Rarity is a highly-prized commodity among car collectors, particularly as we enter what might be the final phase of internal combustion for daily pleasure. The smaller the numbers, the higher the desirability. And the Escort RS1800 really does trump them all.
Ferrari’s 488 Pista, roundly applauded as Maranello’s finest? There are 396 of those on the UK’s roads. The Aston Martin DB5, hero of many a Bond film? There’s 312 of ’em buzzing around out there. The ever-obscure TVR Cerbera, cult hero of the 1990s? 331 examples survive. But the RS1800 – only 109 were ever built, and the DVLA reckons just 34 of them are currently on the road.
Of course, it never really stood a chance as a volume-seller. From the get-go, the RS1800 was a weird proposition: it was more expensive than an RS2000 but looked like a Sport, it was underpowered on paper with its 115 bhp, and
