Description:

Registration - D561 LFX Chassis No. - WF0LXXGKALFG39804 M.O.T. - September 2022 Odometer - 112,500 This Mk3 Escort Cabriolet certainly fell into the right hands four years ago, when it was acquired by the vendor. During his ownership, the car has been cherished and modified and is now seems a very special example of what was already quite a rare machine. The Mk3 Escort was already hugely successful - winning European Car of the Year in 1981 - when Ford took the plunge and brought out a Karmann-bodied drop-top version in 1983, its first convertible since the 1960s Corsair. The cabriolet was very much aimed at the ‘yuppies’ which characterised the 1980s, and it definitely attracted attention, with Glynis Barber famously driving one in the classic mid-1980s TV detective series Dempsey & Makepeace. ‘D561 LFX’ was built in August 1985 during the final months of Mk3 Escort production, though not actually registered until 1986 – the vendor says it ‘sat around because Ford was soon to release the face-lift version, known as the Mk4’. There is little history for the car prior to the vendor’s ownership, though a data check shows that it was written off in 1994 after it was damaged by fire. Clearly this automotive phoenix rose safely from the ashes! Over the last four years it has been fitted with a rebuilt XR Challenge-prepared engine and gearbox, very smart new mohair hood, Spax shocks, full Sportex 4-2-1 exhaust, Pipercross air filter, Hella headlight grille, Scorpion alarm system, new fuel tank and sender unit, new windbreaker and 15” alloy wheels. It also now sits a little closer to the kerb, having been lowered 35mm, and has had a full respray, replacing the original black paintwork with an attractive metallic blue. The vendor’s attention to detail shows in the fact that he sourced an original Ford paint colour for this change – and even in the ‘Hand wash only’ decal on the bumper! To get a closer look at the car, you can see it on a YouTube review from 2019: https://youtu.be/31c2JMxhVZc. In summary: • Enthusiast-owned, elegantly modified example of a very collectable model • Subject of much investment in recent years, including rebuilt XR Challenge-prepared engine and gearbox, Sportex exhaust and Spax dampers • Cosmetic improvements include full re-spray, 15” alloys and new mohair hood

Categories: Classic Cars