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1981 Ford Escort Mk 3

1981 Ford Escort Mk 3 - View All

Exterior

Interior

Mechanical

Documents

Vehicle History

Overall condition: Fantastic for a car that is 42 years old
Number of owners: 10
History: Part
MOT: 16th May 2023

Given the nickname “Erika” the mark 3 Ford Escort became the nation’s best-selling car in 1982, which held that title for 8 years! The mark 3 being the first front wheeled drive Escort and the 1296cc  straight 4 CVH engine subsequently rivalled the Golf and Civic of the time. Targeted towards families the Ford Escort was a fantastic for affordable and spacious family car. Around 1.5 million Mark 3 Ford Escort’s were made between 1980 – 1986 with only 23 registered and 35 declared sorn in the UK currently.

Exterior

Finished in the factory original Wimbledon White, this Escort is in really good condition for its age. The paint work still looks fresh and without any significant damage (just the odd stone chip etc). In fact the only noticeable area that requires attention is the front black bumper which would require repainting, but that would really be it, it is remarkable and clearly been looked after and certainly looks like it has been kept in dry storage, during the time it hasn’t been used. The standard 13” wheels all present very well and have good tread on all the tyres. Due to being dry stored, all badges and glass appear to be original and are in nice, clean condition.

Mechanics

The 1296 cc straight 4 engine ticks over lovely, and during photographing, reached temperature and stayed there for the whole time without any issues. The car started first time without hesitation and there where no visible leaks, no smoke or untoward noises at any point during photography. We are told that the car drives very well and upon moving it around for photographs, we can confirm that this does seem to be the case. The car is completely factory standard as is the transmission. The Manual gear stick, slides into all gears without hesitation or any “clunk”. Without the use of a ramp, what we could see underneath, this car also looks clean and tidy underneath, again, no visible signs of any leaks.

There is some paperwork to suggest that the car was serviced in 1981 @ 604 Miles, 1983 @ 2,300 Miles, 1986 @ 7,700 Miles and 1988 @ 13,300 Miles in the service book which is stamped, however, it has apparently been serviced in 2011 & 2013 but this seemed to be by the owner or a friend as there is no evidence of this being completed (in the way of receipts etc). That being said, the upkeep of the car has clearly been done correctly as the has passed its last 3 mot’s with no advisories, so its clearly been looked after by someone who knows what they are doing.

Interior

The interior is rather remarkable. It looks very clean and tidy, with the only noticeable, seemingly age related marks on the original tape player, but really, that’s it.  The carpet is in great condition with no visible tears or rips, as are the seats, which work as they should and move back and forth freely. The dashboard is in good condition and there are no warning lights on the dashboard and all switches and knobs work. Everything is complete and original and feels barely used due to the small amount of mileage this car has covered. The windows are obviously not electric but move up and down without any issue and the radio works.

Why bid?

With less than 70 of these Mark 3’s left, and with under 30 currently on the road, this car is one of very few cars left running – further to that, we can’t imagine many of those are going to be many that will have less or equivalent mileage. Completing less that 900 miles on average a year since it left the factory and only 4,000 miles since 2011, means that this is a real opportunity to own a classic with genuinely low miles and has been cared for since the 80’s. This clearly has been every owner’s pride and joy. This is a peach of a car that requires its next owner to appreciate it just like all the other’s who have before, whether it be as a potential investment for the future, or even as part of a collection – it would be fantastic to see this car taken to motor shows, for other enthusiasts to also enjoy and reminisce about their own family members owning one…. The chances are, at some point, they probably did!

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Notice to bidders

Please note whilst Bidding Classics offer the most descriptive auction listings and in-depth photos and videos, we cannot claim they are totally accurate reflections of the condition of each vehicle listed for sale. Therefore, we encourage all bidders to do their own due diligence and arrange a viewing of each vehicle for sale. Viewings can be arranged by posting in the comments section below, this will trigger an email to the seller, who will get in contact to arrange a time of mutual convenience.

Also, it is likely that many of the classic cars sold through our platform will have had repair work in the past that we cannot verify. As such we do not warrant (and no warranty shall be implied) that the repairs have been carried out to a high standard or that any replacement parts are genuine.

Please do ask any questions by filling in the ‘Ask a question’ form and one of our team will be in touch, or visit our Frequently Asked Questions section if you have questions about the buying process. If you require any additional photos or videos let the seller know, and we’ll ensure they are captured and sent over as soon as possible.

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