At the very start of 2021 we brought you a story of a brand new Mk2 Escort (original story at this link) that is a recreation of Ford’s small family car. That very same company has followed through with its promise to produce another iconic shape. This week the MST Mk1 Escort was officially introduced in the UK. There aren’t many Fords on our wish-list of cars to drive, but this is definitely one of them.

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Rally raider

UK firm Motorsport Tools (MST) are big fans of old Fords and have been producing and supplying replacement parts to maintain the classic cars for many years. The largest replacement item available in their catalogue is an entire shell, in either Mk1 or Mk2 shape with panels built up using MST’s own jigs.

The company went one further when it created its own modern rally-esque versions of these two instantly recognisable Fords. First it created the aforementioned Mk2. The MST Mk1 Escort now follows as a completely built up car that is road-legal and registered for Ford fans to enjoy. If you are contemplating getting one in SA you’ll need a shade over R1,7m at today’s exchange rate.

Read about our exclusive drive in the modern-day, Ferrari based MAT Stratos.

Perfect recreation

But what does that money get you? Starting point for this exercise is a brand new hand built rally spec bodyshell with curvy bubble wheel arches. The interior is devoid of any sound-deadening material but is hand-finished with leather and Alcantara. It features a welded-in roll cage and a pair of race seats along with a deep-dish steering wheel.

Keeping with tradition

Under the bonnet is a 2,5-litre race engine, de-tuned for road use. It is said to produce roughly 150 kW, more than enough for the little car. It breathes through a set of ATR individual throttle bodies that, as you can hear below, sound very much like a good ol’ set of sidies. Fuel injection is controlled by a Life Racing ECU. MST also offers more powerful engine options for those who feel the need.

Power is sent through a five-speed close ratio gearbox before heading to the rally-spec Atlas axle with LSD. A six-speed transmission from the Mazda MX-5 is an option with either H-pattern or sequential shifting – nice! Bilstein adjustable coilovers control genuine Minilite alloys. The wheels are clamped by AP Racing brakes which feature a front/rear bias adjustment.

Images: MST

Catch the MST Mk1 Escort in action in the video below. If you enjoyed this post please feel free to share it using the social media buttons below.