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Ford Escort Mk1 Mexico Highly original, low miles, unique! 1973

General description : Unique is an often abused description for a car. It is rare that a car truly deserves this status. A special colour or low mileage does not automatically qualify a particular car. That is unless it just happens to be a car that at the time was unlikely to remain in exceptional shape with a low mileage, like this 1973 Ford Escort Mk1 Mexico. The Mexico was a special edition of the Mk1 Ford Escort to celebrate Ford’s successes in the London to Mexico rally. Hannu Mikkola and Gunnar Palm won the 1970 edition of this exacting rally. The Ford marketing department saw a golden opportunity to turn this rallying success into a nice profit in the showroom. Using a special edition of the Ford Escort was the way. Involvement of Ford’s racing department was used in developing the Mexico. Looking at the long list of accessories and choices that came with its introduction, it was no surprise that the Mexico was an enormous sales success. The Mexico had a 1600 cc 4-cylinder engine with a single overhead cam producing 86 Hp. In todays money that may not seem impressive, but with its close-ratio gearbox and a curb eight of just 850 kg, the Mexico was able to achieve very respectable performance. According to todays standards this performance is still good. You can just imagine how it was received in the 70’s! Let us now reflect on the various guises that were available at the time. It would be utterly unthinkable that a current family car manufacturer would allow a buyer the option to spec up a car to be immediately ready for the rally track. Yet that is exactly what Ford did with the Mexico. It is therefore no surprise that many buyers choose the Mexico for rallying. You only needed to add a few flourishes to qualify for a competition. Ford sold over 10,000 Mexico's. You may think that this means that it is not really a rare classic. Nothing could be further from the truth! The first Mexico's used for rallying were usually scrapped before the end of the first season. If not in their first year then certainly the following year. Many of the Ford Escort Mexico's died in harness. The were literally thrashed to death by their owners. The story of our lovely “Olympic Blue” Ford Escort Mexico is however completely the opposite. It has only had two owners over the last 47 years and clocked up just over 1,000 km per year on average. This Ford Escort Mexico has an incredibly low mileage of less than 58,000 km! Besides this low mileage, this Ford Escort Mexico’s overall condition is incomparable. The only way for a 47 year old car to keep its looks is by very good care and keeping her garaged, which is exactly what has happened here. Good condition and low mileage are not the only criteria to make this car unique. We need to appreciate the car’s full history and overall shape. This Ford Escort Mexico is presented in excellent original unrestored condition. It is literally one of a kind. We are sure that it would be quite a challenge to find one in this kind of condition, probably impossible! So let’s have a look at some naked facts and figures. In total 200 Mexico's were supplied in Olympic Blue by the factory. Of these 200, 3 ended up in the Netherlands of which this is the only survivor. This Ford Escort Mexico Mk1 has a perfect configuration. As stated earlier, the ways the Mexico could be configured were almost infinite. In short Ford allowed one the option of building your road worthy dream rally Mexico or a sporty version with all mod cons for use on the main roads and anything in between these extremes. Our Mexico is the happy medium. This car is fully carpeted but also has bucket seats, a deep dish 3-spoke steering wheels, Cibie spots and magnesium Minilite wheels. Perfection? Your decision! The main reason for the Mexico's sales success was Ford’s decision to fit the simple, quirky but powerful 1600 cc 4-cylinder. The purchase price remained therefor relatively low, whilst delivering attractive performance. Looking at the original bill of sales amongst the very extensive documentation, the low purchase price was no gamble. In todays money the car cost a ridiculous low 11,580 Dutch guilders. The first owner used the Dutch Sittard based Auto Könings to order his car. On the 2nd August 1973 the moment was finally there for him to collect his new pride and joy. Looking at the car today it is as if the car used a time-machine to get to 2020 rather than the conventional road. A proper time capsule. The bodywork is in fine original condition with lovely thin and correctly aligned body panels. The mainly original paintwork is well maintained with only minor signs of use. Underneath the Escort everything is in exceptional original condition, free from any rust. The original interior is very neatly preserved. It is lovely to see such simple design, the like of which is now no longer simply possible. Mechanically this Escort is in perfect shape. Thanks to the low mileage and excellent maintenance the engine has never needed to be overhauled. The engine runs perfectly smooth. The transmission is supple and as sure-footed as expected from a car of this caliber. The suspension, brakes, steering mechanism all underpin the car’s exceptional state and is a testament to the good care and attention lavished by its two previous owners. By now you must have realised that this is a very special car. Impossible to find and originality can not be bought! Except upto now that is, so do not delay! Gallery Aaldering is Europe’s leading Classic Cars specialist since 1975! Always 400 Classic and Sportscars in stock, please visit http://www.gallery-aaldering.com for the current stock list (all offered cars are available in our showroom) and further information. We are located near the German border, 95 km from Düsseldorf and 90 km from Amsterdam. So easy traveling by plane, train, taxi and car. Transport and worldwide shipping can be arranged. No duties/import costs within Europe. We buy, sell and provide consignment sales (selling on behalf of the owner). We can arrange/provide registration/papers for our German (H-Kennzeichen, TÜV, Fahrzeugbrief, Wertgutachten usw.) and Benelux customers. Gallery Aaldering, Arnhemsestraat 47, 6971 AP Brummen, The Netherlands. Tel: 0031-575-564055. Quality, experience and transparency is what sets us apart. We look forward to welcoming you in our showroom

http://www.gallery-aaldering.com/ford-escort-mk1-mexico-highly-original-low-miles-unique-en

1973 Ford Escort Mk1 Mexico Highly original, low miles, unique! is listed sold on ClassicDigest in Brummen by Gallery Dealer for €58500.

 

Car Facts

Car type : Car Make : Ford Model : Escort Model Version : Mk1 Mexico Highly original, low miles, unique! Engine size : 0.0 Model Year : 1973 Sub type : Coupé Location : Brummen

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About Ford
Ford, founded in 1902, has arguably changed the history of automotive world more than any other car manufacturer by introducing the first people's car Model T in 1908. They had produced more than 15 million cars by the end of the production in 1927, by which T had become obsolete.

Ford launched the first low priced V8 engine powered car in 1932. 1932 V8 was an instant hit with superior handling and performance to many far more expansive cars of the day. No wonder 32 V8 Ford has become such a favourite among hot rodders around the world with 32 Deuce coupe as their icon.

During the war Ford completely shut down civilian vehicle production to dedicate all its resources to the Allied war efforts (1942-45) They used to build B-24 bombers, aircraft engines, jeeps, M-4 tanks, military trucks and Bren-gun carriers and more than 30,000 super-charged Rolls Royce Merlin V-12 engines for Mosquito and Lancaster bombers as well as P-51 Mustang fighters. After the war Ford cars in the USA got bigger and flashier along with their competitors. In the 60's Ford was back in the forefront again when introducing their commercial hit Mustang in 1964. Mustang was so popular the competition had to follow Ford's example and the ponycar phenomenon took over the US. Over the years the ponies grew some muscles until the oil crisis kill finally killed them off.

In the sixties Ford rushed into international motor sports scene with a fury. After unsuccessful Ferrari takeover, when Enzo Ferrari had cut the deal off with Henry Ford II making the latter absolutely boil with fury, Ford turned to Lola in UK to produce a Ferrari beating long distance racer after. The collaboration between Ford and Lola created the mighty Ford GT40 that absolutely beat Ferrari in Le Mans 24 numerous times.

In Europe, Ford introduced some of the most epic race and rally cars of the 60's based on humble family sedans; Cortina GT, Lotus Cortina, Escort Twin Cam, and Escort 1600RS with the iconic Cosworth BDA engines.

Today classic Fords are extremely popular with enthusiasts and a great selection of classic Fords can be found for sale at www.ClassicDigest.com