Iconic rally-winning Ford Escort Cosworth confirmed for Goodwood

A RARE and celebrated old Ford Escort Cosworth rally car is to make an appearance at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.

The car, decked out in the iconic Michelin Pilot livery, will feature on Michelin's own stand at the show and will give people a once-in-a-blue-moon chance to get up close.

Driven by Malcolm Wilson OBE, the Team Principal of the M-Sport World Rally Team, the iconic Michelin Pilot Escort RS Cosworth dominated the 1994 British Rally Championship.

Having been built by Malcolm Wilson Motorsport in 1992, the car contested the following year’s British Rally Championship. With Wilson driving and Bryan Thomas on the pace notes, the car won the 1993 Ulster International Rally and finished 3rd overall on the RAC Rally.

The car’s golden year was in 1994, when it won the Pirelli, Scottish, Ulster and Manx International rallies, to claim the BRC title.

The car was then sold to Brian Lyle, who contested the 1995 British National and Scottish Rally Championships in it. After finishing 19th overall on the RAC Rally, the car was bought by its current owner George Gauld, who gave it its last competitive outing with runners-up spot in the 1996 Scottish Rally Championship.

The car sat in storage for five years, before it was completely restored to its original and immaculate Michelin Pilot Escort RS Cosworth condition in 2002. Since then it has only made very rare public appearances, mainly local to George’s Five Mile Garage in Aberdeen – until now.

George Gauld said: “It depressed me seeing the car dismantled and in boxes, so in 2002 we had it completely rebuilt and restored to its original as new condition. It hasn’t been driven in anger since and only really seen at local cars shows, where it always attracts a lot of attention.

“It’s an iconic British rally car and people have very fond memories of watching Malcolm Wilson win the British Rally Championship title in it.”

Malcolm Wilson OBE remembers it well. “It’s hard to believe that all that was twenty years ago, because I still get asked to sign models and memorabilia of it today,” he said.

“At the recent Rally Argentina, a fan came up to me with a Michelin Pilot Escort RS Cosworth Airfix model, unused and still in its original box, asking to swap it for some current M-Sport World Rally Team clothing. And yes, we did the swap!”

By Press Association reporter