A 1970 Ford Escort Mexico, believed to be the oldest known surviving Ford Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) car, is set to be auctioned by H&H Classics.
This particular model is an exceptionally significant one, as it is one of just a few ‘launch’ Mexico cars built in October 1970, a month before official production began. It is anticipated to fetch between £60,000 and £70,000 at the auction, which will take place at the Imperial War Museum, Duxford, on Wednesday, October 9th.
AVO was responsible for producing Ford’s high-performance road production cars, which enjoyed great popularity at the time and continue to attract significant interest today. The car for auction bears an ‘LVX’ Ford press registration plate and underwent a comprehensive restoration to exact original specifications between 2006 and 2017, reportedly costing over £60,000. Additionally, it comes with a substantial history file, including a rare Escort Mexico sales brochure, a copy of ‘Classic Ford’ magazine featuring the car, as well as a copy of the original buff logbook and DVLA ownership history.
During its time with Ford, the car was utilized at Hendon Police College to test trainee pursuit drivers and was later purchased by a police officer from the driving school.
Paul Cheetham, the motor car specialist at H&H Classics, expressed his enthusiasm for offering this 1970 Ford Escort Mexico AVO car for auction, describing it as an unmissable opportunity for any fast Ford enthusiast. The restoration to original factory specification involved keeping as many original parts as possible, and genuine parts were used to replace any that needed replacing.
This particular Mexico is one of the first handful of Escort Mexicos produced, believed to be one of four before official production began, and is also the joint second Mexico registered new to Ford Motor Company on December 4th, 1970. Anticipating keen interest, Paul added, “We expect strong interest in this special model at our auction in October.”
- Interested buyers can bid on the 1970 Ford Escort Mexico AVO car or any other lots in person on the day, via online or telephone bidding, or by leaving a commission bid. For further details or to register to bid, visit www.handh.co.uk.
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