how race-y this car really is with its original huge, firm side bolsters to keep you in place when chucking the Escort into a corner. Trimmed in ‘Shark Grey’ velour the interior also points to the era in which the car was made, giving off a distinctly 80’s feel.
All the touch points in the car are in remarkably good condition, considering the cars age, with the four spoke steering wheel standing out with ‘RS’ logo emblazoned on the centre cap. The achingly ‘retro cool’ dashboard is all functional and really gives this car some character, critics might have not liked the grey plastics back in the day but now its brilliantly fitting with the rest of the aesthetic of the car. Some features to mention are the 4-cassette holder underneath the ashtray with the original stylish tuner radio/cassette player sitting just above it.
The Escort also has a tilting and retractable sunroof, which doesn’t leak and retracts and lifts faultlessly. There are some rust marks in the mechanism, but it isn’t structural and is confined to the runners where the water tends to sit.
We imagine it would just be a case of cleaning it and perhaps covering with some hammarite to ensure longevity. Inside the boot, the carpet is clean and underneath the car has its factory jack and full size spare both in great condition. Even the boot floor is remarkably clean with just some minor marks on the surface, as you can see in the gallery.
The parcel shelf has had the typical boy racer speaker holes cut into them, with the speakers still working, however the current owner mentioned they had a clean/uncut parcel shelf that they might be inclined to include in the sale.
In summary then, the inside of the Escort is in fantastic condition, with all trim being present and clean and unmarked it’s a positive feature of the car and reflects the care the owner has taken during their time with the car.
This model is painted in Caspian Blue with silver decals to match the wheels and it really is as good as it looks in the photos.
The Escort, for its years is in amazing condition on both the inside and out, which mirrors it time off the road sat in storage and the care it’s received. There may be the odd, very minor stone chip, but they didn’t register at the time of photographing so weren’t worthy of photographing. The plastic lower half of the front bumper, we would imagine, would absorb most of the stone hits without damaging the paint.
Upon inspection, there were no dents or scratches to speak of and whilst this car hasn’t been used as a show pony, it really does hold up rather well under the microscope. Other than the areas mentioned and showcased in the gallery, like the sunroof and door shuts, this car is wonderfully clean and straight. All lights work, including the front spots and high beam lamps, and even the electric aerial works smoothly.
The rear rubber spoiler is in great condition also with no cracks, splits or dry areas. All wheels are in good condition with no curbing or chips and the tyres have recently been replaced so have plenty of life left in them.
The drivetrain was one of the things that made this car special, seeing as Ford needed to produce customer cars for homologation, the engine technology was designed to put up with the abuse of a race. Trickled down into customer cars, the engine stood a good chance of holding up to the stresses of the daily commute and occasional B-road blast.
The suspension has been renewed, with the original orange Koni Shocks being re-gassed and reconditioned, the engine is looking very fresh also after having some recent work to get the car back up to its best health again. Exhaust is a stainless Steel exhaust full system with original manifold
The owner informs us that there are no issues with any mechanicals and the sound this car makes is really intoxicating, even after just hearing it tear away after our photoshoot. Connected to the original manifold there are new exhaust sections that are made of stainless steel and with it there were no unwanted noises heard on start-up and whilst pulling away, and the engine eagerly jumped into life.
The car has a distributor instead of the twin coil electronic ignition it came with, but these will come with the sale.
Practically a race car for the road with fully race spec suspension and an engine capable of producing well over the limited power figure given in factory trim.
This car has gained a well-deserved fan base over its years and consolidated the fast Ford image young tearaways from the 80’s admired. This example has been well loved during its time and having the same owner for the past 33 years should go to show just how good this car is. Ford, having not made many of them, sees this car as a rarity on UK roads and unless you’re part of the fast Ford family they are rarely seen out and about in this good a condition.
The prices of these cars have consistently risen over the last 15-20 years and given the right care and use they seem set to continue in this trend, so now might be the ideal time to buy into the lifestyle.
This example is nothing short of a turnkey classic, ready to go and ready to provide plenty of adventure and ‘smiles per mile’ motoring. A true step back in time and one that should be indulged in as often as possible.
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1983 Ford Escort RS1600i
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