Lot Ended
Description
Early carburettor model; restored at a cost of over £10k about 17
years ago, including rebuilt engine, and only 300 miles since; a super example
of this classic Eighties hot hatch at a very tempting guide price
The MkIII generation of Ford’s already legendary Escort
was in production from 1980 to 1986 and featured novelties such as front-wheel
drive and a newly-fashionable hatchback body. To compete head-on with VW’s
all-conquering Golf GTi, a hot XR3 version was available which signalled its
sporty prowess with a distinctive whale-tail spoiler and cloverleaf alloy
wheels.
Featuring a tuned version of the
1.6-litre CVH engine fitted with a twin-choke Weber carburettor, uprated
suspension and numerous cosmetic alterations, it instantly caught the public’s
imagination and became a cult car with boy racers of the Eighties. With 96bhp on
tap the XR3 could sprint to 60 in 9 seconds on its way to a top speed of 113mph
which made it every bit as fast as the Golf GTi even with 14bhp
less.
First registered in June 1981, this particular XR3 is a special car
indeed. A previous owner had once owned the car as a teenager and in 2006,
now a well-heeled collector, he spotted it for sale and bought it back for
sentimental reasons. Together with his son he then set about restoring the car
for old times’ sake, eventually spending countless hours and over £10,000 to
bring it to the fine condition you see today.
The full specification is
far too detailed to list in full but is amply covered in the huge history file
that accompanies the car, with many bills and photographs. Virtually every part
of the car has been renewed or restored with many upgrades including a rebuilt
engine with Kent high-lift cam, uprated Weber carb and K&N air filters;
Jamex uprated suspension; RS Turbo front brakes with Goodrich braided hoses all
round; RS Turbo seats and steering wheel; silver faced dials; new clutch;
new wiring loom; stainless steel header tank and Scorpion exhaust etc.
The bodywork was also fully restored with many
new panels and repainted in the original SVO special order black, the car
sitting on its correct wheels with new Pirelli Cinturato
tyres.
Our vendor acquired the car via
Brightwells in 2013 at which point it had barely been driven since the
restoration was completed. He has also kept it as part of a collection and it
seems from the MOT history that it has still only covered some 300 miles since
the rebuild.
As you can see in the photos it
still looks great, the only real blemish we noted being a few scratches on the
bonnet. Starting promptly and running sweetly as we have moved it around on
site, this thoroughly rejuvenated and sensibly uprated XR3 is barely run-in yet
and is ready for a new owner to enjoy.
For more information contact
James on 07970 309907 or email james.dennison@brightwells.com