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Ford Escort Mk1 and Mk2 (1968 to 1980)

By Jon Cosson · Last checked 13 October 2026

The rear-drive Ford Escort Mk1 and Mk2 (1968 to 1980) are among the best-loved British classics, from basic saloons to rally-bred RS models. They are simple to work on and well supported, but rust and faked identities are the two big risks, so condition and provenance matter more than badges.

At a glance

Years: 1968 to 1980 (Mk1 launched January 1968, Mk2 on sale January 1975, replaced by the front-drive Mk3 in 1980)
Body styles: two-door and four-door saloon, three-door estate, van
Engines: Kent overhead-valve (1.1, 1.3, 1.6 Crossflow), Pinto overhead-cam (1.6, 2.0), Lotus Twin Cam 1558cc, Cosworth BDA 16-valve (RS1600, RS1800)
Built in: Halewood (England); RS and Mexico models at Ford's Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) plant, Aveley, Essex, 1970 to 1975; Saarlouis (Germany), including Mk2 RS Mexico shells; plus other European and overseas plants

Why people buy one

Simple, light, rear-wheel-drive mechanicals that most classic mechanics know well.
Parts supply is among the best for any British-market classic, including new steel panels and complete shells.
Huge club and motorsport following, so knowledge and help are easy to find.
A genuine Mexico, RS2000, RS1600, RS1800 or Twin Cam is an important piece of Ford rally history.
Ordinary saloons and estates in original, unmodified condition are now scarce and have their own following.
Small enough to garage easily and economical to run.

What to weigh up

Rust is the main problem: panels were welded and few were painted inside, so corrosion can be widespread and hidden.
Fakes are common. Classic & Sports Car warns there are probably more non-original Mk2 RS1800s and Mexicos than factory cars, and Mk1 AVO cars and Twin Cams have been widely copied or reshelled.
Two-door Escorts have been stolen and converted, so paperwork and numbers need careful checking. A replica is fine if it is sold openly as one.
Many cars have been lowered, re-engined or modified for competition, sometimes without matching gearbox, axle or suspension upgrades.
The cabin is cramped and refinement is basic by modern standards.
The later Escorts (the front-drive XR3, XR3i, RS1600i and RS Turbo, and the four-wheel-drive RS Cosworth) are entirely different cars and are not covered here.

Where they rust

Front suspension strut tops, often the first place to rot on a Mk1.
Front inner wings and bonnet mountings.
Front and rear of the outer front wings.
Base of the windscreen and scuttle area.
Sills and door bottoms.
Floorpans and boot floor, often from water leaks (lift the carpets and boot mat).
Front and rear valances.
All four wheelarches.
Rear spring hangers and the mounting points for the rear radius arms on sporting models.

Mechanical weak spots

Kent engines suffer noisy tappets from worn cam followers; blue smoke points to worn bores or rings.
Pinto engines wear their camshafts if the oil spray bar blocks from poor servicing; a hammering top end is the clue, and the cam belt needs changing every 30,000 miles or five years.
Twin Cam and BDA engines are specialist work, and an engine that does not match the advertised specification is common.
The original Autolite or Ford carburettors wear; Weber conversions are widespread.
Gearboxes rumble when bearings wear and jump out of gear on the overrun when tired; check the clutch biting point.
Rear axles leak oil and rear wheel bearings get noisy; check for play in the steering rack, split rack gaiters and worn suspension bushes.
Front clonks usually mean a worn anti-roll bar or broken coil spring; MacPherson struts can leak.
Electrics suffer poor earths, and untidy extra wiring around the fusebox is a warning sign.

At a Mathewsons viewing

Check the VIN plate and any stamped chassis number on the strut tops against the V5C, and ask whether the engine number matches the records.
On a claimed Mexico, RS or Twin Cam, look under the rear for the radius arms above the axle and at the strut-top reinforcements; their absence suggests a replica, though their presence alone does not prove a car is genuine.
Lift the carpets and boot mat and press the floors, sills and boot floor for damp, soft metal or fresh underseal.
Open the bonnet and look at the inner wings, strut tops and bonnet hinge areas for rot, filler or recent welding, and check for oily scum in the coolant header tank.
If staff start the car, listen for top-end hammering or tappet noise and watch for blue smoke; do not assume it will be started.

Parts, specialists and clubs

Mechanical parts, trim and body panels are widely available, and complete new bodyshells have been produced, which is one reason re-shelled and recreated cars are so common. The Ford AVO Owners' Club keeps registers of Mk1 sporting Escorts, and the Ford RS Owners Club covers Mk1 and Mk2 RS models; both can help check a car's history before you bid.

Seen on Bangers & Cash

Ford Escort (Bangers & Cash series 1, episode 3, First shown May 2019)
Ford Escort (Bangers & Cash series 1, episode 9, First shown June 2019)
Ford Escort Mk1 (Bangers & Cash series 1, episode 10, First shown June 2019)
Ford RS2000 (Bangers & Cash series 3, episode 9, First shown December 2020)
1970s Ford Escort Mk1 Twin Cam (Bangers & Cash series 6, episode 13, First shown November 2022)
1980 Ford Escort (Bangers & Cash series 7, episode 7, First shown March 2023)
Ford RS2000 (Bangers & Cash series 7, episode 8, First shown March 2023)
Ford Mexico (Bangers & Cash series 10, episode 1, First shown August 2024)
1976 Ford Mexico Mk2 (Bangers & Cash series 10, episode 8, First shown September 2024)
Ford Escort Mexico replica (Bangers & Cash series 11, episode 13, First shown April 2025)
Ford Escort (Bangers & Cash series 12, episode 10, First shown October 2025)
Ford Escort Rally Car (Bangers & Cash series 13, episode 4, First shown February 2026)
Ford Escort (Bangers & Cash series 14, episode 9, First shown September 2026 on U&Yesterday)
Ford Escort Mexico (Restoring Classics series 6, episode 6, First shown May 2025 on U&Yesterday)

Sources

Ford Escort Mk1 & Mk2 buyer's guide (Classics World), 22 February 2023
Buyer's guide: Ford Escort Mk2 (Classic & Sports Car), 17 January 2020
Buyer's guide: Ford Escort Mk1 (Classic & Sports Car), 20 November 2024
Ford AVO: Essex high performance (Hagerty UK), 19 August 2015
40 years of the Mark 2 Escort RS1800 (Hagerty UK), 16 July 2015
Escort Mk2 RS1800 (Ford RS Owners Club), accessed 13 October 2026

An independent guide from Thornton-le-Dale. Not connected with Mathewsons or the programme.