Corgi Vanguard VA14903 – Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000 Series X – Diamond White – 1/43 Scale

The Escort modelled is one of only two known survivors of the six RS2000s built by Ford’sengineers at Aveley to promote the Series X options available from official Ford Rallye Sportdealers. Photographs of it wearing its original German Cologne-registered number plate,K-HJ 184, appeared in brochures and as posters at the time because it is believed it was theonly example to feature the full graphics package. It lived up to its looks, however, with animpressive mechanical specification that included a Group 1 twin-carburettor 145bhp engine,7.5×13 RS alloy wheels wearing Pirelli CN36 tyres, Bilstein anti-dive suspension, close-ratioRocket box, limited-slip differential, ventilated disc brakes and a 69-litre, long-range fuel tank.It was used for promotional work in Europe before being sold to a museum in Belgium whereit remained until 1991. Although the car has always been left-hand-drive, it was then registeredin the UK and offered for sale by well-known historic car dealers Oakfields. It was purchasedfrom them by a London-based Saudi Arabian Prince who kept it as part of a collection ofinteresting cars but used it sparingly. He sold the car after around twenty years of ownershipand, during 2012/2013, the new owner entered this remarkably original survivor in the’Expert’ concours class at Ford RS Owners’ Club events. It was the National Day winnerin both years and took the overall Gold Cup in 2013.