1973 Ford Escort RS 1600 Cosworth BDA - FIA Class CT19
This first-generation Ford Escort is built by Ramberg Racing in Norway used for Racing. It is FIA Class CT19 approved and equipped with a 1,8 liter larger engine, which produces 214 hp.
Car specifications:
VIN: GCATNU90994
1. Reg: Marts 29. 1973
Engine no.: H711F 6015AB
Engine: 1799 Cm3, 214 hp, Inline 4 cylinders, DOHC
Carburetor: 2x Weber 48 DCO 2SP
Transmission: Type E Rocket Quaife - 4-speed gearbox with exchange - Rallycross- (Only run 2 races)
VIN: GCATNU90994
GC= Manufactured in Germany, Saarlouis
AT= Escort 2-door Saloon
NU= February, 1973
Serial no.: 90994
History of the 1968–1975 First generation, (Mark I) Ford Escort:
The Mark I Ford Escort was introduced in the United Kingdom at the end of 1967, making its show debut at Brussels Motor Show in January 1968.
The Mark I Escorts became successful as a rally car, and they eventually went on to become one of the most successful rally cars of all time. The Ford works team was practically unbeatable in the late 1960s / early 1970s, and arguably the Escort's greatest victory was in the 1970 London to Mexico World Cup Rally, co-driven by Finnish legend Hannu Mikkola and Swedish co-driver Gunnar Palm. This gave rise to the Escort Mexico (1598cc "crossflow"-engine) special edition road versions in honor of the rally car. Introduced in November 1970, 10,352 Mexico Mark I's were built.
In addition to the Mexico, the RS1600 was developed with 1,601 cc Cosworth BDA which used a Crossflow block with a 16-valve Cosworth cylinder head, named for "Belt Drive A Series". Both the Mexico and RS1600 were built at Ford's Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) facility located at the Aveley Plant in South Essex. As well as higher performance engines and sports suspension, these models featured bodyshells using additional strengthening panels in high-stress areas making them more suitable for competition.
The BDA series:
Cosworth solidified its association with Ford in 1969, by developing a double overhead camshaft (DOHC) 16-valve inline four-cylinder engine for road use in the Ford Escort. As Keith Duckworth was busy designing and developing the DFV, the project was assigned to Mike Hall, who created the 1601 cc BDA on the Kent block for homologation purposes. The camshafts were driven by a toothed belt developed for Fiat 124, hence the name BDA, literally meaning "Belt Drive, A type". It was designed for FIA Group 2 and Group 4 on either rallying or touring car racing purposes. The nominal homologation at 1601 cc capacity meant that BDA-engine cars competed in what was usually the top class (1600 cc and up) so were eligible for overall victories rather than class wins.
