Rarer Than Rare - Ford Escort 1300 XL MK. I

This Escort 1300 XL Mk. 1 offered for sale by Mayfields Trade is possibly the most ‘1973’ car you will ever see. It is as emblematic of its era as The Goodies on BBC2, Hai Karate aftershave, and this writer’s own father unwisely adopting a Jason King hairstyle. Fifty-two years ago, such Fords could be seen in the driveways of Wimpey housing estates, in company car parks, and outside Little Chefs, where various commercial travellers held a ‘business meeting’.

The XL badge further demonstrated to other motorists that you merited more than a ‘Standard’ or an ‘L’ from the fleet manager. After all, this was an Escort with a cigar lighter (for that post-sales-deal Rothman), a passenger vanity mirror, a “Chrome gearshift”, and a “Unique interior style”. Ford GB innately understood the needs of the company car market for differently graded models that reflected the promotion ladder.  

The XL four-door also represented excellent value at £1,086 compared with £1,119 for a Vauxhall Viva SL four-door. A potential customer might have also considered a Hillman Avenger Super at £979 or a Triumph Toledo for £1,039, but would they offer Ford’s aftersales service care? As for the Austin Allegro De Luxe four-door at £1,045, that was front-wheel-drive at a time when many fleet and private buyers still preferred RWD. 

At that time, a growing number of UK motorists were considering buying their first foreign car, and a Fiat 128 at £1,070 was a highly appealing machine. The equally tempting Citroën GS Confort was £1,175. However, in 1973, few British firms would have contemplated buying an overseas-built FWD saloon as a company car. The Ford Escort was easy to maintain, reliable and looked good.  

The Escort story in the UK started in 1967 when production commenced at the Halewood plant. Ford initially used the name on the 1955 estate version of the Anglia 100E. The official launch took place at the Brussels Motor Show in January 1968. British potential buyers could attend a party at their friendly local dealer. There, they could enjoy a cocktail specially prepared for the occasion by Schweppe; “Schhh… De Luxe”, “Schhh . . . Super”, or even “Schhh . . .GT”.  

Five years later, Motor tested the 1300 XL four-door opposite the Austin Allegro, the Fiat 128 and the Honda Civic. They concluded it was a “good all-rounder”, one that did “everything that was asked of it with the minimum of fuss or drama”. Such attributes meant that when the Mk. II replaced the Mk. II in 1975, Ford had sold over two million Escorts. 

And looking at the Mayfields Trade XL really gives me the urge to go out and watch The Tomorrow People on ITV. Followed by Some Mothers Do ‘Ave Em on BBC1.

With thanks to Sunny of Mayfields Trade for his time.

With thanks to Sunny of Mayfields Trade for the permission to use the images in this blog.