The Ford Escort doesn’t really look like a royal right now, does it? Even the Escort RS Turbo with 132 hp. It’s not pompous enough, it doesn’t have the Rolls-Royce abundance of leather, softness and luxury. But it has one very important advantage: it was once ruled by the Princess of Wales, Lady Dee herself. It will be auctioned shortly before the 25th anniversary of her death (the princess died on August 31, 1997).
It wasn’t the only Ford Escort she drove: in May 1981, Prince Charles donated Lady Diana a Ford Escort 1.6 Ghia, which went up for auction in July 2021. Lady Dee drove a red convertible for some time, which security officials are said to have disapproved of.
According to Silverstone Auctions, Lady Diana was riding a black Escort RS Turbo. According to the publication, this is the only RS Turbo in this color. The grille with five black slats also differs from the standard version, which has three wide slats. There is a blue decorative strip along the body. Decorated with blue “RS” and “Turbo” logos.
The engine of this Ford RS was an in-line four-cylinder, with a Garrett T3 turbocharger, it produced 132 hp. The gearbox is a five-speed manual.
The car accelerated to 100 km/h in 8.7 seconds, the maximum speed was 200 km/h.
In the photo, Lady Diana is riding, her son Prince William is sitting in the back seat in a child seat. There was always a security officer in the passenger seat. The escort was registered on August 23, 1985. Lady Diana covered approximately 10,880 kilometers in a compact car in three years.
After her, the wife of the Ford manager used the car for some time, and then, in 2008, the royal compact was sold to a collector. According to the auction house, both the current mileage of 24,961 miles (39,938 kilometers) and the history of the car are documented in service logs, invoices and usage notes.
The Ford Escort RS Turbo still looks dazzling today, and hardly a previous owner is more popular than Princess Diana. So it will be interesting to know what price they will give for this unique Ford Escort.
Photo: Silverstone Auctions
In the mid-1980s, the princess drove a modified Ford Escort RS Turbo. Now it’s going under the hammer.
