1993 Ford Escort 1.6i LX

Highlights

• Just two registered owners from new
• Showing just over 37,000 miles
• Proper timewarp condition inside and out
• Comes with a stack of documents, its original books and seemingly unused spare
• Its fastidious previous owner even logged the mileage per tank of fuel

Overview

Okay, let’s be realistic here: this Mk5 Ford Escort 1.6i LX probably isn’t going to pique the interest of anyone who’s here searching for something fancy-pants, like a 250 GTO. To say it fits into the humdrum camp of collectable cars is stating the bleedin’ obvs; but humdrum is a relative term. One man’s meat is another man’s poison ‘n’ all that.

Let’s just say that you were ten years old in 1993. There you were, looking longingly out of the living room bay window, waiting for your ma or pa to return home and, finally, they did. But not in the beaten-up ‘old nail’ they left in earlier – in a cloud of blue smoke and the screech of a fan belt. They arrived in a brand-new Ford Escort, just like this one, which they parked proudly onyourdrive. If that chimes with you, then this is the listing for you. And it’ll probably feel better than finding a 250 GTO, because this is finding your youth again, and that’s…well, it’s priceless.

If you are looking to relive your youth – and who isn’t? – through the medium of a Mk5 ‘Scort, you’ll struggle to find a better one. ‘Timewarp’ is cliche but it fits the bill. Obviously, you’ve headed straight for the pictures before reading this blurb – yes, it’s what we all do, right? So you’ll know already how tidy it is: how still-brass-plated-and-shiny the door latches are; how mostly original it is, right down to the original Ford head unit; and that the only glaringly unoriginal bits are the ‘look at me’ Ghia badges on its flanks. Still, who’s fretting about a bit of trim trickery on a 31-year-old Escort?

You may also have seen that the odometer’s showing just 37,333 miles and thought to yourself:that’s not a lot. You’re darn right it’s not. What you might not know, unless you’ve been sleuthing like Columbo, is that this car appears to have semi-retired way back in 2009. That’s when it stopped racking up anything like a sensible average yearly mileage. Indeed, since then it’s covered just over 10,000 miles, which is an average of fewer than 700 a year. Crazy.

Backing up the mileage from 2009 is its online MOT history, and guess how many MOT advisories this car’s picked up in the last 15 years? Nope, way fewer: just two. Scarcely believable, we know. Both were in 2015 for ‘slightly corroded’ rear brake pipes. Surely, if anything speaks volumes about a car’s condition it’s such a consistently clean bill of MOT health?

So get bidding to start reliving your youth, toot sweet!

History and documentation

• Registered 12 August 1993
• Two registered owners from new
• V5 present – currently registered under ‘Trade’ so in the previous owner’s name
• Showing just 37,333 miles (when pictured)
• Full document pack with all the original books
• Complete with a folder full of additional documents
• Uniquely (we imagine) this Escort even has a book in which the previous owner has recorded how many miles the car’s managed on each tank of fuel, from zero miles up to 33,000 miles. We’re guessing he or she was also a train spotter
• Original Ford Credit finance agreement is included
• Two keys
• Current MOT with no advisories expires 18 January 2025
• MOT back catalogue helps corroborate this car’s stated extremely low mileage
• HPI clear

Interior

• Equipment includes: factory sunroof, height-adjustable front seats, remote boot unlock, electric front windows, central locking, constant-read fuel gauge, rev counter, front and rear fog lights, digital clock, aftermarket immobiliser
• The velour seat upholstery shows no wear but the usual sagging that afflicts many Fords of this era – a good trimmer should be able to help sort that out
• One-piece headlining appears to be in great condition
• All the interior plastics – dashboard, door cards etc. – look spotless from the pictures with a nice sheen and no obvious cracks
• The attractive three-spoke leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearlever appear as if they’ve barely been breathed on
• All the pedal rubbers look nearly new as well
• The set of fitted over mats seem to be in great condition
• Original Ford digital RDS radio cassette head unit
• The boot looks immaculate and has its original parcel shelf
• The spare wheel and tyre look like they’ve never been used
• No reported issues with any of the features

Exterior

• Two-tone look with metallic Spring Green (we think!) upper body and black plastic cladding on lower sections plus a silver coach line
• Body-coloured tailgate spoiler
• Mudguards front and rear
• Chrome-rimmed numberplate holders add a bit of panache – and point to a loving owner
• Front fog lights
• All the light lenses look in tip-top condition
• No sign of delamination or cracks in the windows from what we can see
• Straight panel fit as far as can be seen from the pictures
• The owner says ‘the car is in amazing condition’ with ‘only very small scratches’ here and there, and the pictures certainly back that up
• Attractive 14-inch five-spoke ‘Star’ alloys – all appear in excellent nick bar a scuff on the lip of one – with a set of locking wheel nuts
• Door shuts look A1 and the latches still have their original shiny brass-look plating
• Underneath there’s evidence of some surface rust – well, it’s over 30 years old – but this remarkable Escort looks structurally sound and no body corrosion worries have been brought up during any MOTs

Mechanical

• 1,597cc, Zetec, DOHC, inline-four, naturally aspirated petrol injection
• Originally rated at 90hp @ 5,500rpm and 98lb ft @ 3,000rpm
• Five-speed manual gearbox
• Front-wheel drive
• Engine bay looks remarkably clean and tidy
• No sign of oil leaks around the sump/ transmission and sound-deadening panel still intact
• Michelin Energy Saver tyres all round with apparently decent tread
• We’re told it drives just as it should with no obvious issues

Summary

Again, we have to use that infamous term ‘timewarp’ because sometimes the cap fits. This 1993 Mk5 Ford Escort 1.6i LX really is in superb nick judging by the pictures and must surely be one of the best on sale today. And with just 37,000-odd miles showing, it’s probably one of the lowest mileage examples out there, too.

For anyone looking to rekindle the misty-eyed memories of their childhood or maybe their first car, this absolute stunner is an opportunity not to be missed.

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