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In‘Lux’specandinunderstatedMallardGreen,thisgrown-up
EscortCossieis stilleveryinchthehooligan,saysDaleVinten
1993 Ford Escort RS Cosworth £44,950
CHOOSEYOURESCORTRSCOSWORTH
Basedona SapphireCosworth4x4floorpan
andintroducedin 199 2,thefirst 2500carswere
WRCGroupA homologationspecials.
Earlycarswere fittedwitha 2.0 litre,straight-
fourCosworthYBT enginecoupledwitha
Garrett T35 turbocharger.Somewerealso
offeredasa Limitededitionstripped-down
‘Motorsport’modelwithfewerluxuries.‘Lux’
variantscamewithelectricwindows,sunroof,
heatedwindscreenandleatherRecaroseats.
1994 sawtheT35 turboreplacedwitha
smallerT25that drasticallyreducedlagat the
expenseof a fewbhp. Thesecarswereoffered
withorwithoutthewhale-tailrearspoiler.
1996 wasthefinalyearof a 7145unit
productionrun.
Originalpaintwork is in
excellentcondition– even
thefront splitter is spotless
Heated leather
Recaros are in
good condition
Quote £655.91comprehensive,max 3000
milesperyear,garaged.Call 03333231181
T
his is an early Lux version of
the all-time great fast Ford, so
comes with a host of interior
accoutrements including
electric windows, sunroof,
heated windscreen and leather
Recaro seats. As an early
Cosworth, it’s fitted with the
YBT engine and larger Garrett
T35 turbocharger mated to the five-speed
MT75 manual and four-wheel drive
system. It’s painted in original Mallard
Green paint which is in fantastic condition
with no scratches, fading or rust anywhere.
There are no signs of any crash damage,
dodgy welding or inconsistent panel gaps.
Underneath the car is equally sound
and free from corrosion and the wheel
arches and sills are in perfect condition.
The factory alloy wheels have not been
kerbed or scuffed, are wrapped in new,
low-profile Accelera PHI-R rubber and all
centre caps are present and correct. The
famous whaletail spoiler is spotless, as
are the front splitter, bumpers and bonnet
vents. The engine bay benefits from a
blue strut brace and matching aftermarket
pipework but unfortunately the paint on
the camshaft cover is flaking.
Overall, the area under the bonnet is
clean and well presented and there are
no oil leaks visible from the motor or
drivetrain. It’s a similar story inside the car
and the interior has been well maintained,
including the boot space. The Recaro seats
are still firm but comfortable with only
minimal wear to the driver’s bolster, and
the carpets, headlining and door cards are
in good condition showing no evidence of
any water ingress. All electrics, dials and
switches work as intended and the only
areas that require attention are the gear
shift gaiter – the leather is badly worn and
the collar is loose – and the driver’s side
overmat which is a little shabby from wear.
Out on the road the engine revs freely
and pulls well throughout the range. The
gearbox feels firm and direct and each
gear engages positively. Oil pressure sits
at just over 2.5bar when warm and there
is no white smoke from the exhaust,
indicating a healthy turbo. The handling
is precise, suspension firm without being
uncomfortable and the steering remains
direct and well weighted. The brakes
are strong, pulling the car up straight
without any squealing or vibration. The
temperature gauge sits at mid-point when
1993 Ford Escort RS Cosworth
Price £44,950 Contact Roman Garages, Lincolnshire (01476 563001, romangarages.com) Engine 19 93cc dohc
in-line4- cylturboPower22 4bhp@6250rpmTorque220lbft @3500rpmPerformanceTopspeed:140mph;
0-60mph5.8secFuelconsumption25mpgLength4211mmWidth 1738 mm
the engine is up to temperature without
deviating at idle. We tested this car on
some engaging B-roads and it really does
imbue the feeling of a Group A Rally champ
when driven enthusiastically.
The car has had four owners and covered
104,000 miles. A comprehensive service
history from a mixture of Ford dealerships
and specialist garages instils confidence
and the service book shows regular stamps
dating back to 1993, backed up by a broad
history file of old receipts and MoTs as well
as parts bought from main dealers. It will be
given a fresh service prior to sale.
This is a fantastic original car with
extensive history that has lived a charmed
life while retaining everything that made it
so special back in the early Nineties.
Strut brace and
blue pipework are
non-standard
ADS ON TEST
