This brand-new ‘Mk1’ rally car looks sublime

We’ve already seen a properly pukka Mk2 Escort-esque continuation from MST Cars and Motorsport Tools. And now they’ve done a Mk1.

Why Escort-esque? Because you’ll see no Ford badges and it’s not officially an Escort. But a sensible pair of eyes will identify it as a retro rebirth of one of the coolest rally cars of all time.

The Mk1 follows a similar recipe to the Mk2, with prices starting at £85,000 before tax but the end bill totally at the behest of what you order.

You’ve a choice of 2.5- or 2.8-litre engines, power ranging between 200 and 380bhp. There are six-speed H-pattern manual or sequential gearboxes. MST has allowed some nods to modern tech with launch and traction control systems. And you can have the interior stripped out for competition or luxuriously trimmed for comfier road use.

“Cars can be built for road and touring, fast road and track, as well as full race and rally cars,” we’re told. “The cars maintain the classic look and feel of the 1960s classic, featuring the bubble arches and Minilite wheels. Underneath the cars run the latest electrical systems and ECUs making them ultra-reliable”

Sounds dreamy, huh? And given the cost of a clean, cared-for Mk1 Escort – or even just its bare shell – there’s potential value in knocking on the door of £100k to get one with a box-fresh body and all the components specced to your heart’s desire.

And just to rubber-stamp its ‘rally cool’ status, Mk1 is being made in North Wales. The waiting list is already over a year long. Better be hasty, then…