August 2019 59epperpot alloys, fade-out sidestripes and
a pair of grille-mounted spotlights. Boxy
and brutish, any first-generation Fiesta
XR2 knows how to make a mark. This example
— a 1982 car with 47,000 miles and flawless
Diamond White paint — goes even further:
all-but entirely original, it’s a time capsule of a
go-fast decade. No wonder Mick and Allan
Lewis, father-and-son concours competitors,
itched to buy it. “We’d heard about it for a
while,” says Allan, “but it wasn’t advertised for
sale and the owner didn’t want to sell.” The pair
wouldn’t take no for an answer. It took months
of persuasion but the XR2 is now their own.Both Ford lovers have been here before. Mick
owned a silver, 1983 XR2 when it was barely
two years old and Allan, then aged 10, quickly
fell in love. “We had fond memories of that
Fiesta,” he smiles, “so I ended up with a white
one of my own when I was 16.” He’d keep the
car until he was 19, selling only to trade up to
the hot hatchback’s Mk2 replacement. “I wish
I’d kept my Mk1 though,” he muses, “it was my
first car and I’ve always regretted letting it go.”
Allan was behind the wheel as they drove the
XR2 home. “I had a smile from ear to ear,” he
remembers, “then I put my foot down in third
gear and thought ‘What’s going on here?’”More used to his Ultimate Green Mk2 Focus
RS, the Ford fan was experiencing a culture
shock — and he didn’t want to change a second.
“I thought my shoulder was popping of its
socket at the first corner but it’s a lot better than
the one I had decades ago. Even the gearbox
still feels tight: this Fiesta could be a new car.”
The benefits of a three-owner history don’t
end there. The bodywork, engine, driveline,
suspension, brakes, wheel and tyres are all
original, as is the entire interior. Looking at the
taut and spotless bench, Allan also maintains
that the rear seats have never been occupied. A
bulging paperwork file only adds to the Fiesta’sP