KGF Classic Cars in UK has just received £94,125 as payment for a miraculously well-preserved 1979 Ford Escort RS2000. You could buy a brand-new M4 Competition for that kind of money, but the winning bidder preferred an American car that had sat motionless for 36 years.
The original owner of the Escort seen here bought it in the summer 1979. Just a few years later, he got the frightening idea that thieves were after his ride, so he locked it away in a garage and had never driven it since. In 2021, when the owner was already in his eighties, a local Ford RS fan community was able to locate this example and recover it.
The coupe was thoroughly brushed up and proceeded to go on a tour of UK car shows. It was preserved as-is, including even the mudflaps, the Recaro seats and the 2.0-liter engine churning out a tough over 100 horsepower to a four-speed transmission.
Despite being nearly four decades old, the car currently has around 27,800 km (17,291 miles) on the odometer. It still retains OEM stickers in some places and wears the original set of Pirelli Cinturato CN36 tires dating back to the early ‘80s. Curiously enough, the wheels are 13-inch stamped – the default wheel set was alloy. Apparently, the owner felt that opting for a £135 “premium” wheel set to put on his £4,294 ride was too posh at the time.