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Ford RS & Rally Memorabilia The Mk3 Rally Escorts |
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XR3
RS1600i
RS S1Turbo West Cork 85 Circuit of Ireland 85 Welsh 85 Scottish 85 Ulster Rally 85 Rothmans Manx 85 RAC 85
European RS1600i's Rallye Principe de Asturias 83 Rallye Sanremo 83 Rallye Antibes 83 |
32nd Lombard RAC Rally 19/23 November 1983 - Bath - WDC10 - WRC12 129 Starters, 61 Finishers, 59 Special Stages
20 Malcolm Wilson/ Phil Short , Gp A Ford Escort RS1600i, HPU 73Y 22 Louise Aitken/ Ellen Morgan, Gp A Ford Escort RS1600i, HPU 74Y 71 Mark Lovell/ Peter Davis, GpA Ford Escort RS1600i, KEV 100Y
Autosport Sep 22, '83 p18 Who will get the spare Escort RS1600i on the Lombard RAC Rally? With Malcolm Wilson already talking to Lancia and Audi suggesting that they might require a British driver for the rally,that would leave only Louise Aitken at the wheel of her usual car. Perhaps Mark Lovell, the young star from the Turbo Championship might be given a break by the official Ford effort... (As it turned out, Malcolm drove for Ford on the RAC. For winning the Escort Turbo Championship, Mark Lovell didn't get the promised prize of a drive on the Monte Carlo 84, his reward came as a Works drive on the RAC, driving a 'look-a-like' RS1600i, the car formerly an XR3i.)
Autosport Oct 27, '83 p20 Both Daryl Weidner - the new Shell Oils/ AUTOSPORT National Rally Champion, and Louise Aitken have received a pre-RAC Rally boost with confirmation from the RAC MSA that both have been given B seeding in time for the event.
Daryl will now start at number 18, with Rob Arthur alongside, while Louise will be at number 22, two places behind team-mate Malcolm Wilson. The status will only last until the end of 1983, when drivers must apply again for their B seeding.
Autosport Lombard RAC Rally Spectator Guide 1983 p23 photo ' 74 FORD - For many years, Ford dominated British rallying, winning the RAC Rally on eight consecutive occassions from 1972 to 1979 with the Escort in various guises. Following Henri Toivonen's historic win for Talbot in 1980, the company have slipped from the top, retiring to develop a new Group B car (the ill-fated RS1700T that should have been competing on this event, until Stuart Turner's axe fell on the project earlier this year) and are struggling this year with the Group A RS1600i. Prepared by MCD Services of Widnes, the front-wheel-drive Escort has fallen foul of the usual problem of putting too much power through the driving wheels, and has suffered many transmission failures throughout the season. Three cars are entered on this event, driven by Malcolm Wilson, Louise Aitken and Mark Lovell. This young team (Louise and Mark are Junior Team members) have an onerous task ahead of them if their ability is to be reflected in the result. Wilson has the experience, Louise is still maturing, but can reflect on her Monte Carlo Rally ladies prize with pride, and Lovell is surely a driver to watch following his victory in the Ford Escort Turbo Championship this year.
Autosport Dec 1, '83 p34 colour photo ' 73 , photo KEV Bonnet up, FORD - For the first time this year, the official Ford representation included a third car, this for Mark Lovell, joining regular Escort RS1600i pilots Malcolm Wilson and Louise Aitken. Lovell's entry was a prize for winning the second half of the Escort Turbo Championship, and while Wilson was entered by Ford, the other two were in the British Junior Rally Team.
The RS1600i had not actually competed over forest roads since the Scottish, and since then a number of revisions had improved the package. Estimates of 140bhp were soon dismissed and it is feasible that the cars had only around 130bhp on the rally. Pirelli tyres were in use.
Rally Sport Jan '84 p21+ 20 Malcolm Wilson/ Phil Short, Group A Ford Escort RS1600i (Ford Motor Company / MCD Services / Shell Oils / Lucas / Pirelli). Led class throughout, although under pressure on first day from Johnston (52) and was never near the Group-winning pace of Grundel (19). Minor off SS20 [Hamsterley]; new rear dampers at Carlisle; 18th overall, fourth in Group at Windermere. Off SS34 [Haigh Hall, Wigan]; front wheel bearing collapsed SS35 [Knowsley Park 2]; piston rings blew in Wales creating lots of smoke but very little power; replaced track - control arm, driveshafts and sumpguard at Swansea, finished 13th, fourth GpA.
22 Louise Aitken/ Ellen Morgan, Group A Ford Escort RS1600i, HPU 74Y (British Junior Rally Team / Ford Motor Company / MCD Services / Shell Oils / Pirelli / Lucas). Subdued drive; new struts at Carlisle, driveshaft failed SS29 [Comb], (changed at service); starter failed SS32 [Little Grizedale]; 27th overall, sixth GpA at Windermere. Crashed heavily in SS37[Clocaenog 1] while 26th.
71 Mark Lovell/ Peter Davis, Group A Ford Escort RS1600i, KEV 100Y (British Junior Rally Team / Ford Motor Company / MCD Services / Shell Oils / Lucas / Pirelli). Factory car supplied as prize for winning the 1983 Ford Escort Turbo Championship. Careful run spoilt only by new front disc after SS8 [Weston Park], and broken halfshaft on SS55 [Margam 1]; finished 23rd overall (his age is 23!) and fourth in class.
Rallycourse 1983-84 p16 SS36 Oulton Park 2 / SS37 Clocaenog 1 Leading Retirements Louise Aitken / Ellen Morgan Ford Escort RS1600i SS37 Ignition
Autosport Nov24, '83 p12 photo '74 Wilson was fourth with the Escort RS1600i, which had proved quite reliable although it had required a new gearbox when a driveshaft failed. Louise Aitken and Ellen Morgan gave themselves a fright on Monday night when a drive-shaft failed, but they made it back to have the gearbox changed in time. By Tuesday lunch time the British girls were 25th overall. Autosport Dec 1, '83 p29 At the end of the rally. Ford representatives compared the position of Malcolm Wilson's Escort RS1600i alongside the Golf GTi, relative to the performance of Per Eklund's Toyota, the Escort was generally about 1 second/mile slower, while in the forests on the RAC the car was at least 2 seconds/mile slower than the Volkswagen.
Autosport Dec 1, '83 p34 Malcolm Wilson was 18th, although already aware that the 175bhp, 800kgs Golf GTi driven by Kalle Grundel was showing his heavier, slower Escort RS1600i a clean pair of heels in Group A. Malcolm Wilson was still inside the top 20, apparently pleased to be going still, but worried by his car's lack of compression. Team mate Louise Aitken had recorded a fairly steady run, although a drive shaft had broken in Comb the day before, but would not go much further - a problem with the wiring loom in Wales would put her out. ...and it was another Group A runner, Malcolm Wilson, who came closest to an unfortunate finale, the second time through Resolven. The Escort RS1600i may have taken most of the season to find a reliable format, but at last Wilson was looking for a break - something he urgently needed to qualify for a B seeding. Co-driver Phil Short, on his last trip with the Ford Team, explained: "We were about three miles in, approaching a steep banked section into a 90 degree. I heard this metallic clicking sound, followed by an 'Oh shit!'...But he leaned it on the bank very neatly and we got round. A stone had ripped a brake nipple, and so the rest of the stage was quite interesting." ... and Malcolm Wilson and the Escort RS1600i did well to finish 13th, just ahead of the top Citroën Visa driver, Maurice Chomat. p31 photo, '73,
Autosport Lombard RAC Rally Spectator Guide 1984 photo 74 p51
Stage Times
Results
World Rallying 6 Autosport Lombard RAC Rally Spectator Guide 1983 p23 Autosport Sep 22, '83 p18 Autosport Oct 27, '83 p20 Autosport Nov24, '83 p12 Autosport Dec 1, '83 p34 Rallycourse 1983-84 p16 Rally Sport Jan '84 p21+
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