This is a rare black Ford Escort Mexico – most other Mexicos were finished in far brighter colors. Other than the color, this car is one of very few to receive the Super Speed 3.0 liter conversion in period by Mike Young – making it considerably quicker than the standard 1.6 liter Mexicos.
When this car first re-entered the public gaze after decades in storage there was quite a bit of controversy about the Webasto sunroof – many believed that no new Mexicos were ever fitted with one, but the man who installed it (now in his 80s) was tracked down and confirmed it as original.
Fast Facts: The Super Speed 3.0 Ford Escort
- The Ford Escort Mexico debuted in 1970 following Ford’s victory in the London to Mexico World Cup Rally, designed as an affordable performance car. Built on the reinforced Type 49 shell, it used a 1.6 liter Kent crossflow engine producing 86 bhp. It was reliable, tough, and accessible, with over 10,000 built until 1975.
- Standard Mexicos featured simple styling, rack-and-pinion steering, front discs with rear drums, and a 4-speed gearbox. While not as powerful as the RS1600, it offered a strong mix of affordability and rally DNA. Popular among enthusiasts, many were later modified for club rallying. Production ran at Ford’s AVO facility in Essex.
- The car shown in this article, OMC 346L, was ordered new by British karting legend Paul Deavin in 1973. Finished uniquely in black with a Webasto sunroof installed by factory worker Popplewell, it gained the nickname “Old Man’s Car.” Initially upgraded to 2.0 liter specification, it later received a Super Speed 3.0 liter V6 conversion by Mike Young in 1975.
- Carefully preserved, the Mexico changed hands within the karting community before being acquired by collectors Vince and later Chris. With only 11,000 miles since conversion, it retains period Super Speed upgrades. Verified again by Popplewell before his passing, the sunroof remains a one-off feature for a brand new Mexico. It is now auction-bound with Historics, estimated at £58,000–£72,000.
History Speedrun: The Ford Escort Mexico
When Ford of Britain unveiled the Escort in 1967 at the Brussels Motor Show, it was intended as a mass-market replacement for the hugely successful, but now outgoing model, the Anglia. Built in both Halewood and later over in Germany, the Escort’s sharp styling, rear-wheel drive layout, and the broad range of trim levels made it a best-seller across Europe.
The Escort’s credentials were put to the test in 1970, when the company entered the London to Mexico World Cup Rally. This marathon covered nearly 16,000 miles across Europe and South America, ending in Mexico City in time for the football World Cup. Hannu Mikkola, paired with Swedish co-driver Gunnar Palm, piloted an Escort Mk I Twin Cam to outright victory. Image courtesy of Ford UK.
While the base models targeted families and commuters, Ford’s competition department quickly recognized the Escort’s potential as a rally car. By the late 1960s, rallying had become one of the most visible proving grounds for manufacturers, and Ford wanted a car that could dominate stages from the frozen forests of Scandinavia to the unexplored wilderness of Africa.
The Escort’s credentials were put to the test in 1970, when the company entered the London to Mexico World Cup Rally. This marathon covered nearly 16,000 miles across Europe and South America, ending in Mexico City in time for the football World Cup.
Hannu Mikkola, paired with Swedish co-driver Gunnar Palm, piloted an Escort Mk I Twin Cam to outright victory. It was a marketing dream for the company. Ford wasted no time in capitalizing on the success, announcing a new performance model named after the rally itself – the Escort Mexico – at the end of 1970.
Unlike the competition-spec Twin Cam or RS1600, the Mexico was intended as an affordable performance car that ordinary buyers could access. To achieve this balance, Ford based the model on the reinforced Type 49 bodyshell developed for motorsport.
This shell incorporated strengthening plates around the suspension mounting points, thicker steel in key stress areas, and welded reinforcement at the strut tops and rear radius arms. These measures made the Mexico exceptionally tough, whether on rough rally stages or the less forgiving roads of everyday use.
Power came from the familiar Kent crossflow four-cylinder, displacing 1,599cc (1.6 liters). In Mexico-spec tune it produced around 86 bhp at 5,400 rpm, with torque peaking at 92 lb ft. These numbers were modest compared to the RS1600’s BDA twin-cam engine, but they made the car easier to service and far cheaper to buy. Period tests recorded a 0 to 60 mph time of 10.7 seconds and a top speed close to 100 mph – figures that put it firmly in the quick saloon category of its day.
The London to Mexico World Cup Rally win was a marketing dream for the automaker. Ford wasted no time in capitalizing on the success, announcing a new performance model named after the rally itself – the Escort Mexico – at the end of 1970. Image courtesy of Ford UK.
The drivetrain was straightforward – power was sent through a 4-speed manual gearbox to a live rear axle with leaf springs, while the front used MacPherson struts. Steering was unassisted rack-and-pinion, and braking was handled by front discs and rear drums, a standard arrangement for the time.
Most Mexicos carried simple badging, steel wheels, and were available in Ford’s vibrant early-70s color palette, often accented by optional side stripes. Buyers could order them in both two-door saloon and limited four-door form, though the classic two-door remains the more loved (and desired).
The Mexico’s affordability and toughness made it a favorite among younger enthusiasts, many of whom later modified their cars for club rallying.
Production began in November 1970 at Ford’s AVO (Advanced Vehicle Operations) plant in South Ockendon, Essex, where the company built its specialist performance Escorts. Over the next five years, 10,352 units left the line before production ended in January 1975. By then the Escort Mk II was on the horizon, and the Mexico name would carry forward into that generation as well.
While it never quite had the outright performance of its competition-bred siblings, the Escort Mexico played a key role in forging Ford’s reputation in Europe for delivering accessible (and sensible) sports cars with solid gold rally DNA.
The Super Speed 3.0 Liter Ford Escort Mexico Shown Here
The car you see here is almost certainly one of the quickest Mk 1 Escorts we’ve ever featured, as it’s now powered by a 3.0 liter V6 that was fitted by Mike Young of Super Speed.
Known by its license plate number OMC 346L, this 1973 Ford Escort Mexico, earned the nickname the “Old Man’s Car” from the factory workers who built it. It was ordered new by karting legend Paul Deavin of Rye House Karting, and it was to be no ordinary Mexico.
Known by its license plate number OMC 346L, this 1973 Ford Escort Mexico, earned the nickname the “Old Man’s Car” from the factory workers who built it. It was ordered new by karting legend Paul Deavin of Rye House Karting, and it was to be no ordinary Mexico.
Deavin specified a Custom Pack with a console, map light, and uniquely, black paint – it’s thought to be the only Mk I Mexico finished in that color. He also secured a one-off Webasto sunroof, installed at Dagenham by a worker named Popplewell, who even riveted his details to the inner roof.
Soon after delivery, Deavin had the car upgraded at Mike Young’s Super Speed to a 2.0 liter spec, later replaced with a 3.0 liter Super Speed conversion in 1975, making it far quicker than the new RS2000s of the day.
The Mexico passed into the hands of Ray Burgess and his son Paul, both tied to British karting, before remaining in their family until 1990. The car was exceptionally well-preserved, wax-oiled from new and stored carefully, with only minimal panel replacements.
It then passed to Vince, a long-time admirer, before being bought in 1995 by Chris, who later gifted it to his wife as a wedding present. Showing just over 11,000 miles since the 3.0 liter conversion, it still carries its period Super Speed mirrors, badges, and stereo upgrades, making it one of the best-specified Mexicos of its time.
In the early 2000s, Chris sought to renew its Webasto sunroof material. Forums doubted any Mexico ever left the factory with a custom roof like this fitted, but Chris discovered Popplewell’s original plaque.
When contacted, the now-elderly worker immediately recalled it as “the old man’s car.” Though too frail to travel, Chris went and got him and the two men worked together to restore the roof to original specs.
The car you see here is almost certainly one of the quickest Mk 1 Escorts we’ve ever featured, as it’s now powered by a 3.0 liter V6 that was fitted by Mike Young of Super Speed.
Sadly, Popplewell died soon after, but not before leaving his mark on the car a second time. The car is now due to roll across the auction block with Historics Auctioneers on the 20th of September with a price guide of £58,000 to £72,000 or roughly $78,450 to $97,400 USD.
If you’d like to read more about it or register to bid you can visit the listing here.
Images courtesy of Historics Auctioneers
Articles that Ben Branch has written have been covered on CNN, Popular Mechanics, Smithsonian Magazine, Road & Track Magazine, the official Pinterest blog, the official eBay Motors blog, BuzzFeed, Autoweek Magazine, Wired Magazine, Autoblog, Gear Patrol, Jalopnik, The Verge, and many more.
Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with well over a million monthly readers from around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media.
