In 1979 Ford were well prepared for the start of the rally season. The previous year an Abarth 131 had taken the title with only a narrow lead and the convincing 2 litre BDA Cosworth engine in the Ford Escort now produced 260 bhp at 8000 rpm. The Escort RS also took 2nd place in the first race at Monte Carlo. The Swedish team of Hannu Mikkola and Arne Hertz performed well on the unsurfaced stretches in Portugal and battled their way to first place in New Zealand. In Great Britain, where an Escort took the World Rally Championship for the seventh time in succession, the two Swedes won again and Ford ended the season with the world championship title. A win of special significance was that of 1979, the last season in which the Escort competed in a rally in the official colours.
Model-details:
- Authentic bodywork with fine surface details
- Multi-piece engine
- 2 body-contoured seats
- Detailed dashboard
- Multi-part roll bar
- Separate exhaust assembly
- Steerable front axle
- True-to-original wheel rims
- Bonnet can be built open or shut
- Separate auxiliary headlamp
- Authentic decals for Team Hannu Mikkola/Arne Hertz and the 1979 RAC Rally
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