Tom Pickworth – 1985 Ford Escort SE

Tom was just nineteen when he bought this special edition Escort convertible four years ago, and it’s one that he always wanted. “My Dad used to have one and I thought it was the coolest car ever.” This example had also been bought by its previous owner at this show back in 2017, so it’s something of a return home.

It had covered just 5000 miles from new and came with a full history and the original bill of sale, but the proud owner has still undertaken a few jobs to make it even better. And one of them was overhauling the suspension, replacing the dampers and springs that had been on the car for more than thirty years.

There was still more to do, though, as this special edition model, of which just 750 were built, wasn’t fitted with the correct wheels to match the RS Turbo body kit. So Tom sourced a set from a Series 1 Escort Turbo which he much prefers, and then turned his attention to the interior. “I wasn’t keen on the leather-trimmed seats fitted by a previous owner, so replaced them with a pair of RS bucket seats.”

Since visiting the show in 2022 he thought it would be great to be a part of the Pride of Ownership, and we’re very glad his superb Escort is here for everyone to admire. It is certainly one we think fans of the fast Ford will enjoy.

Launched by Ford in 1985, this ‘all white’ special edition Cabriolet featured matching paintwork and hood, along with the factory-fitted RS body kit. Power came from the XR3i’s fuel-injected 1600cc engine so there was ample performance to go with the eye-catching looks. We wonder how many are left today…