Ford Escort Mk1 1300E - Sahara Beige

The 1300E modelled is one of the later Series 2 cars, built entirely at Halewood on Merseyside, and is considered one of the most original and best preserved examples in the UK. It was initially sold on June 19th 1974 by Ford dealer G. W. Johns, Chiswick, West London, to Mrs D.L. Hawkins of East Ewell, Surrey, who specified one extra, aMotorola AM radio costing £45. Her family retained the car until June 1984, at which time it had covered only 21,603 miles and was still wearing its original tyres! Second owner Robert Watt, from Walton-on-Thames, Surrey, used it sparingly and looked after it for 27 years before selling it in 2011.

When third owner, Keith Bennett, purchased it the odometer was still showing only 36,241 miles and the car was still in very good condition. However, as one of the co-founders of the Escort 1300E Owners' Club, he had it resprayed in the original colour to make it perfect for exhibiting at shows, and it became well known among Escort aficionados. Current owner, Dorset-based Barry Connolly, an Escort enthusiast and collector, bought it in June 2017 from a dealer, Appreciating Classics of Norfolk, and is delighted with the car, which complements the 4-door Sahara Beige Mk1 Escort XL he also owns. The car has still covered less than 43,000 miles, remains in excellent condition and is totally original except, thankfully, for some new tyres.

Engine:1298cc 4IL OHV Power:72bhp@6000rpm Torque:68lb.ft@4000rpm 0-60mph: 13.1seconds Max Speed: 94mph 2-door 1300Es produced: 6,768

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