By someone who appreciates a well-told automotive yarn, preferably with a cuppa in hand
A pristine restored Ford Escort Mk1 – the way many remember them from rally glory days
If there’s a car that embodies the spirit of “make do and mend” with a dash of sideways heroics, it’s the Ford Escort Mk1. And in South Africa, where the sun bakes tarmac into a rally stage and ingenuity is as common as braai smoke, this humble British saloon has carved out a legacy as rugged as the Drakensberg mountains. Let’s amble through its tale, shall we?
The Escort Mk1: A Rally Legend Turned Cult Classic
Born in 1968, the Mk1 Escort was Ford’s answer to the Mini Cooper S—a unassuming family car that, with a few tweaks (or a full-blown Cosworth BDA engine), could dominate rally stages. Its rear-wheel-drive simplicity, lightweight chassis, and “Coke bottle” curves made it a motorsport darling, winning everything from the RAC Rally to the London-to-Mexico World Cup Rally.
Left: Original 1968 interior with period-correct vinyl. Right: Modern restomod with racing buckets seats.
By the 1970s, it was the poster child for underdog glory, a car that could out-drive pricier rivals while still fetching the groceries. But while Europe celebrated its rally triumphs, South Africa forged its own relationship with the Escort—one part nostalgia, one part boerewors-fueled improvisation.
South Africa’s Escort Obsession: Rust, Rat Rods, and Racing
In a land where classic cars are either cherished relics or barn-find projects, the Mk1 Escort occupies a peculiar niche. As original examples became rare (and eye-wateringly expensive), South African petrolheads like Ray Venter took matters into their own hands. Ray’s story is quintessentially local: unable to afford a genuine Mk1, he commissioned a custom space-frame chassis draped in a fibreglass body made to look deliberately rusty.
Yes, you read that right. Using Dulux enamel and “Fired Earth Liquid Rust,” Ray’s “Fraudscort” masquerades as a weathered relic but packs a turbocharged Pinto engine good for 270hp—a delightful contradiction of form and function.
This DIY spirit isn’t new. In the 1980s, South Africa became a haven for orphaned prototypes like Ford’s ill-fated RS1700T Group B rally car. When Ford scrapped the project, a handful of these rear-drive turbocharged curiosities found their way to the Cape, where homologation rules were more… flexible. Today, these cars are the stuff of local legend, lurking in garages between Johannesburg and Durban.
Modern Resurrections: When Old Meets New (and Turbocharged)
South Africa’s Escort love affair isn’t stuck in the past. Boreham Motorworks—yes, that Boreham, Ford’s historic rally division—recently teased a “continuation” Escort Mk1, blending vintage aesthetics with modern tech like LED headlights and (presumably) air conditioning.
Meanwhile, the auction scene hints at the Escort’s enduring allure. A rotisserie-restored 1968 Mk1, fitted with a 365hp Cosworth YBT turbo engine, recently sold for £39,250—proof that even in a world of hypercars, a well-sorted Escort still turns heads.
Why the Escort Mk1 Endures
The Escort Mk1 isn’t just a car; it’s a blank canvas. In South Africa, where resourcefulness is a national sport, it’s been reimagined as a rat rod, a drag strip terror, and a rally relic reborn. It’s a car that invites you to tinker, to weld, to paint faux rust on fibreglass, and to laugh when purists clutch their pearls.
The Escort Mk1 in its natural habitat – preferably sideways on gravel
As Ray Venter’s turbocharged “Fraudscort” hurtles down a drag strip, or a weathered RS1700T prototype emerges from a Karoo barn, one thing is clear: the Escort Mk1 isn’t just surviving in South Africa—it’s thriving, fueled by equal parts petrol and lekker ingenuity. And really, what could be more brilliant than that?
