FORD RS HERITAGE

One suspects that Ford knew it was in at the start of something special when it launched the Escort RS1600 back in 1970. This car, the first to wear the RS badge, wasn't the work of some well-intentioned amateur enthusiasts within Ford. It was, in fact, the first fruit of the dedicated Advanced Vehicle Operation plant at Aveley in Essex and a specialist network of Rallye Sport dealers was appointed.

Not all Ford RS models have their roots in motorsport but the most of the best examples certainly do. The twin-cam RS1600 was quickly followed by the single cam RS2000 and between them ,these rear-wheel drive lightweights mopped up victories in the Safari rally of 1972, three RAC titles, as well as proving the versatility of the platform by claiming the European Touring Car Championship of 1974. Perhaps the most collectible of all RS models appeared next, and it isn't hard to guess why. The aggressively-shaped Ford Capri RS2600 and RS3100 models didn't just look the business, they also won the European Touring car Championships of 1971 and 1972. Tamer but more affordable, the droop-snooted, quad-headlamp RS2000 proved hugely popular, with RS Mexico and RS1800 models also attracting many followers. Escort RS1800s, in fact, claimed more rally victories than any other British car; a record that's unlikely to be beaten in the foreseeable future.

The Escort changed radically at the start of the Eighties, switching to a front-wheel drive platform. RS models weren't long in arriving. The XR3 drew in the general public, while the RS1600i attracted true enthusiasts. Serious perfor...