Forgotten Heroes
FORD ESCORT Mk5 RS2000
The heritage and authority of the ‘RS’ badge has weighed heavy on many Ford models, often diluting its ethos, more marketing device than motorsport weapon. Back in 1991, when that badge was added to the then new Mk5 Escort, it looked like an act of desperation. The new Escort was so bland, so conservative, downright dull and uninspiring to drive that it had lost its top spot in the UK best-selling car charts (admittedly to the Fiesta); the public not being quite as gullible as Ford perhaps thought.
As is often the case with mass production model ranges, the answer is to introduce a performance option, hopefully to give the mainstream lesser model a much-needed sales lift. When the Escort RS2000 arrived in 1991, however, it didn’t exactly scream ‘Buy Me’ – despite the appalling Rocky theme-tuned TV ad that claimed ‘the Champ is back’. The addition of a small rear hatch spoiler, modest and slightly odd-looking bonnet badges, smooth alloy wheels and familiar Ford Recaro front seats didn’t add that much glamour. Under that odd bonnet, however, sat a new 2.0-litre, 16-valve, four-cylinder N7A engine. It wasn’t smooth and didn’t rev like some Japanese options, but it delivered 150bhp; exactly what you would expect from an RS Escort. The suspension was radically revised from the sloppiness of the rest of the Mk5 range, the steering was more direct, the chassis well balanced, making the whole package composed. More importantly, it made this Mk5 Escort quick.
Ford knew it had a winner on its hands, but those conservative looks and poor public response to the new Escort model range did mean it still had work to do if it was to convince those in the market for a hot hatch. The company decided to do what it knew best and created a new motorsport championship for the model, offering owners the chance to ‘race your road car’ in the RS2000 Rallye Sport Series. This championship included circuit races, tarmac rallies, sprints, hillclimbs, an autotest, a production trial and even - wait for it – an economy run!
