‘Princess Diana’ Ford Escort sets new auction record

Silverstone Auctions in the UK saw a concours condition, low mileage MkIII Ford Escort sell for a staggering amount at their 27 August auction, thanks to one of its previous owners.

Being a MkIII Escort, the auction car wouldn’t be familiar to most Australians, as only the MkI and MkII versions were officially sold here.

Introduced in 1980, the MkIII was the first front-wheel drive Escort and also the first to be offered as a hatchback, designed to challenge the VW Golf, which was dominating the new car market in Europe.

Powered by a variety of four-cylinder engines, including a diesel and turbocharged petrol, the MkIII Escort was offered in a range of trim levels and a choice of body styles that included two- and four-door hatchbacks, a wagon, convertible and panel van.

Voted European Car of the Year in 1981, the MkIII Escort became the top-selling car in the UK a year later and would remain on the market until it was replaced by the MkIV version in 1986.

Continuing a tradition of sporting variants established by the previous two generations, a “hot” MkIII Escort was offered initially in the form of the XR3, with the RS 1600i following. In 1985, the RS Turbo was introduced as an homologation special for Group A rallying.

In regular Escorts, the 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine produced around 58kW, which increased to 71kW in the XR3 and 85kW in the RS 1600i, but adding a turbocharger kicked that up to 97kW in the RS Turbo.

Despite not having the handling to match its performance, demand for the RS Turbo was high, with more than 8,600 units built, most of which were sold in the UK. Only available as a three-door hatch, the RS Turbo’s bodykit, alloy wheels and Recaro seats set it apart from the rest of the Escort MkIII range, with all bar a handful painted in Diamond White. One of the few exceptions was the unit shown here, which is believed to be the only example painted black.

This unique car was built in 1985 by Ford UK’s Special Vehicle Engineering department for the personal use of Diana, Princess of Wales. The princess had allegedly requested an Escort convertible in red, having previously driven a MkIII Escort Ghia, but the royal protection detail insisted on a fixed-roof car for reasons of safety, which in turn led Diana to insist on an RS Turbo.

Finished in black, as that was considered more subtle than the standard white, what Ford delivered for Princess Diana was a regular RS Turbo in virtually every other respect, with only a few detail differences setting it apart.

Photographed in and with the car on several occasions, Diana drove it herself, although she was accompanied by a member of the royal protection detail on every trip.

First registered in August, 1985, the Escort was used regularly by Diana until May, 1988, when it went back to Ford and was purchased by a manager at Ford UK for his wife. In 1993, it was offered as the prize in a radio competition and was in the winner’s possession for little more than a year. The next owner held on to it until 2008, selling it on to the consignor, a Ford RS collector.

Aware of its royal history, the consignor had the car re-registered with the plates it originally wore during Diana’s use before putting it auction through Silverstone Auctions this August.

As consigned, the MkIII Escort RS Turbo was in stunning, concours-quality condition, reportedly the result of extensive detailing, not a restoration. Just 24,961 miles on the odometer also explained its condition, with an extensive history file included.

The previous auction record price for an Escort like this was £60,000 (AU$102,000 approx.) according to Silverstone Auctions, while cars with a proven connection to Diana have sold for a similar amount in the past.

However, on the 27 August auction, two determined bidders, one in the UK and the other in the UAE, pushed the price to a staggering £730,000 (AU$1.25 million approx.) before the hammer fell.

“We were honoured to sell this car, which carries with it so much of our recent tragic royal past,” said Arwel Richards of Silverstone Auctions.

“If proof were needed that Diana remains for many the ‘Queen of Hearts’ here is the proof. It was a staggering price which nobody could have foreseen.”

For more details, go to: silverstoneauctions.com