History of The Ford Escort (NA)

[@mattcrooke8321]

Brit here. Thank you for getting the details around our beloved UK Escort spot on 👍🏻

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks so much! Sorry for focusing (no pun intended!) on the US spec Escort, but I started the concept of this video to cover the worldwide evolution of the Escort and it just became far too much. :)

[@mattcrooke8321]

@@AllCarswithJonplease don’t apologise at all. There are so many videos and websites dedicated to the Euro one, it was very very interesting to learn about your version! Excellent video.

[@glennvernes8305]

I had an '87 GL 3 door 5 speed. It had traditional touches like chrome bumpers and door handles, chrome wheel rings, and shiny aluminum trim around the windows. It certainly had a bigger, more substantial look than the Civics and Tercels of the era. I once fit a full-size recliner in back with the hatch door closed. It had the typical (good) eighties Ford interior. Overall quality was good. It accelerated adequately for the time. The car developed a transmission oil leak and would no longer shift into 4th gear. I just went straight from 3rd to 5th. The timing belt broke but did no damage to the engine. It crapped out at about 150k, not bad for a cheap American car from the eighties.

[@mrgurulittle7000]

People say the US automakers couldn’t compete with the Japanese in the 80s then we’re reminded of these successes. I like the late 80s Escort.

[@Drmcclung]

That was probably the best native-market economy car we ever had, the late 80's Escorts.. I call those Mark 1.5's. "roundies" were really good too (my favorite of the Escorts to be honest), true Mark 2's, but they're heavily Mazda based so those can't can't really count here 😆

[@jermainec2462]

Well what happened ?😂 Cuz the japanese still took over this segment ...

[@AllCarswithJon]

Well, first the Japanese could still build a good small car and make money on it. And while Ford constantly tweaked and improved the first gen Escort (as an example), the Civic went through THREE generations.

[@Drmcclung]

@@jermainec2462 yeah but it was kinda given to Japan.. Big 3 all decided economy cars weren't worth the hassle after the 80's and started heavily pushing out the luxury trucks and SUV's around 1990. Beyond that you had exactly 3 choices of economy car here that were worth a poop; Saturn, a Civic, or a Corolla and that was IT. The rest (from any marque) were under-developed and overpriced bags of meh wrapped in unacceptable offerings lol. So you went and bought a cheap Explorer or GMT400 derivative pickup

[@mrgurulittle7000]

@@DrmcclungAw, I liked those Escorts but I guess they’re too Japanese huh.🤔

[@obesetuna3164]

Bravo Jon. As you stated, the British MK3 and US Escorts were not the really same car. While the Plymouth Cricket was more or less a badge engineered Hillman Avenger, the US/European Chrysler Horizons were also remarkably different. When it comes to model names, the Big Three tended to do this kind on confusion a lot. The MK 1, 2, and 3 Escorts were incredibly popular here in the UK - in all iterations , they were the best selling vehicles for many years, with the other brands constantly playing catch up with Ford. Upon meeting the future , and now divorced, mother of my children, she was the proud owner of a brown 1976 1.3 Escort MK 2 - vinyl roof and all lol. As the history shows, she loved that car more than me.

[@warrenny]

@@obesetuna3164 for starters, the UK escort always looked better, more cool, than ours.

[@MrGreen-hx8lp]

The suspension/chassis was the same, still used the ford cvh engine. Body work was different but similar, I think mostly due to differing safety regulations. I think what set them apart was how the public perceived the cars. Here in the states it was a compact econocar. In the uk and elsewhere, it had roots in rally racing, so it was seen as a sports car. It’s a shame the us never got the rs turbo or the 1600.

[@warrenny]

@@MrGreen-hx8lp I agree with your statement about perception of the Ford brand... domestic vs foreign. Foreign brands have a special feeling (good and bad). But, the UK version was definitely styled more aggressively and just has a cooler overall ambience. That's not to say the US Escort wasn't a good car. I've only ever heard good things about them.

[@cbrue1896]

When I met my soon-to-be wife in 1999, she had a 90 Escort Pony hatchback that had a GT badge on it. She and her dad bought at a local Ford dealer. The dealership joked about the mis-badging that happened at the factory. That was a great little car. We kept that car until 2003 when it was traded in for a Ford Taurus SES as we had a baby on the way and needed a sedan for ease of putting the car seat in. I remember haggling with the dealership. They wanted to give us $900 trade in for it. I haggled with them and told them it had the "wolf in sheep's clothing" option with the GT badge. I got them to bump it up to $1000. Anyway, it was a good little car that we were going to outgrow when our daughter arrived in the spring of 2003. Great history Jon as always. Thanks for another quality history video.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Appreciate that and you sharing the story. Wonder what they'd have given you if you'd put an AMG badge on it! LOL

[@JonathanMoosey]

The first model year, 1981, was the only model year where the Escort didn’t have the blue oval badge anywhere on the car as Ford put it on all their cars across the lineup in 1982 and have been on every Ford model ever since (with some exceptions)

[@galaxieman1964]

I drove a 95 Escort wagon for many many years until I just basically wore it out. I then inherited my daughters 02 ZX2, that she bought in 2008, and am still driving it almost daily. Two of the most dependable cars I've ever owned.

[@williampalmer8052]

I had a light blue '84, and those cars really were everywhere. I remember that, one time, I unlocked my car after leaving a store, got in, and put the key in the ignition - but it wouldn't start. I looked around the interior and quickly realized this wasn't my car... Mine was parked next to it. EDIT - As for the name, I'm not quite sold on your theory. We had the Taurus, Thunderbird, Crown Victoria, Mustang, and Probe. Personally, I don't think Escort is really that great of a name for a car, and I think maybe Focus just sounded more modern.

[@mrgurulittle7000]

Focus in itself later became an iconic name then Ford had the steel balls to cancel that. Laughed at the bloopers in the end where you were determined to say “Focus”. It just says how iconic and engrained that name has become.😂😅

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks. :) Those bloopers were a last minute addition, because there were more and they were over literally DAYS. I recorded the entire video in one take (cutting out mistakes) and it wasn't until later I realized I'd said "Focus". So I re-recorded that part. Close to finishing, I realized the NEW one I'd said "Focus" as well! So, then I could barely pronounce "Escort". LOL. You'll notice the shirt changes from the beginning to the end. :)

[@mrgurulittle7000]

@@AllCarswithJonI didn’t notice the shirt. Wow, you really pulled a stunt on us.😂

[@christopherconard2831]

A friend had one (87 I believe) that I spent a fair amount of time in. I later had a 93. Both seemed quite adequate cars. Small, but not cramped. Neither was going to win any races, but both were able to keep up with highway traffic without sounding like the engine was going to jump out from under the hood.

[@MajorOutage]

Renaming the Escort and Taurus just because they didn't have "F" names was such a huge blunder.

[@icillay]

@@MajorOutage But the people who owned them probably had "F" names for them. Hey! Where's my rimshot?

[@brian3174]

Focus fiesta festiva or f series trucks 150 etc G granada

[@brianmoore6306]

Great video! So many details. Loved it. the EXP is one of my all time favorite cars. Wish I had one today!

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks!

[@OLDS98]

You did a great job on this video. I liked the information and footage. You should do more videos like this. There are so many cars that fell into this same world car theme. They were really trying to converge the cars. It was not until years later they succeeded in doing so. Thank you.

[@warrenny]

Yes, I agree. More videos like this. Maybe do a video about the difference between Mondeo and the Taurus/Contour

[@OLDS98]

@@warrenny I agree. Taurus lives in The Middle East and lives in China under the Mondeo name. The same thing happened with Fusion and Mondeo.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Thanks so much!

[@OLDS98]

@@AllCarswithJon You are welcome.

[@Alan-lv9rw]

I went to trade in my 1979 Honda Accord for a new 1985 Ford Escort. That damn Escort rattled like crazy in my test drive. Every panel was loose. I thought it was going to fall apart before we got back to the dealer. I kept the Accord; it was solid as a rock.

[@freddyhollingsworth5945]

12:17 these cars were so cheap that high school kids could work part time and swing the payment. This isn't possible today as vehicle prices have went up so fast and insurance is so $$$$

[@Simple_Jack82]

The only Escort that I ever liked was the GT. That was damn cool. It looked like a baby mustang. That said, great idea for a video. I love regular car content.

[@PEMDASgarage]

I put 300,000 miles on a 1999 Escort Wagon. Power everything and it all worked, even the clock. I pulled the motor and transmission, replaced it with a 351w V8.

[@IamGroot786]

Always bringing back some memories. I remember a coworker having an Escort. It's surprising that you don't see any of them anywhere considering that they sold so many of them!

[@AtomicReverend]

Those cars are 30 to 45 years old now, if you live anywhere where there's rust they are long gone, in California as they got older they wouldn't pass emissions and many went to the junkyard or south of the border, occasionally you will still see one pop up in here in the American southwest but it's very rare. You have a better chance of seeing a 1957 Chevy or a ford model T then seeing an economy car from the 80s. The Escort was kind of like the Chrysler K-car of the same era it was a great transportation car but essentially it was just an appliance and hardly anyone were passionate about them to preserve them or take care of them, they just got the wheels driven off them and when they got in at 10 to 20 year old range younger drivers destroyed them as they were a first car generally speaking.

[@AllCarswithJon]

I'll add to this that the 1st gen, in my experience, both did and didn't hold up well. My first wife's first car was an '86 (?) Lynx and that was the one I reference when I say you could look under the hood, hold up disconnected wires, and wonder how the thing actually ran. But then, one day, it was just dead. (I don't recall exactly why. Seized engine or cracked block or something). At that time the car was only 11-12 years old.

[@UncleJoeLITE]

Ouch! We (🇦🇺) had the "Escorts", those you first showed were it. My 1980 Gen2 20 i4 RWD was a tail happy, short geared ball of fun. You could wag that tail with just a touch of the accelerator. In 1981 Escorts were replaced by Lasers, locally built Mazda 323 (Demio) clones. FWD 1.5 i4, I had a 1984 Laser Ghia, brown velour trim, extractors. I miss that car the most tbh. _7:30 My mum had a "Bubble Laser", not as nice as mine lol. Thanks Jon.

[@AllCarswithJon]

I have to tell you, I read "brown velour trim" in Jeremy Clarkson's voice there. :)

[@wilcharl]

Throwback to my early childhood car memories! My dad had a dark blue Oldsmobile 98 Regency (1978, if I remember right), and we eventually traded it in for a 1982 Ford Escort due to fuel costs. I was only 4 years old when we got the Escort, which was 'medium fawn' with a black vinyl interior. We kept it until 1986, when we moved on to a Jeep Comanche. Some standout memories with that Ford Escort include its oval-shaped air filter, blue valve cover, and the head needing to be replaced. It had lots of overheating issues, and I remember the mechanic cutting a hole in the right fender well to replace the water pump. It didn’t come with AC, so we had aftermarket AC installed. The car had just an AM radio and a T-handle to make the rear seat fold down. And let’s not forget the muffler falling off, trips to Midas for a new one, and replacing the McPherson struts.

[@AllCarswithJon]

Ahhh, memories. :)

[@JO-ku1uc]

I remember all the hype when the Escort premiered in 81 as Ford inanundated the TV airwaves with commercials highlighting its innovations in design and technology. I do agree that it drew in full-size vehicle owners who were paying much more attention to gas mileage after the 1979 oil crisis. My parents were such an example when they bought a brand-new 81 Lynx wagon. I learned how to drive on that car and recall it being terribly unreliable to the point of being a deathtrap. Out of force of habit, anyone who drove it would have to throw it into neutral everytime we would approach a stoplight and then continue revving the engine to avoid it stalling out. My mom had a near death experience once when it stalled out in the middle of a four-way intersection. By the time it unceremoniously died when the rod went through the block with under 50 K and barely five years old, we were relieved to be rid of it. My parents than bought a slightly used 83 Accord Sei sedan which they fell in love with immediately. I still remember the old Lynx wagon though after all these years despite its obvious failings.

[@purplesprigs]

My first car was an '84 Escort diesel. Reliable little car that got better-than-Prius mileage. I would happily drive it today.

[@GOPRepubliklan]

As for the naming going to F's, never made sense to me either as they still were selling Escape, Explorer, Expedition... Escort seemed to fit right in. But then also remember the whole fiasco with Taurus and Taurus X... by then the damage was done. In fact I think their biggest seller today is the Escape so a smaller cheaper sedan version called the Escort would make a lot of sense if 2024 Ford didn't have their heads so far up their asses.

[@mattlawler8794]

I had a 2000 Escort ZX2.

[@Searchfored]

Still have my zx2👌😂

[@mattlawler8794]

@@Searchfored I wrecked mine. :-(.

[@PearComputingDevices]

My mom bought an 89 escort after her 1984 Pontiac 6000 bit the dust, we didn't keep it long. Maybe 2 years as she intended on giving it to my sister and bought a 1991 Dodge caravan, but while we owned it my mom actually enjoyed the car. Had not for the demands of her job she probably would have kept the downsized car over the van as she loved the MPGs, it was cheap. Unfortunately it was short lived. We had been coming home from the store and a lady who had been drinking had hit it in the front. Despite being small that car saved our lives. The car was totalled with the engine almost in to the firewall, they estimate she was going 90.. my mom seen her and tried to pull off and thank god she did or it probably would have been worse. Anyway it was a sturdy, decent little car. Ours was the LX trim so it had creature comforts like premium cloth and air conditioning, power windows. It was a nice step up for my mom's 6000 and yet far more smaller package.

[@acepilotson3331]

My first car was an 87’ Escort GL. 4 on the floor. It served me well.

[@colinschmitz8297]

Excellent review and video as always. I agree I think the whole reason why they drop the name escort was for this ridiculous f-word naming strategy for cars and e-word for SUVs. Which itself gets confusing between why does the edge get an e and the flex gets an f. I always thought that the jelly bean shaped vehicle should be called flex in the shoebox shaped vehicle should be called edge. I always found the f word strategy to be confusing I would say focus when I meant to say fusion and Fusion whenever I meant to say focus. It's just like how they got rid of the name Taurus so then they can use the illogical name of Five Hundred. I agree that this is a typical bad idea that came from the world of MBAs.

[@jimrotharmel]

My wife had a 1989 escort. it was one of the nicest cars I ever drove

[@handyman9298]

Ive never seen one in person but I think the European version looks better than the one we got. I had a 87 Mercury Lynx XR3

[@warrenny]

I've always thought the same

[@michaelmartin2276]

I had a 1990 GT. It was nice and pretty quick with the 5 speed stick. It has a Michelin tire and wheel package. Great tire but was expensive and difficult to find. We had a blowout while 2000 miles from home. Took the tire shop 3 days to get another tire !

[@scottersandman6408]

i really liked and got great service from my 1994 Escort Wagon. Sold well, too.

[@dmllr5615]

Shout out to the EXP!

[@iluvcamaros1912]

I'm not a mechanic but I did take one shop class where, with a partner, I had to take apart and put back together an old junk engine -- an Escort CVH 4cyl. Just FYI the camshaft was really *inside* the head rather than properly on top of it. It had a small valvetrain (rocker arms and lifters) that the cam worked directly on. Do not ask me why Ford did this, I only know what I have seen with my own eyes (circa 2006).

[@warrenny]

@@iluvcamaros1912 interesting! I know very little about engines, but I've always heard that the Escort engine was very good

[@warrenny]

A great episode on the escort. While I was never a big fan, I've only heard good things about the escort. Was kind of hoping you might talk more about the engine and its durability. I had no idea it was a hemi. I was a bigger fan of the focus. I thought the design was very early on trend. Though I'm not bothered by the name change, I do agree with you that the escort name should have been kept...maybe rolled into an SUV line? Especially a compact SUV named escort would work very, very well overseas, where older people who grew up with escort would instantly recognize the name.

[@AllCarswithJon]

I'd like to see the Escort name come back as a small SUV to take the place of the Ecosport. Some of the talk about the engine was shortened simply because I need images to show, and there's many, but almost all the same! :) As for durability, that's a rabbit hole I was trying to avoid.

[@warrenny]

@@AllCarswithJon replace the Eco sport name with Escort...... exactly what I was thinking

[@flipflopthong2]

So much for a world car, UK mk1 and mk2 Escorts sold well in Australia and were replaced by a rebadged Mazda 323 Familia around 1981. Ford Laser was a top seller in the 80s and 90s. The 1990-94 range was the same as the American Escort but the volume selling model had a 1.6L carburetted engine with an optional 1.8i. They were produced at Homebush, New South Wales which later became the site for the Sydney Olympics. In contrast, Australians did not take kindly to Ford Focus and Mondeo.

[@larryk731]

In 1983 my high school had Chevettes and Escorts as driving range cars

[@larryk731]

@lunarvvolf9606 In the driving range, we never got above 15 mph so the car (remember automatic) barely got out of 1st gear - maybe wandered into 2nd periodically

[@larryk731]

@@lunarvvolf9606 I'm not alone in hating both?

[@larryk731]

@lunarvvolf9606 In 1984 I had a the highest specification of 1977 Datsun sold in the US (810 in wagon form) with the incredibly reliable 240z engine . 4 speed (i think) automatic with overdrive, manual windows and locks (on a "luxury " car that would start no matter the weather. It was in my family from 1979 to 1991 when my parents sold it and it lasted with the new owner until 1993

[@natlee8947]

I had a 89 Escort 2dr first car I ever financed . I bought it used from what I was told a reliable dealer. Three months after I had it the auto transmission went out. Had the transmission replaced and another few months later I had a problem with it starting, not your normal starting problem. This car had automatic seat belts when you turned the key the belt would come back over your shoulder and then the car would start. Well eventually it stopped working and nobody could figure out why. We figured out how to work it manually but that only worked occasionally. I finally got it paid off and traded it what a headache it was.

[@zythr9999]

😃

[@Nicedays-qq3og]

1.6 would pop heads like popcorn 1.9 was bulletproof miss my escort station wagon

[@johnnymason2460]

The LN7 actually lasted longer than one year. I believe it was two years.

[@tundrajt]

I’m a retro kinda guy and have a 1998 Ford Escort Sport. Love the little car, but its recent fits has me thinking it is time to move on. The auto transmission failed on it about 10 months ago and I threw another one from a salvage yard that failed as soon as I pulled it out of my driveway. I am fairly certain that the original transmission just had a bad torque converter and am in the process of getting that back together and put back in. The salvage yard one, I have no idea what happened with that. It works for about a minute, then slowly fades to nothing. I think that also has a bad torque converter, but I am not as certain about that one. The first one showed a P1744 code for torque converter lockup failure, but the second one doesn’t throw any codes. But the second acts like a torque converter because it fails to pump fluid when it stops working, and I know the torque converter has a shaft that goes into it that drives the oil pump on the other side of the transmission. My theory there is the torque converter is getting warm and gradually loses its gripping ability until it completely loses it after a minute of spinning.

[@freddyhollingsworth5945]

04:31 I remember seeing one of these on the world news that was Electric, but I don't remember what year it was.

[@losch78]

I think the Focus name was mostly derived from Europe (where the Focus was also initially/mostly developed); The previous European Escort (1990-1998) was a underwhelming product, that despite two extensive facelifts (and one already 22 years after launch-) never managed to truly compete with the market leaders, and wasn't exactly a success outside the UK; It became synonymous with dull design and so so general package (even though the last facelift was actually quite okay, but damage had been done). SO when the visually radically different, and mechanically much more sophisticated new gen. was developed (the design even retaining the initially concept car only fender design), it was clear a new name was needed and, given the big step this took, deserved for their new compact Ford; And I guess it made sense that the this time truly lobal car would retain one name both sides of the Atlantic.

[@user-surly]

I thought the Focus was intended to replace the Mustang... Anyhow, I owned an '84 Escort L 2-dr hatch for a time- absolute DOG of an underpowered travel obstruction. Its dependability mainly centered on its predictable habit of stalling after initial start and warm up. Hit the gas to cancel the choke and you'll need to restart. It was notably my only car with manual transmission (3-speed). I bought it used (forget the mileage) and from day one, it had a habit of "bucking" (abruptly cutting out on acceleration when not fully warm). I had this jalopy during my backyard mechanic years when I worked at an auto parts warehouse and could get replacement parts cheap. Did my own oil changes, replaced several exhausts (fun), one carburetor; but wisely deferred to professionals for brakes. This slowmobile afforded me the opportunity to refine my highway merging by deliberately allowing a space to open in front of me so I could floor it and enter an interstate highway ALMOST at highway speed. These cars were apparently noted for warped heads and blowing head gaskets and I suspect this was in play with mine.. causing the cold temperature "bucking" as well as the ever present trace of "mayonnaise" on its oil dipstick. I'm sure I could have nursed a little better performance from this death trap had I bothered to attend that repair but funds were low and I lacked the skill to attempt that work myself.

[@AllCarswithJon]

I think you're thinking of the Probe. At one time, that was supposed to be the new generation of Ford sports car. Needless to say, the Mustang Faithful were having none of it.

[@user-surly]

@@AllCarswithJon You are 100% correct. Funny how I can vividly misremember things. Fortunately I still have the capacity to self correct. God help me should that go away!

[@silentepsilon888]

the funny thing about name recognition is that a name only means something to those people that grew up with it and were around when the name change took place. Younger generations grew up with the name Focus and never heard of Escort before, or at least never owned or drove a car by that name and therefore are indifferent to that name. They simply see it as a 'historic' car that is now gone. To them dropping or changing the name Focus is memorable as that is what they grew up and were familiar with. So saying that dropping the name Escort was a 'blunder' only applies to folks that lived in the 60ies, 70ies, and 80ies, but to younger generations dropping the name Focus would feel and mean the same thing.

[@CB-jk3ue]

OK, have a missed these in the past? This is a far too brief flub replay at the end. Sometimes we take for granted how much work goes in to these episodes. when we see the final results and it is such great work, we don’t always understand. It doesn’t flow so eloquently out normally.

[@AllCarswithJon]

I've only done the bloopers 2 or 3 times in these videos, so no you haven't been missing them all. :) If I have a couple of good ones, I dropped them in and not said anything as a little reward for those who stay to the end. :)

[@shawnhuff3920]

My parents had a 1984 ford escort

[@UESide]

‘90s Fords were 😍

[@s99614]

I drove my 1995 Escort until 2020 when the transmission went at 267K miles.

[@muznick]

I had a '95 Escort wagon for a few years as a beater. It had comfy seats, great A/C and a nice 5 speed. It was easy to get 40 mph, but it was quite under powered.

[@freddyhollingsworth5945]

my Aunt had an 84 Lynx diesel that got a real 50 mpg, but it had no power, but all cars were slow back then.

[@jeffatturbofish]

I had a '85 Escort GT Turbo - fun car that I wish I didn't sell.

[@USSWISCONSIN64]

my 1st (and 2nd) car was a 1998 Ford Escort and then another 1998 ZX2 and i LOVED them so much. neither had cruise control (which sucked but still fine) and my ZX2 sadly had a speed gauge problem that wouldn't tell you how fast you were going (but figured that out) and could get 30+MPGs and i still miss the design of those circle like Escorts compared to the Focus's now (still like that though) If i could have another ZX2 with low miles no rust (fucking snow weather sucks for cars with salting the earth) i would consider buying another one

[@Drmcclung]

Man there was a time the good old north american Escort wagon was the 'best-cheapest used beater/hauler car' money could buy, hands down. Nothing else even compared.. Used Japanese cars were still pretty expensive for what you got, the mid and full size cars still slurped too much gas, and even brand new K car derivatives which were the closest Escort competitor couldn't stay out of the shop and running more than 28 days at a stretch, and were still more expensive used.

[@jsnsk101]

Ford: we will make a 'world' car...different depending on where you are in the world

[@icillay]

Not trying to harp too much on the European Ford Escorts but IIRC one of the (I believe several) owned over the years by Lady/Princess Diana sold at auction for close to one million dollars. Let's hope it still started.

[@MichaelLovely-e6d]

Ah, Lady Diana. May she rest in peace. Gone, but not forgotten. There have been times in my life where I have occasionally wondered how Diana's life would have played out had she survived the car crash that took her life way too soon. Chances are that she would have been beaming when her eldest son Prince William married his college sweetheart and would have been a loving hands-on grandma with Prince George, Princess Charlotte and Prince Louis.

[@courtneypuzzo2502]

I remember seeing the later models of the Escort as first cars around the turn of the 21st century having a 97 or 98 model year car in 2001 or 2002 wasn't uncommon and it was usually a hand me down from a parent or other relative who had just bought a new car or a kid who was getting ready to go to college out of state I should've been a Jr in the 2001-2002 academic year though had I wanted a four door sedan at the time it would've been either a Crown Vic LX or a used 1996 Olds Cutlass Supreme my dad had gotten some of his early driving experience in a 1974 Cutlass Sport though by mid 90s most people that bought Oldsmobile's bought an automatic transmission as is true on most luxury cars

[@AtomicReverend]

The Escort was typical of the 1980s, these cars were nothing to write home about and 40+ years later almost no one is restoring them as proof that no one was really fond of the car.

[@glenn6583]

I had a pretty good Escort wagon. It was not for going fast!

[@chrisherman7531]

I owned 2 Escorts and Loved them. I put a hotter ignition, 360 Bosch plugs, larger exhaust and she would smoke the front tire....( lol) no posi diff.... We had an British exchange teacher in HS and he had an 82 escort brochure and The difference in the cars was sad. The European version was just a far better car.

[@GOPRepubliklan]

6:00 never knew the Escort came with a Hemi

[@bradkrekelberg8624]

I loved my '91 and '93 Escort GTs. Regarding the first US generation, that makes NO sense that the bodies were different. You know that was just some self-important middle-manager having a tantrum. Ford should have been selling the same cars in Europe as the US starting around 1980. If the European models were "too expensive" for the US market, make them Mercuries.

[@JK-dp3lp]

In the early 80's it didn't have to be as good as the imports it just had to be American. People still cared about that.

[@s99614]

The 1984 and 1985 Escort GT turbos sold poorly because they didn't make them with an automatic transmission. Regular Escort GT's were available with an automatic transmission.

[@augustinep6193]

Wasn't there an escort with a Cosworth engine too? Good. Thanks.

[@rosehinds]

But those were only available in Britain and could not be exported

[@augustinep6193]

@@rosehinds Too bad for us, then. Good. Thanks.

[@raymond_sycamore]

I miss a good cheap escort! Now, they're minimum $4,000 an hour!

[@AllCarswithJon]

LOL. Wow, prices have really skyrocketed!

[@davinp]

I don't know why Ford discontinued and replaced it with a new model. The Japanese don't do that. For example, Toyota has made the Corolla for more than 50 years. They keep redesigning and improving it. The Americans Automakers (GM, Ford, and Chrysler (not American) just keep cancelling cars and replacing with a new model

[@UncleJoeLITE]

_PS: the "F" is used by Ford trucks Jon, eg F-150 etc._

[@AllCarswithJon]

Well, yes and no. They standardized around the "F" for cars and "E" for Suvs many years after the "F" in F-150 or F-100, etc. was established. Never really got how they rationalized that to themselves. However, within trucks they don't have a convention they Follow. F-150, Ranger, Maverick.

[@Richard-Bullock]

There was a good reason why Ford changed the name from Escort to Focus here in Europe. The final generation of the European Escort model was absolute garbage! Universally panned by the media and by owners. Ford wanted to disassociate it's brand new car from that poor reputation.

[@Joolz777]

👍👍👍👍👍😎😎😎😎😎

[@DD-dj4jr]

The 3rd US Escort was such a POS it destroyed name value. Gen 1 and 2 were competitive and competent.

[@michaeloreilly657]

Same thing in Europe.

[@GOPRepubliklan]

They need to bring it back as a no-frills reliable economical $20k EV. They won't but the Koreans likely will. I owned 5 over the years from 92-99. Loved them. Reliable, cheap, did everything it promised and lasted 300k+ miles each time.