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This page: Leaflets explaining the Mk1 Escort parts and tuning services offered by Race Proved Ltd of Hanwell.

Race Proved Ltd 1600cc Escort GT Mk1.

These leaflets outlining the Ford Escort tuning parts on offer from Race Proved Limited, date to late 1968. The Mk1 Escort had entered production at the tail end of 1967, and it wasn't long before tuning companies started turning out go-faster goodies to fit the Escort's crossflow engine, just as had been the case with the earlier 105E Anglia, and the tuned sidevalves of the 1950s. The illustration shown above is taken from a glossy single sided leaflet given away by Race Proved in 1968, discussing a pair of hot Mk1 1600 GT Escorts that had received their tuner's touch. Does car registration number XTW 385F still survive? The leaflet explains the idea behind these two cars:

At the beginning of March this year two brand new shining Ford Escort GTs together with two 1600 crossflow engines were delivered to Race Proved Limited at their Hanwell workshops. The brief was to produce a pair of cars that would give motoring journalists a competitive idea of what Autocross is all about and survive an entire season of being used each week by at least two different people. The final products have been seen all season at Autocross circuits throughout the length and breadth of England, Scotland and Wales.

How did the cars stand up to the season's work? They each competed in 15 events and between them were driven by 95 separate journalists and guest drivers.

Their record of reliability out of 95 starts! Only once did a car fail to finish its run on all four wheels. One one run the car crossed the line on its roof rather than its wheels. This we feel is a criticism of the driver's enthusiasm rather than the car's ability.

We asked some of the journalists who drove the car this year to give their comments. Amongst them are the journalists who will be appearing at the Player's No.6 National Autocross Final as being the fastest Journalist drivers of the year. The feedback expressed on the leaflet gave a glowing report on this pair of tuned Mk1 Escorts. The identity of the driver who flipped his car on its roof isn't given sadly!!

"A well prepared, strong and well handling car. Potent enough to give a journalist an idea of how fast he should be able to drive."
G. Robson, Assistant Sports Editor - Autocar.

"The bumpy 3/4 mile circuit game ample opportunity for the Race Proved Escort to demonstrate its predictable handling and well sorted suspension. I very much enjoyed driving round pretending to be a proper Autocrosser."
S. Taylor, Editor - Autosport.

"A barrel of laughs. Well turned out motor car and enormous fun to drive."
J. Walton, Cars and Car Conversions.

"Makes an amateur into a competitor. A marvellous family car with a racing performance."
R. Heawood, Motorsport Correspondent - Newcastle Journal.

"The Player's Escort was made to work overtime both in the timed runs and in the knockout which concluded the proceedings. No less than 8 different conductors got their hands on it but came through as a winner which is a great credit to Race Proved who screwed it all together."
R. Hudson-Evans, Autocross Correspondent - Motoring News.

Jeff Uren's Race Proved Ltd was known in the 1960s for their 'Savage' conversions to the Cortina, which involved re-engineering and shoe-horning the six cylinder Essex (Zodiac) engine into the shell of a Mk2 Cortina, usually the GT or 1600E, so converting roadgoing models into fire-breathing models was nothing new to this organisation, who were based on the Uxbridge Road, Hanwell, London W7.

Ford Escort wheel and tyre options.

A separate typewritten leaflet lists the various 13" wheels and tyres that Race Proved could supply to the budding competitor. Cheapest wheels were the 4.5J Cortina GT rims, at 2.10.0 per corner, followed by 'Ford Competitions' rims at 3 GBP a pop, and 5.5J Dunlop wheels at 3 pounds also. For the go-faster enthusiast with deep pockets, jazzy 5.5J 'Chrome Sculptured Wheels' could be ordered, at 7.14.6 a time. Many tyres and wheel combinations were also available, depending on what you wanted to use your Escort for. Many of the familiar brands and types of tyre are in evidence, such as India, Avon, Firestone, Goodyear G800, and the Pirelli Cinturato.

More Ford tuning parts.

A second sheet lists some of the other parts that were on sale. A note on the rear advises that some components have been removed from factory mileage Mk2 Cortinas, and will also suit Mark 1 Cortinas and Corsairs, costing some 25% to 50% less than the listed retail prices. Parts on offer included:

Front and rear shock absorbers
Clutch components
Brake pads
Radiators, hoses, clips
Exhaust manifolds, clamps, sections of pipe, studs, nuts
GT, 1600E and 1600E GT badges
Electrical parts, eg batteries, coil, voltage regulators
A 1600GT engine, listed at 145 GBP but on offer in October '68 for 125 GBP inc ancillaries

If anyone remembers driving these tuned Escorts, or has memories of buying and using parts from Race Proved Limited, it'd be interesting to add your recollections in here if possible.

Return to the period car tuning companies section.

Escort Mk1 & Mk2 rally cars in action.

In the video below, Escort Mk1 & Mk2 rally cars competing in historic rally stages held at Oulton Park in May 2021 may be found.

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Old Classic Car (C) R. Jones 2023. Content not to be reproduced elsewhere.

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