Ford Escort RS1600

Viac o knihe

Rally cars don't make history every day, but the Escort RS1600's victory at the 1972 East African Safari Rally is a notable exception. For two decades, local drivers had dominated this grueling event, known as the World’s Toughest Rally, despite numerous attempts by European teams to claim victory. Throughout the 1960s, various works teams led the rally but ultimately fell short, with local crews consistently finishing first. This pattern changed in 1972 when Hannu Mikkola and Gunnar Palm triumphed in a works-prepared Escort RS1600, marking a significant milestone. This book chronicles the journey of Ford's involvement in rally sports, detailing the establishment of their competition department and the performance of Ford cars in rallies, especially the Safari. It traces the Escort's evolution from its Twin Cam origins to the preparation of the works cars for the 1972 event, culminating in a comprehensive account of the rally itself. The celebrated Escort, now part of the N-Anadol Collection in Switzerland, is the focus of this work. Authored by renowned Dutch motoring writer Ed Heuvink and published by McKlein, this book joins others on notable Ford competition vehicles. The original 1972 duo, Mikkola and Palm, contributed the foreword to this richly illustrated volume.