The car you’re looking at might look like a Ford Escort, but it isn’t one. Instead it’s an MST Mk1, and while you’d be hard pressed to tell it at a glance from one wearing the Blue Oval, there’s something particularly special about the MST: It’s brand new.
You might also recognise the man behind the wheel, as Henry Catchpole – whose work you’ll have seen in evo magazine, on Carfection and more – has joined the Hagerty team. And as the owner of a rally-prepared Escort Mk2, he’s the perfect person to see what the MST Mk1 is all about, in the first of a new series: The Driver’s Seat.
As well as not accidentally calling it a Ford, the other thing that might take a little time to get your head around is that the Mk1 isn’t really a restomod either, since that would imply the car was based on an existing Escort Mk1. But MST Cars makes these cars from scratch, so really it’s a brand new car that just happens to look, and in many ways feel, like an older one.
There’s more performance of course, and we’ll let Henry tell you all about that. With a Ford BDG under the bonnet, it’s also got an appropriate engine. Breathing through a set of individual throttle bodies, it’s easy to imagine the noise echoing through a forest.
And where else but Wales to test the Mk1? Not only does it have some of the best roads in Britain, but also some of the best rally stages. Let’s save the paintwork for next time, though…
Henry will be filming many more videos for Hagerty, with a mix of cars old and new – so if you want to see more like this MST, make sure to subscribe to the Hagerty YouTube channel, and bookmark the Hagerty UK website so you know when each new video goes live.
Read more
Icon vs Underdog: Escort RS2000 vs Dolomite Sprint
Buying guide: Ford Escort Mk1 and Mk2
Little red devil: MST Mk2 Escort review
Passion will be if he pays the £114,000 and buys one. If not, what? Mild enthusiasm. Keyboard keenness.