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Back to the 80s: pristine Ford Escort XR3 up for grabs

Period piece: this 1980 Ford Escort XR3 is claimed to be one of the three remaining pre-production cars used for the car's press launch
Period piece: this 1980 Ford Escort XR3 is claimed to be one of the three remaining pre-production cars used for the car's press launch

What is claimed to be the oldest example of the Ford Escort XR3, which went on the exemplify the bad old days of “boy racers” tearing around town in souped-up hatchbacks, is coming up for auction later this month – and it is estimated at only £11,000-£15,000.

Said to be one of only three remaining pre-production cars that were used to launch the XR3 to the world’s press, the 1980 XR3 underwent a nut-and-bolt restoration in 2016, having been stored since the late 1990s.

It’s presented in excellent condition and, at £11,000-£15,000, represents an excellent investment opportunity since late Seventies and early Eighties Fords – particularly V6-engined Capris – have been seeing spectacular increases in value.

Or perhaps you owned one back in the day and fancy rekindling a mis-spent youth...

Fans of the Jaguar E-type are in a for a treat, too, as the Barons sale at Sandown Park near Esher on February 27 has three Series 1 examples (the most desirable among E-type cognoscenti) coming under the hammer to suit all budgets, including a restoration project.

1962 Jaguar E-type Series 1 FHC - at Barons auction Sandown Park on Feb 27 2018
1962 Jaguar E-type Series 1 FHC - at Barons auction Sandown Park on Feb 27 2018

A silver-blue Series 1 FHC from 1962 has a fascinating history. It was the subject of a fraudulent insurance claim in the mid-1990s - it was found, stripped and painted in red oxide, in the garage of a friend of the claimant. Fortunately, all the matching numbers engine, gearbox and axle were with the body, and it has now been fully rebuilt and restored. It is estimated at £130,000-£150,000.

A 1963 E-type Series 1 3.8 Roadster restoration project comprises original components that have been stored for more than 20 years. Yours at an estimate of £35,000-£45,000.

The third E-type is a bright red, 1963 Series 1 FHC. According to barons, it is an older restoration but remains a good, useable example of a the earliest E-types. It is expected to sell for £60,000-£90,000.

Also from the Jaguar stable is a 1989 XJS convertible that has only done 2,700 miles from new. Kept in climate-controlled conditions in a private collection in the USA, it was fitted with a 5.7-litre V8 Corvette engine in 1991, and comes with all original Jaguar owner’s manuals, touch-up paints, hood bag and more. It is estimated at £33,000-£40,000.

cars - classic police cars at the ace cafe
cars - classic police cars at the ace cafe

A brace of Vauxhall family saloons is worth a look, too. There is a 1967 Viva HB Super Luxury Auto showing only 12,000 miles in 50 years. Believed to be the only Borg Warner auto in existence, it is estimated at only £5,000-£7,000.

Another low-mileage Vauxhall comes in the form of the 1957 Velox E Series, which has travelled 30,000 miles in 60 years. It is expected to fetch £10,000-£13,000.

At its December 2017 sale, Barons sold an immaculate, one-owner, very low mileage Peugeot 205 1.9 GTi for £26,620. It’s presenting another 205 1.9 GTi, made in 1992, at the same sale. The guide price is £2,000-£4,000 - unlike the car sold in December, it has almost 200,000 miles on the clock and is unrestored, although the auctioneer says that it has been well maintained.

For starter classics, there is an unrestored 1971 Hillman Hunter offered at no reserve. 

The sale takes place at Sandown Park near Esher, Surrey on February 27. Full details at www.barons-auctions.com.

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