Jonathen Miles driving a 1973 Ford Escort RS2000 in the sprint event at motorsport at the palace 2011
Jonathen Miles driving a 1973 Ford Escort RS2000 in the sprint event at motorsport at the palace 2011. The Mark I Ford Escort was introduced in the United Kingdom at the end of 1967, making its show debut at Brussels Motor Show in January 1968. It replaced the successful long running Anglia. The car was presented in continental Europe as a product of Ford's European operation. Escort production commenced at Halewood in England during the closing months of 1967, and for left hand drive markets during September 1968 at the Ford plant in Genk. Initially the continental Escorts differed slightly from the UK built ones under the skin. The front suspension and steering gear were differently configured and the brakes were fitted with dual hydraulic circuits; also the wheels fitted on the Genk-built Escorts had wider rims. At the beginning of 1970, continental European production transferred to a new plant on the edge of Saarlouis, West also produced an RS2000 model as an 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 RS2000 uses the same competition-developed type 49 heavy duty, 2-door body as the Escort Mexico and RS 1600 models. The front wheel arches are flared to accommodate the wide sports road wheels: and the front suspension mounting points, together with the chassis side rails, are specially reinforced. The 2 litre OHC engine fitted snugly in the engine compartment. The combination of a performance engine in a small yet tough body shell enables the RS2000 to achieve: a maximum speed of 110mph, acceleration through the gears from 0-60mph in only 9 seconds. What was also remarkable was that the Escort RS2000 was able to offer a fuel consumption of approximately 33mpg, a figure to be envied.
Size: 3957px × 2428px
Location: Crystal Palace Park, Crystal Palace, London
Photo credit: © John Gaffen / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1973, car, crystal, escort, ford, jonathen, miles, motorsport, palace, park, rs2000, sports, sprint
