Ford Escort (Europe)

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Ford Escort (Europe)
Manufacturer Ford Motor Company
Production 1968-2000
1968-1998 (Rental Fleet)
Predecessor Ford Anglia
Successor Ford Focus
Class Small family car
Body style(s) 4-door sedan
3, 5-door hatchback
2, 4-door station wagon
2-door convertible
2 Door Panel Van
Engine(s) 1.0 L, 1.1 L, 1.3 L, 1.6 L Ford Kent (Mark I, Mark II)
1.3 L, 1.4 L, 1.6 L,
Ford CVH (Mark III, Mark IV)
1.6 L, 1.8 L, 2.0 L,
Ford Valencia (Mark III & Mark IV) 1.1 L, 1.3 L
Ford Zetec (Mark IV)

The Ford Escort was a small family car manufactured by the Ford Motor Company from 1967 to 2003. Although it was originally a European model, the Escort badge has also been applied to several different designs in North America over the years.

The first use of the Ford Escort name was in the 1950s for an estate car version of the Ford Anglia 100E though this had few sales by comparison to the other members of the 100E family.

Contents

1971 Escort Mark I
1971 Escort Mark I
1971 Escort Mark I estate
1971 Escort Mark I estate

The Ford Escort was a British automobile launched at the end of 1967 as a replacement for the Anglia.

It had conventional rear wheel drive and a four-speed manual gearbox, or 3 spd automatic transmission The suspension consisted of a simple live axle mounted on leaf springs, but with rack-and-pinion steering. The Mark I featured contemporary styling cues in tune with its time - a subtle Detroit-inspired "Coke Bottle" waistline and the "dogbone" shaped front grille — arguably the car's most famous stylistic feature. Initially, the Escort was sold as a 2-door saloon (with circular front headlights) and rubber flooring on the "De Luxe" model. The "Super" model featured rectangular headlamps, carpets, a cigar lighter and a water temperature gauge. A 3-door estate was introduced in March 1968 and a van in April 1968. The 4-door saloon appeared in 1969.

Underneath the bonnet was the Kent Crossflow engine. Diesel engines on small family cars were very rare, so the Escort featured initially only petrol engines — in 1.1 L, and 1.3 L editions. A 950 cc engine was also available in some export markets, but few were ever sold.

There was a 1300GT performance version, with a tuned 1.3L Kent (ohv) engine sporting a Weber carburetor and uprated suspension. This version also featured additional instrumentation with a rev counter, battery charge indicator and oil pressure gauge. The same tuned 1300 engine was also used in a variation sold as the Escort Sport that used the flared front wings from the AVO range of cars but featured trim from the more basic models. Later on a further "executive" version of the Escort was produced known as the 1300E. This featured the same 13" road wheels and flared wings of the Sport but was trimmed in an upmarket, for that time, fashion with wood trim on the dash and door cappings.

There was, in the early days of the Escort, a higher performance for rallies and racing - the Escort Twin Cam, which featured an engine with a Lotus made 8-valve twin camshaft head fitted to the 1500cc non crossflow block which had a bigger bore than usual to give a capacity of 1558cc. Production of the Twin Cam, which was originally produced at Halewood, was phased out as the RS1600 was developed.

The Mark I Escorts became very successful as a rally car, and they eventually went on to become the one of the most successful rally cars of all time. The Ford works team was practically unbeatable in the late 1960s / early 1970s, and arguably the Escort's greatest victory was in the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally being driven by Finnish legend Hannu Mikkola. This gave rise to the famous Escort Mexico (1.6 "Kent" engined) special edition road versions in honour of the rally car.

In addition to the Mexico, the RS1600 was developed which used a Kent engine block with a 16-valve Cosworth cylinder head. This engine was essentially a detuned Formula 3 engine designated BDA, for Belt Drive series A. Both the Mexico and RS1600 were built at Ford's Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) facility located at the Aveley Plant in South Essex. As well as higher performance engines and sports suspension, these models featured strengthened bodyshells making them an ideal model for rallying. Even today Mark I's are still popular in the amateur rally scene. The BDA engine has a distinctive growling which can be heard for quite a distance when the vehicle is being driven hard, such as in competition.

Ford also produced a RS2000 model as a more "civilised" alternative to the somewhat temperamental RS1600 featuring a 2L "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 and was also a success on export markets (the car was built in Germany, Britain and several Commonwealth countries).

1980 Escort Ghia
1980 Escort Ghia
1975 Ford Escort Mark II estate:  beyond the A pillar, second generation Escort Estates featured the same body panels as their predecessors, but at least the bonnet/hood section replicated the lines of the Mark II.
1975 Ford Escort Mark II estate: beyond the A pillar, second generation Escort Estates featured the same body panels as their predecessors, but at least the bonnet/hood section replicated the lines of the Mark II.

The square-edged Mark II version appeared in early 1975. The first production models of which rolled off the production lines on 2 December 1974.

Unlike the first Escort (which was solely a British effort), the second generation was developed along with Ford of Germany. Codenamed "Brenda" during its development, it used the same mechanicals as the Mark I, although the unpopular 950 cc engine was dropped. The station wagon and van versions used the same panelwork as the Mark I, but with the Mark II front end and interior — giving the car a slight "identity crisis". The car used a revised underbody, which incidentally was introduced as a running change during the last six months of the Mark I's life.

This car made a point, just with its four bodystyles, of competing in many different niches of the market, which rival manufacturers either had multiple models ranges, or simply none at all. "L" and "GL" models (2-door, 4-door, estate) were in the mainstream private sector, the "Sport", "Mexico", and "RS2000" in the performance market, the "Ghia" (2-door, 4-door) for an untapped small car luxury market, and "Base/Popular" models for the bottom end. Panel-van versions catered to the commercial sector.

During the second half of the 1970s, the Escort continued to prove hugely popular with buyers in Britain and other parts of Europe. A cosmetic update was given in 1978, with most models gaining the square headlights (previously exclusive to the GL and Ghia variants), some models gaining the Escort Sport wheels, and an upgrade in interior spec — the "L" in particular gaining a glovebox and centre console. Underneath a wider front track was given.

Production, after an incredibly popular model run, ended in Britain in August 1980, other countries following soon after.

A Mark II rally car at a stage rally time control — note the extended wheel arches
A Mark II rally car at a stage rally time control — note the extended wheel arches
1978 Escort RS2000 at the 2005 Clonroche Vintage Rally
1978 Escort RS2000 at the 2005 Clonroche Vintage Rally
Mark II Escort RS2000 taking part in a road rally — always a popular rally car in entry-level classes
Mark II Escort RS2000 taking part in a road rally — always a popular rally car in entry-level classes

As with its predecessor, the Mark II had a successful rallying career. All models of the Mark I were carried over to the Mark II, though the Mexico had its engine changed to a 1.6 ohc Pinto instead of the ohv for the UK market. Other markets continued with the 1.6L Kent in the Mark II and called it the "Sport" model. Also a new and potent model was released, the RS1800, which had an 1800 version of the BDA engine. It was essentially a special created for racing, and surviving road versions are very rare and collectible today. There has been a long standing debate regarding how the RS1800 was homologated for international motorsport, as Ford are rumoured to have built only fifty or so road cars out of the four hundred required for homologation.

The works rally cars were highly specialised machines. Bodyshells were heavily strengthened. They were characterised by the wide wheelarch extensions (pictured right), and often by the fitment of four large spotlights for night stages. The BDA engine was bored to 2000cc and gave up to 270bhp by 1979. It was complemented by a strengthened transmission, five-speed straight-cut ZF gearbox, five-linked suspension and a host of more minor modifications. In this form, the Escort was perhaps not the most sophisticated of the rear-drive saloon cars that dominated rallying in the late 1970s, but it was reliable and powerful, and good enough to win in the hands of some of the best drivers of its day.

The late 1970s were Ford's most successful period in Rallying. The Mark II Escort continued its predecessor's unbeaten run on the RAC Rally, winning every year from 1975–79 and winning a variety of other events around the world as well. In the 1979 World Rally Championship, Björn Waldegård took the drivers' title, Hannu Mikkola was runner-up and Ari Vatanen finished the year in 5th place, all driving Escort RS1800's. These drivers' successes throughout the year gave Ford the Manufacturers' title, the only time the company had achieved this until the 2006 season, when Marcus Grönholm and Mikko Hirvonen won title for Ford in Ford Focus RS.

The 1.6 L (1598 cc/97 in³) engine in the 1975 1.6 Ghia produced 84 hp (63 kW) with 125 N·m (92 ft·lbf) torque and weighed 955 kg (2105 lb). For rally use, this can be compared to the 1974 Toyota Corolla which output 75 hp (56 kW) and weighed 948 kg (2090 lb).

The 2.0 L RS2000 version, which featured the Pinto engine from the Cortina, was available with a top speed of 110 mph (177 km/h). The 2.0 L engine was also easily retro-fitted into the Mark I, and this became a popular modification, along with the Ford Sierra's 5-speed gearbox, for rallying and other sports, especially given the Pinto's tunability.

The RS2000 was more distinctive, having a slanting plastic nose housing four round headlamps.

Ford Australia also built Mark II Escorts. The majority of Escorts (regular and performance models) sold there utilized the 1.6 OHV Kent and the Cortina's 2.0L Pinto engine (in a lower tune than European units, due to Australian emission laws). The bodyshells were 2-door, 4-door and van, the wagon models not being available in Australia. The slant-nose RS2000 was sold as a regular production model in 1979 and 1980, in both 2-door and – unique to Australia – 4-door variants. The Escort, like the Cortina, was never popular on the Australian market, due to the competing Japanese imports. It was an underrated car throughout its production life.

In New Zealand, Mark II Escorts were built from CKD kits at the Ford plant in Wiri, South Auckland. Unlike Australia, Escorts and Cortinas always topped the monthly sales lists, and all body styles including the wagon were sold. Based on the British models (aside from using metric speedometers), the cars were sold in 1.1 (base), 1.3 (L, GL, 1300 Sport, estate and van variants) and 1.6 (Ghia, 1600 Sport) variants — the 1.3 being the most common.

The Escort was replaced in Australian and New Zealand by the Ford Laser in 1981, which was a badge engineered Mazda 323. The Escort returned to New Zealand in 1996, initially as a wagon, as the Laser was only available as a hatchback and sedan. When local assembly of the Laser ceased in 1997, Ford New Zealand switched to importing the Escort hatchback and sedan, but then switched back to the Laser in 1999, as importing the Focus from Europe was then unviable. The Escort wagon, however, remained on sale in New Zealand until 2000.


Ford Escort III 3 door hatchback 1981 - 1986
Ford Escort III 3 door hatchback 1981 - 1986
Ford Escort III 5 door hatchback 1981 - 1986
Ford Escort III 5 door hatchback 1981 - 1986
Ford Escort III 3 door estate 1981 - 1986
Ford Escort III 3 door estate 1981 - 1986
Ford Escort III RS1600i (sporting version)
Ford Escort III RS1600i (sporting version)
Ford Escort III Cabriolet 1983 - 1986
Ford Escort III Cabriolet 1983 - 1986

Codenamed "Erika", the third generation Escort was launched in September 1980. The code name alluded to the leader of the product planning team, Erick A. Reickert. The North American Escort introduced at this time was a derivative. The two vehicles were intended to share component designs, but separate engineering organizations and government regulations made this impractical.

The Mark III was intended to be a hi-tech, high-efficiency design which would compete with the Volkswagen Golf, and indeed the car was launched with the advertising tagline "Simple is Efficient". The Mark III was a radical departure from the two previous models, the biggest changes being the adoption of front wheel drive, and the new hatchback body, which introduced trademark styling cues which would be later seen in the forthcoming Sierra and Scorpio, most notably the "Aeroback" rear end — the "sawn off" bootlid stump which was proved to reduce the car's drag coefficient. Also new were the overhead camshaft CVH engines in 1.3 L and 1.6 L formats, with the Valencia engine from the Fiesta powering the 1.1 L derivative. The suspension was fully independent all around, departing from the archaic leaf spring arrangement found on its predecessors. The Escort Mark III was voted European Car of the Year in 1981. From launch, the car was available in Base (Popular), L, GL, Ghia and XR3 trim.

However, the car attracted criticism from the motoring press at launch due to how its suspension was set up — with positive camber on the front wheels and negative camber at the rear, giving rise to the Mark III's infamous "knock-kneed" stance. Although this gave the car acceptable handling on perfectly smooth roads, once the car was tested on bumpy British roads the effects of this decision was obvious and the Mark III soon had a reputation for a harsh, unforgiving ride, with questionable handling. The shock absorber specification was to blame also, and it was not until 1983 that the suspension gremlins were finally ironed out. A three-speed automatic transmission was available on the 1.6 engine within a couple of years of the car's launch. From mid-1982, a 5-speed manual gearbox was introduced across the range. This was now standard on the 1.6L versions and could be specified as an option on most 1.3L engines.

In order to compete with Volkswagen's Golf GTI, a hot hatch version of the Mark III was created from the outset — the XR3. Initially this featured a tuned version of the 1.6 L CVH engine fitted with a Weber carburettor, uprated suspension and numerous cosmetic alterations. Despite the initial lack of a 5-speed transmission and the absence of fuel injection, the XR3 instantly caught the public's imagination and became a cult car which was beloved of "boy racers" in the 1980s. Fuel injection finally arrived in 1983 (creating the XR3i), along with the racetrack-influenced RS1600i. The final performance update arrived in the form of the turbocharged RS Turbo model in 1985.

Another engine introduced around the same time was the 1.6L diesel engine. Developed in Dagenham, it was remarkably economical for its time, and still is to this day, managing over 70 miles per gallon. It was available on the L and GL models. However, the performance was not so impressive, with only 54Bhp and a top speed of barely 90 mph.

The Escort estate was initially only available with three doors, but a five-door version was eventually introduced in 1983. In that year, a saloon version of the Escort, the Orion, was launched. It used the same mechanicals as the hatchback, but had a more upmarket image and was not available with the rather underpowered 1.1 L engine. The Orion name would continue in use through until 1993, when it was dropped and the Orion simply called "Escort".

A convertible version, courtesy of coachbuilder Karmann appeared the same year, significant as it was the first drop-top car produced by Ford Europe since the Corsair of the '60s. The Escort Cabriolet was initially available in both XR3i and Ghia specification, but the Ghia variant was dropped after a couple of years.

A pickup version of the Escort, the Bantam, was produced in South Africa, while Brazil had a two-door sedan known as the Verona, completely different than Orion.


1987 Escort Finesse
1987 Escort Finesse
1986 Escort XR3i
1986 Escort XR3i

The Escort Mark III received a facelift in early 1986. Codenamed within Ford as "Erika–86", and sometimes referred to as the "Mark IV" (although it was not officially the fourth generation), it was instantly recognisable as an updated version of the previous model, with a smooth Scorpio style nose and the "straked" rear lamp clusters smoothed over. New features included an optional mechanical anti‐lock braking system (standard on RS Turbo models) and the option of a heated windshield — features which were at the time unheard-of on a car of this size and price. The trim designations were carried over from the pre-facelift car.

Trim designations for the Escort Mark IV

  • Popular: 1.1, 1.3 petrol, 1.6 diesel
  • Bonus: 1.1, 1.3 petrol (4spd gearbox only)
  • L: 1.3, 1.4, 1.6 petrol, 1.6 diesel, 1.8 diesel
  • GL: 1.4, 1.6 petrol, 1.6 diesel
  • Ghia: 1.3, 1.4, 1.6 petrol
  • Cabriolet: 1.6 CVH carburettor( as seen in the mk3 Escort XR3) engine or fuel injected 1.6 CVH engine (seen in the XR3i)
  • XR3i: 1.6 CVH engine equipped with the Bosch KE Jetronic fuel injection system Producing 105BHP
  • RS(Rallye Sport) Turbo: 1.6 CVH fuel injected engine with Garrett T3 Turbo producing 132BHP

In Brazil, the trim designations were a bit different for the Mark IV:

  • Hobby - 1.0 CHT motor
  • L: 1.4, 1.6 petrol/alchool
  • GL: 1.4, 1.6 petrol/alchool
  • Ghia: 1.6, 1.8. 2.0 Petrol/alchool
  • Conversivel (cabriolet): 1.6, 1.8. 2.0 Petrol/alchool
  • XR3: 1.6, 1.8. 2.0 Petrol/alchool

There were special series in Brazil:

  • XR3 Formula: 1.8 VW motor Petrol/alchool, electronic suspension
  • Guaruja: 1.8 VW motor petrol/alchool, 5 doors

Note that in Brazil, the 1.8 and 2.0 motors were made by VolksWagen as part of the AutoLatina agreement, where Ford motors were used in VW cars and vice-versa. The 1.0 and 1.6 were all ford CHT motors. All Escorts made after 1993 were fuel injected. Also, the Mark IV model was made until 1992.

As well as an all-new interior, a new 1.4 L derivative of the CVH engine was introduced, as well as numerous suspension tweaks to address the long standing criticisms of the Escort's handling and ride quality, although these had limited success. A new LX version was introduced in 1987 in order to bridge the gap between the L and GL models. In 1989, the diesel engine was enlarged to 1.8 L, and the poorly‐performing 1.1 L version was finally dropped from the range. To sell the last few 1.1l engines a special variant call the 'Finesse' was released by Polar Ford. This car featured XR3i colour-coded bumpers, vinyl decorations on the bodywork and a Capri style vinyl spoiler. Underneath the cars were identical to the standard Popular trim level.

The Orion was also proving popular with the motoring public, and Ford also gave the Escort‐based saloon a similar makeover. Carried over from the previous range was the 3–speed automatic which was ultimately replaced late in the production run with a variant of the CTX stepless gearbox as first used in the Fiesta a couple of years earlier.

At this time, the Escort was dropped in South Africa and replaced by the Laser and Meteor, although the Escort‐based Bantam pickup remained in production, facelifted, and also sold as a Mazda Rustler.

This Escort continued production until 1995 in some foreign markets, especially Latin America. In 1993, the Escort Hobby trim was introduced in Brazil, using a 1.0-litre 50hp engine derived from the European 1.1-litre. This was done in order to be eligible for tax breaks.

The 1.0-litre engine was unique to Brazil, whereas the 1.1-litre engine was sold worldwide. This special 1.0 motor was the same CHT 1.6 used in the Escort but with smaller pistons/chambers making it less powerful but very economic. A very popular kit changed the pistons/crank rods to make the motor a 1.3L one. This kit was made by COFAP in Brazil.

Interesting to note that there were NO trims with a more powerful motorization in Brazil. No turbos or cosworth versions. The most powerful Escort was the Escort XR3 Formula 1991, which had 125CV. Also, the onboard computer wasn't avaiable in any trims/years in Brazil.

1992 Escort Mark V
1992 Escort Mark V

The fifth generation Escort platform (and Mark III Orion saloon) arrived in September 1990 with an all-new bodyshell and a simplified torsion beam rear suspension (instead of the Mark III's fully independent layout). Initially the 1.3 L, 1.4 L and 1.6 L CVH petrol and 1.8 L diesel units were carried over from the old model, and were starting to show their age in terms of refinement especially compared to Rover's state of the art K-Series engine launched in 1989.

Despite being the most eagerly awaited model for year the Escort and Orion ranges were subjected to a surprising amount of criticism from the media and motoring public alike. Its downmarket interior design, bland looks and disappointing handling were the main reasons for this bad press. Some owners were also disappointed by the levels of quality. Despite this, the Escort remained hugely popular with buyers, coming second in the British car sales charts in 1990 and 1991 before topping the charts in 1992. The Orion was less popular, failing to feature in the Top 10 best selling cars in Britain after 1990.

Matters improved in 1991 when the all new Zetec 16-valve engines were launched bringing improved driveability, while also marking the return of the XR3i which was available with 2 versions of the 1.8 litre Zetec engine. The 150 bhp (112 kW) RS2000 also appeared in 1991 with a 16v version of the Sierra's I4 2.0 litre engine and also improved ride and handling meaning a Mark V Escort finally delivered on the road. Specification, however, were also higher than before. The Escort was now available with items such as power steering, electric windows, central locking, electronic antilock brakes and even air conditioning.

1992 saw the launch of the Escort RS Cosworth, and a 5th generation Escort that was genuinely considered excellent. Intended to replace the Sapphire RS Cosworth as Ford's stalwart rally challenger, it used a turbocharged version of the 2.0 L Cosworth 16-valve engine, generated some 227 PS (167 kW) and was capable of 225 km/h (140 mph), as well as having four-wheel drive. Its most memorable feature was its outrageous "whale-tail" tailgate spoiler. The Cosworth ceased production in 1996 but the 2,500 road-going examples sold (required for homologation purposes) have already achieved classic status. However, the car wasn't really an Escort at all, being based from a Sierra floorpan and mechanicals, including its longitudinally mounted engine, and was merely clothed in body panels to look (supposedly) like a standard Mark V.

The fifth generation Escort was launched in South America in 1992, being manufactured in Brazil and Argentina by Autolatina, a joint-venture between Volkswagen and Ford. This resulted with the top of the line Escort XR3i being equipped with a VW AP 2.0L engine generating 115.5 hp / 86 kW (although this value is supposed to be lower than the actual value, a practice that was done before with the 1989 XR3 model). This generation also spawned two VW-branded cars with the same mechanics (but different body styles and interiors) called Pointer (five-door hatchback) and Logus, a two-door sedan.

Engines:

  • 1.4 CFi (1393 cc) CVH 52 kW
  • 1.4 EFi (1393 cc) CVH 55 kW
  • 1.4 G (1393 cc) CVH 54 kW
  • 1.6 EFi (1597 cc) CVH 79 kW
  • 1.6 G/H (1597 cc) CVH 66 kW
  • 1.6 EFi (1598 cc) Zetec 66 kW
  • 1.8 EFi (1796 cc) Zetec 77/85/96 kW
  • 1.8 D (1753 cc) Endura D 44 kW
  • 1.8 TD (1753 cc) Endura D 66 kW
  • 2.0 EFi (1998 cc) Ford I4 Engine 110 kW
  • 2.0 (1993 cc) Cosworth YBT 167 kW

Escort Mark V b (facelifted) hatchback
Escort Mark V b (facelifted) hatchback
Escort Mark V b (facelifted) saloon
Escort Mark V b (facelifted) saloon

Stung by the criticism of the original Mark V, Ford facelifted the Escort and Orion in September 1992, giving the revised cars a new grille, bonnet and, in the Escort hatch's case, a new rear end. A new 1.6L 16-valve 90 bhp (66 kW) Zetec engine was introduced, replacing the previous CVH. Fuel injection was now standard on all petrol models and Ford introduced a four wheel drive variant of the RS2000, offering much improved handling over its front wheel drive cousins. A first for the Escort also saw the introduction of all 4 wheel disc brakes as standard on all RS2000 models.

Also new for 1993 were 1.3 and 1.4 CFi petrol and 1.8D diesel engines.

In 1993, the Orion name was quietly dropped, the saloon taking on the Escort badge. The crash structure was also improved, featuring side impact bars, improved crumple zones and later on, airbags. Though it appears airbags became standard much earlier in the UK, as there are L-reg cars with at least a driver's airbag present. These revisions made the Escort and Orion much better cars and they were competitive against rivals, if still not the best in class.

The Facelifted Mark V Escort is sometimes referred to in error as the Mark VI, with the Mark VI in turn wrongly being called the Mark VII, which never in fact existed. UK based enthusiasts generally agree that the model be referred to as the Mark V b.[citation needed]

Escort Mark VI Ghia
Escort Mark VI Ghia
Escort Mark VI RS2000
Escort Mark VI RS2000
Escort Mark VI based van: Escort based light vans had been offered since 1968, although the market sector, always larger in the UK than in continental Europe, dated back beyond the 1950s when successive Ford Anglias had been available with a van variant.  After the demise of the Escort, Ford would be represented in this niche by the Turkish assembled Ford Transit Connect.
Escort Mark VI based van: Escort based light vans had been offered since 1968, although the market sector, always larger in the UK than in continental Europe, dated back beyond the 1950s when successive Ford Anglias had been available with a van variant. After the demise of the Escort, Ford would be represented in this niche by the Turkish assembled Ford Transit Connect.

The Escort was thoroughly revised in January 1995, although it was still based on the previous model. This version had new front lights, bonnet, front wings, front and rear bumpers, wing mirrors and door handles. The interior of both cars was hugely revised too, featuring an all new dashboard arrangement of competitive quality. However, the underlying car was now five years old and most of its rivals were either new or to be imminently replaced.

Dynamically, the handling and ride were also much improved with revised suspension set up from that on the previous Mark V / V b models. The sporty "Si" model had slightly stiffer suspension than the LX and Ghia variants, although the Si was otherwise the same as the LX with some additional standard, mainly cosmetic, enhancements such as front and rear spoilers (which were also available as options on the LX).

The RS2000 models ceased production in June 1996, and were the last Escorts ever to wear the famous RS badge. The RS badge did not resurface until the Focus RS arrived in 2002. A new Ghia X model was introduced around 1996, which included air conditioning and a 6 CD multichanger as standard. Although the equipment of the Ghia below it was reduced, it was now more affordable.

The last "standard" model to be introduced in 1997 was the GTi - the only GTi badged Ford to ever be sold in Europe. This used the same existing 115ps (85 kW) 1.8 Zetec-E engine found in other cars in the range, but included a bodykit borrowed from the now cancelled RS2000 model, part-leather seats plus the standard fitment of ABS. The GTi was available in both three- and five-door variants.

In 1998, Ford announced an all-new car, the Focus, which was launched as a replacement for the 32 year old Escort, although the Escort would continue to be produced, as a move to give Ford's loyal Escort buyers time to get used to the Focus's (at that time) cutting edge design.

With the arrival of the Focus, the Escort range was overhauled offering "Flight" and "Finesse" run-out editions. The 1.3, 1.4 and 1.8 petrol engines, and the three-door hatchback and four-door saloon bodystyles, were dropped (except in mainland Europe, New Zealand, South Africa and South America) and the only versions remaining were the 1.6 petrol and 1.8 diesel. Prices were made more competitive and this managed to keep European Escort sales going until the last one rolled off the Halewood assembly line in July 2000, though stocks lasted into 2001 and several Y-registered examples were sold.

The van variant kept going until 2002 when the new Transit Connect model was introduced. The Escort hatchback and station wagon were produced in Argentina until 2004, being sold side-by-side with its successor, the Focus.

Engines:

  • 1.3 CFi (1299 cc) HCS 44 kW
  • 1.3 CFi/H (1299 cc) HCS 44 kW
  • 1.3 EFi (1299 cc) HCS 37/44 kW
  • 1.4 CFi (1393 cc) CVH 52 kW
  • 1.4 EFi (1393 cc) CVH 55 kW
  • 1.6 G (1598 cc) CVH 66 kW
  • 1.6 EFi (1597 cc) Zetec 66 kW
  • 1.8 D (1753 cc) Endura D 44 kW
  • 1.8 DT (1753 cc) Endura D 55/66 kW
  • 1.8 EFi (1796 cc) Zetec 85/96 kW
  • 2.0 EFi (1998 cc) Ford I4 Engine 110 kW

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Type 1960s 1970s 1980s
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5
Supermini Fiesta I Fiesta II
Small family car Anglia 105E/Super Anglia 123E Escort I Escort II Escort III
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Zodiac II Zodiac III Zodiac IV
Coupé Consul Capri Capri I Capri II Capri III
<- Previous Ford car timeline, European market, 1980s-present  v  d  e 
Type 1980s 1990s 2000s
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
City car Ka I Ka II
Supermini Fiesta I Fiesta II Fiesta III Fiesta IV Fiesta V Fiesta VI Fiesta VII
Small family car Escort III / Orion I Escort IV / Orion II Escort V / Orion III Escort Vb Escort VI Focus I Focus II
Large family car Cortina V Sierra I Sierra II Mondeo I Mondeo II Mondeo III Mondeo IV
Executive car Granada II Scorpio I / Granada III Scorpio II
Coupé Capri Puma
Probe Cougar
Crossover SUV Kuga
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Top Matching Results

Occasionally Search.com will highlight specialized results that are based on the context of your query. Examples of specialized results include specific links to news, images, or video.

Top Matching Results may highlight information from other Search.com pages, content from the CNET Network of sites, or third party content. The listings are based purely on relevance. Search.com does not receive payment for listings in this section but our partners that provide this data may get paid for listing these products.

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Search.com sends your search query to several search engines at one time and integrates the results into one list which has been sorted by relevance using Search.com's proprietary algorithm. You can customize the list of search engines included in your metasearch from the preferences.

The search engines that are used in your metasearch may allow companies to pay to have their Web sites included within the results. To view the Paid Inclusion policy for a specific search engine, please visit their Web site. Search.com does not accept payment or share revenue with any search engine partner for listings in this section.