Highlights

AVO Club verified Type 49 steel arched shell
Period tarmac rally history in Ireland with Irish MSA competition logbook
Retains original chassis, sills and floor pans
Comprehensively specified with period-correct rally components throughout
In current ownership for approximately 12 years

The Appeal

The Mk1 Ford Escort Mexico remains one of the most celebrated homologation specials of the 1970s, and rally-prepared examples carrying genuine competition provenance are increasingly scarce. This 1975 example is built around a verified Type 49 AVO steel arched shell and comes with an Irish MSA logbook documenting its tarmac rally history; it's a car that was built to compete and has the paperwork to prove it.

Manufactured in November 1974 and first registered in January 1975, the car was converted to rally specification by a previous owner and competed on Irish tarmac stages before a lengthy period of storage. The current owner acquired it in 2014, and in 2016 had it stripped, fitted with Gartrac steel Group 4 bubble arches, and repainted in a Milk Marketing Board livery replicating the 1974 RAC Rally-winning Escort. The original chassis, sills and floor pans survive, notable for any Escort of this age, let alone one with genuine rally miles behind it.

The mechanical specification is thorough and period-correct, with a rally-built 1,600cc crossflow engine, uprated suspension, a limited-slip differential and close-ratio gearbox. A Safety Devices roll cage with diagonal and door bars is fitted, and the interior is stripped to rally specification. The full component-level breakdown can be found in The Detail section below.

The vendor describes this as a purposeful period rally car that has not been modernised. For historic rally competitors or serious Escort enthusiasts seeking a car with real provenance and a specification rooted in purpose rather than presentation, this Mexico warrants close attention.

Key Information

Mileage: 53,509 miles (unwarranted)
Country of registration: United Kingdom
Technical inspection status: MOT exempt
Technical specs: 1,600cc inline four-cylinder petrol, four-speed manual
Paperwork: Irish MSA competition logbook, AVO Club shell verification, DVLA owner history from first registered keeper, V5C

The Detail

Rally-built 1,600cc crossflow engine with Mexico thick-wall 711M cylinder block, steel lightened and balanced crankshaft and flywheel, Accralite forged pistons and ARP bolts
Ported and worked cylinder head with big valves and Kent 244 camshaft
Steel rocker gear with vernier kit, HP/HC oil pump and alloy rocker cover
Bosch electronic ignition fitted; a new Luminition ignition system is included in the sale
Twin 40 Weber carburettors with K&N filters
Tony Law 4-into-1 exhaust manifold with 2¼-inch bore exhaust and single silencer
Baffled big-wing sump, hi-output alternator and WASP high-torque starter motor
Front suspension: Bilstein 2¼ coilover 300/70 tarmac struts with 190 lb springs and adjustable rose-jointed roller tops
Twin-cam anti-roll bar with double-width bushes
2.2 quick rack with heavy-duty rod ends, heavy-duty steering column and Group 4 joint
World Cup cross member and mounts
Rear suspension: 6-link setup with Watts linkage, Bilstein shock absorbers, CD6 multi-leaf springs and 2-inch lowering blocks
Historic-spec English axle with TransX LSD differential (4.7 CWP ratio) and heavy-duty 2-piece half-shafts
Front alloy 4-pot Hi-Spec calipers with vented discs; rear solid discs; competition pads throughout
Bias pedal box with stainless steel braided brake hoses and hydraulic fly-off handbrake
Close-ratio 2000E 3-rail four-speed gearbox with heavy-duty rally clutch and Mexico hydraulic bell housing
Single-piece propshaft (rebuilt), adjustable gearbox mounting and stainless steel hydraulic clutch hoses
Historic alloy radiator with electric fan and silicone hoses
Capri steel fuel tank with two Facet race pumps on alloy bracket, fuel filter housing regulator and stainless steel hoses
Race red gel battery; exterior battery master switch
Safety Devices roll cage with diagonal and door bars, strut brace and bulkhead gussets
Under-wing turret braces, anti-tramp bars and leaf spring skid plates with captive bolts in boot floor
Rally front panel with extra vents and steel firewall
Aircraft-standard wiring loom with relays and internal fuse boxes
Original 6-dial Mexico dash with rally centre console and flick switches for spotlights, fan, fuel pumps and intercoms
Terratrip 202 Rally Computer Plus
Navigator's Halda trip meter
Sparco steering wheel
OMP TRS bucket seats and Sabelt safety harnesses (out of date)
FIA fire extinguisher system and handheld fire extinguisher
Interior stripped to rally specification with satin black painted finish; genuine door cards with door pockets retained
Gartrac steel Group 4 bubble arches fitted in 2016
Minilite wheels: 6x13-inch front and 8x13-inch rear with Yokohama road tyres; 6-inch Minilite spare in boot
A second set of 6x13 Minilite wheels fitted with 185/60x13 Yokohama tyres is included
Four Cibié Super Oscar spotlights on quick-release alloy brackets with Avanti headlights
Genuine chrome quarter bumpers front and rear, and chrome door mirrors
Heated rear screen; side windows and door glass laminated as per MSA regulations
New door seals fitted
Paintwork applied approximately 10 years ago in Milk Marketing Board livery; the vendor reports it remains in very good condition with only a few blemishes
The vendor describes the car as being in very good condition for its age
The car has not been used for some time and has been stored in a garage
11 former registered keepers
Ford RS Owners Club Castlebellingham 2005 dash plaque
Passed scrutiny at the 2005 Killarney Historic Stages Rally

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