Princess Diana’s Escort RS Turbo is up for auction

Here’s a little game you can play – we’ll give you a quick rundown on this Escort RS Turbo that’s headed to auction, and you give us a ballpark estimate for how much you think it’ll go for.

It’s a one-off series one Escort RS Turbo, given a custom stealth treatment at the factory by Ford’s Special Vehicle Engineering team – including the black paintjob that wasn’t available as a factory option – and it’s in possibly the best nick we’ve ever seen for an RS Turbo. Oh, and it was owned and driven by Diana, Princess of Wales. So there’s that.

For anyone who guessed something along the lines of ‘Oh, that must mean it’s six figures or something’... well, Silverstone Auctions agrees. That’s the official estimate. For 1.6-litres and 132bhp of warmish three-box coupe. Yeah, we know. Stop complaining about prices.

But the fact of the matter is that a one-off Escort RS Turbo, in mid-2022, was never going to be a cheap buy – well aside from the fact this one in particular was driven by perhaps the most famous woman of the modern age, who wielded her influence to destigmatise AIDS and clear landmines.  Also, it only has 25,000 miles on the clock. So there’s that.