In the UK, they had the RWD Ford Escort that we all know from rally footage…you know, small little four-banger screamers that could toss their hips out faster than Shakira on a good night with a good song going. Produced with minimal changes through 1979, the Mark I and Mark II Escorts are the ones that many lust after. You can only imagine the reactions that Ford execs would have if they could see the kinds of values that those cars bring nowadays. But that RWD fun left the building in 1980 with the introduction of what had been known internally as “Project Erika”. Instead of a standard sedan, the car was now a hatchback. Instead of the rear wheels driving, the front wheels dictated the marching order. Not the ideal move for petrolheads who had come to appreciate the older cars, but Ford didn’t leave them high and dry. This was the era of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, a screaming little front-driver that gave gearheads across the pond something to enjoy. Ford went after the hot hatch market and, with just as much gusto, went after rally too…the predecessor to the RS200, the Escort RS 1700T, was a RWD-converted, Cosworth-powered attempt at Group B that had at least 300 horsepower. 

This black example is a Mark IV, which of itself is simply a facelifted version of the original “Erika” design. Debuting in 1986, the fourth-gen UK Escort overall was a solid little car, but the RS Turbo is where “basic” is left behind and you start getting into some fun territory. A 130 horsepower turbo four might seem weak, but remember that this is a small front-driver. You get a five-speed and a limited-slip up front. And, being an import that didn’t get sold in America, you get the cachet of having forbidden fruit. You’re damn right you have a 1988 Ford Escort. And it’s not the punishment everyone thinks it is.

eBay Link: 1988 Ford Escort (UK) RS Turbo