The 1997 Ford Escort WRC that led Carlos Sainz Sr. to his victory at the Acropolis Rally will be auctioned by Iconic Auctioneers at Silverstone later this month. This historic car, renowned in rallying circles, is expected to attract bids up to £350,000 during the sale scheduled for August 22 at The Wing, Silverstone Circuit.
Origins and Modifications of the Carlos Sainz Ford Escort
Chassis number 4 of the Escort WRC was built by Ford Motorsport in 1996 at Boreham, driven during its key years by notable rally legends including Carlos Sainz and Juha Kankkunen. In 1998, the car received significant upgrades from M-Sport, which updated its chassis and rollcage to their latest specifications, all while preserving the original body shell. Gordon Vincent of RV Fabrications, one of the experts involved in these updates, personally confirmed these details to the auction house.
Racing Achievements and Key Performances in 1997
In the 1997 season, Carlos Sainz and co-driver Luis Moya piloted this Escort to a second-place finish at the Monte Carlo Rally. Throughout the season, drivers like Kankkunen, Armin Schwarz, and Jarmo Kytölehto took the wheel, securing several podium finishes. The highlight came when Sainz claimed M-Sport’s first World Rally Championship win at the Acropolis Rally in Greece, where Moya finished second. This victory followed dramatic setbacks for Subaru’s Colin McRae, who suffered a broken steering column, and reigning champion Tommi Mäkinen, who crashed during the event and later came in third.
Sainz finished 17 seconds ahead of Kankkunen, who had been instructed by the team to preserve his car. Malcolm Wilson, then team owner, expressed deep pride and overwhelming emotion over the team’s success. He stated,
“I’m totally delighted for the team and everybody. When people know what effort had gone in to get this team this far, it is tremendous amount of satisfaction. There is a lot of emotion now,”
—Malcolm Wilson, Team Owner
History of Ownership and Recent Use
After 1998, the Escort continued its rallying career with Ford Turkey in 1999 before being sold to David Robinson, who competed with it in the UK until 2015. Since its acquisition by the current owner, the car has been featured in prestigious events like the Goodwood Festival of Speed and SpeedWeek, with rally legend Stig Blomqvist even driving it on some occasions. Despite its active past, the car has not been overly preserved, showing signs of consistent use.
Restoration, Current Condition, and Auction Details
The Escort underwent a complete, like-for-like engine rebuild in 2020. The auctioneer described this restoration as both “comprehensive and costly.” Since the rebuild, the vehicle has seen limited use, making only two appearances at Goodwood events. Importantly, the car remains fully eligible for historic rally competition and retains its original factory Repsol livery, a symbol of its authenticity and racing heritage.
The auction is scheduled to take place on Friday, 22 August at 2pm BST at The Wing, Silverstone Circuit, where this iconic rally car is expected to attract considerable interest from collectors and motorsport enthusiasts alike.