This old Ford is worth over 1.5 million złoty. We'll explain why.

£278,848 (approx. PLN 1,421,124) – that's the astronomical price a Ford Escort RS1800 achieved at an auction organized by Historics Auctioneers. Yes, your eyes are right, almost one and a half million złoty for a nearly half-century-old Ford Escort.

This perfectly restored Ford Escort has exceeded its original price by almost a hundred times. This budget would have allowed for the purchase of virtually any new sports car available on the market: a Ferrari 296 GTB, a Porsche 911 GT3 RS, or an Aston Martin DB12. So why the auction's high price?

First of all, the new owner is only the second in the car's history. Yes, the car has been in the hands of a single person for almost half a century, having driven the white RS out of the showroom in 1976. Back then, the sporty Ford Escort was an economical solution for enthusiasts of dynamic driving.

Ford Escort RS1800 / Historics Auctioneers press kit

Ford Escort - the perfect "sleaper" for little money

Under the hood is a 1.8-liter BDA engine designed by Cosworth. Renowned for its reliability and extensive tuning potential, this engine contributed to Ford's dominance on rally stages in the 1970s. In its civilian guise, it was fitted to models such as the RS1800 , mated to a precisely engineered rear-wheel drive chassis. Production statistics add to the appeal (and value) – only 109 such Fords were built.

Ford Escort RS1800 / Historics Auctioneers press kit

Today, it's hard to find examples with such a high percentage of original parts. The Escort up for auction has covered just under 25,000 miles (approximately 40,000 kilometers), and has been regularly serviced along the way. A recent major overhaul included repairs, rust protection, and a complete bodywork repaint.

Ford Escort RS1800 / Historics Auctioneers press kit

Escort-based sports culture

The Escort (in all versions), produced at Ford's British factory, was a very popular small family car in the 1970s. At the same time, Britain, almost from the very beginning of motorsport , was a thriving amateur racing market. Escorts of various generations and specifications, including the RS1800, roared across gravel rallies . Most of them met their demise in the Welsh mud, and examples like the one described here are extremely rare and desirable.