Ford, RS 2000, AVO, Advanced Vehicle Operations, January 1970, performance, versions, production models. Orange, Escort, pocket rocket, Mexico, Mk 1.
Ford produced the RS2000 model as a more "civilised" alternative to the somewhat temperamental RS1600, featuring a L Pinto (OHC) engine. This also clocked up some rally and racing victories; and pre-empted the hot hatch market as a desirable but affordable performance road car. Like the Mexico and RS1600, this car was produced at the Aveley plant. The Escort quickly became one of Britain's most popular cars The Escort RS2000 was the last car to be introduced to the AVO production range, introduced in the June of 1973. The car fitted nicely into the AVO range with its performance almost comparable to the complex RS1600, but with the reliability and ease of maintenance as the Mexico. The original name for the car was to be the "Puma", but it was decided to keep with the RS tradition and so it was re-named the RS2000. The car used the same type 49-body shell as the Mexico and RS1600. Fortunately, there was a new engine in use at ford, the 2-litre overhead cam pinto design, which Ford then decided to use instead. Fords then had the major problem to persuade the new bulky pinto engine to fit into the engine bay, which was something it had never been meant to do. The only way of achieving this was by discarding the engine driver cooling fan and replacing it with a thermostatically controlled Kenlowe fan. The engine produced 100bhp (2bhp more than in the Cortina).
Size: 5300px × 3402px
Location: Lincolnshire
Photo credit: © Steve Welsh / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
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