Mk6 Escort Mexico?

[Hendry]

Was behind one of the above on the way home from work earlier and had never heard of that model before, it looked a bit chavvy with big Mexico decals down the bottom of the doors and a Mexico badge below the Escort one on the boot lid as well as another different Mexico badge on the opposite side of the boot lid where the 16v badge usually is on that shape Escort so thought some idiot had maybe just gone mad with badges and stickers but I just ran the reg through Cartell and it comes up as a Mexico. Google also confirms it's a genuine spec

 

Does anyone have any gen on them, it didn't look particularly special for something wearing a Mexico badge, just looked like a basic poverty Encore spec N reg 5 door Escort in non metallic pogweasel red, with a boot spoiler from a Si/GTi/Finesse spec Escort and some run out finesse model "triangle" centre alloys, which could've been at any time in the past 19 years, what did they have over a normal Escort?

[dollywobbler]

From what I remember, it was just a badge as Ford right royally humped its own heritage in a desperate bid to sell some Escorts.

[Split_Pin]

Sounds like a right miserable bastard of a car but it would be super work to join an OSF Ford forum with it just for the thrill if being told to FRO. That shit would so go viral.

[trigger]

Yes, they weren't anything special, just a boggo 1.8i 16v LX with some extra stickers IIRC, I have a feeling the bumpers weren't even body coloured.

[Rusty Pelican]

Its a MK6 so its shit whatever badge they stick on its arse.

[outlaw118]

Indeed, wot everyone else sed.

 

Just a desperate bid to shift units using / abusing a revered name, before teh Focus appeared.

 

A few stickers and some plaz wheeltrims do not a Mexico make.

[Hendry]

Yes, they weren't anything special, just a boggo 1.8i 16v LX with some extra stickers IIRC, I have a feeling the bumpers weren't even body coloured.

If this one was anything like the rest of them then you are quite correct, black plastic fantastic.

 

I knew there was a fuckload of shite special edition Escorts, that was their speciality, I remember things like the Silhouette, Masquerade, Cabaret, Flight, Finesse, Acapulco, Freedom, Mistral yada yada yada but never thought they'd call one a Mexico even if it came with a GTi bodykit, leather interior and a decent engine, let alone a base model, what next a base model Focus ST/RS?

[Cavcraft]

I had two (bought to sell), they were absolute wank, whoever decided to call them Mexico must have been a bloody brave man. Just (another) shit Mk5/6/7(whatever they are) Escort with different badges.

[trigger]

I used to have the sales leaflet for the Mexico, you could tell they were struggling to market it even from that, I think it might even have been the 1.6i 16v engine, they had front fog lights and white instrument dials and the boot spoiler, this was back in 1995 when the Mk6 first came out, it was quickly replaced by the Si spec.

[CortinaDave]

I had a shot of one. Nothing special about them at all. Its pretty much a boggo LX.

[Hendry]

I used to have the sales leaflet for the Mexico, you could tell they were struggling to market it even from that, I think it might even have been the 1.6i 16v engine, they had front fog lights and white instrument dials and the boot spoiler, this was back in 1995 when the Mk6 first came out, it was quickly replaced by the Si spec.

It's funny when manufacturers do this, they decide to make odd random bizarre specs for some weird reason then struggle to sell them, maybe if they had given it colour coded bumpers/mirrors and a nice at of alloys it might have sold better, white dials fogs and a spoiler are weird things to add to a car to try and shift it.

 

They still do this even now with weird specials, if you are trying to punt a boggo car add something to make it sellable like in this day and age bluetooth or a sat nav etc. but no they add fucking silver door mirror covers and bright interior trim/seats.

[cort16]

Mk6 Mexico. Pfft that's nothing for super shite abuse of your heritage how about the mk5 Escort Harrier?

 

[Rusty_Rocket]

It's shameful how the Ford Motor Company are apparently willing to ruin their heritage simply to shift some hopeless misery-mobiles.

I'm not sure about the recent hot models either; the Focus RS seemed so desperate with its stupid asbo spoilers and colours 

[overrun]

I used to have the sales leaflet for the Mexico, you could tell they were struggling to market it even from that, I think it might even have been the 1.6i 16v engine, they had front fog lights and white instrument dials and the boot spoiler, this was back in 1995 when the Mk6 first came out, it was quickly replaced by the Si spec.

 

I knew some complete sad sack, who referred to his Si Escort as a Sports Injection.

[Richard]

What one was advertised as being a bit like an RS2000, possibly by Jackie Stewart?

[overrun]

What one was advertised as being a bit like an RS2000, possibly by Jackie Stewart?

XR3? "It's a horny looking thing!"

[Negative Creep]

On the plus side you could go around telling everyone you own an Escort Mexico. Just hope there are no follow up questions.

[stuboy]

made to mark 30 years of mexico name..

[Station]

I've just read a Mexico was released in a short run (a few hundred) to celebrate the Mexico rally, and is basically an Si that's been rebadged.

OSF crew will claim they owned loads of these in the day and then pay thousands in 30 years time for was is just a bit of sticky vinyl.

 

I'd post a picture but just imagine a mk6 Escort.

[Split_Pin]

What one was advertised as being a bit like an RS2000, possibly by Jackie Stewart?

"Not unlike the RS 2000" was the exact phrase used several times throughout the advert for the Harrier, although he was referring to the MK5 and not the MK1 or 2. I'd say a Harrier would be a pretty good spot nowadays.

[HillmanImp]

I never thought i would ever say this but that pic of the mk5 Cort posted doesn't half look bad.

[cort16]

They certainly look more appealling than they did at the time. I'd have an RS2000 one no bother. They are really horribly built though I don't think I've been in a flimsier feeling car.

[overrun]

They certainly look more appealling than they did at the time. I'd have an RS2000 one no bother. They are really horribly built though I don't think I've been in a flimsier feeling car.

 

I have always liked the XR3i and RS2000 mk5's. Someone has to!

[fordperv]

I used to have the sales leaflet for the Mexico, you could tell they were struggling to market it even from that, I think it might even have been the 1.6i 16v engine, they had front fog lights and white instrument dials and the boot spoiler, this was back in 1995 when the Mk6 first came out, it was quickly replaced by the Si spec.

They were a 1.6 trig, I had a few 1.8si preferred the earlier one with the winged seats to the later one which had the gti type seats but with fabric instead of half leather also in the later si Ford took most the better standard fit stuff off like 6 speed adjustable wipers, electric mirrors and made it an option

[warren t claim]

Anyone else remember the Mexico they made in 1986? I think it was a tie in with the World Cup.

[In The Pit]

I remember in around 1995/1996 when the MKVI Mexico came out Fast Ford Magazine mentioned that Ford had made a pretty lame job of it.

 

The MKV Harrier was I believe a dealer special only available in Scotland.  (I notice the car in the picture above has a Dundee area code on its plate)

[Ghosty]

Google Images only showed Scottish registered Mk5 Harriers, too.

[ruffgeezer]

You know what? When I worked at Gates, a Ford dealer, I bought my self a 2 owner, 5 year old Escort Gti, I covered around 36k in it and loved it.

 

Sure it wasn't particularly quick, but it covered many miles in comfort.

 

I suppose they are a bit of a wallpaper car, they hang around doing all you ask of them, but unless you have a ridiculous colour, no one really notices it.

[Vince70]

My mate bought a couple of month old pre registered one which I think was the pre facelift mk5 1.4 lx back in the early 90s and which we all thought was great and space age as it had a stereo fitted which came up with the name of the radio station on the screen..

 

I remember him telling us that for the same price the ford dealership was knocking out pre reg XR3/RS2000s as nobody could get insurance on the things..

 

We also had a zetec mk6 Kevscort 1.6 lx at work which the company never got rid of and was used for odd jobs, in the end and my mate bought it with tax and test for £100.

 

The car was awful in every way and was rot as a turd but had been abused all it's life and he got hold of it at 15 years old with 370.000 on the clock (if the clock hadn't gone round every 100,000).

 

It only fired on 3 cylinders all the time he had it but it did start and stop and get him to work in a very juicy fashion in petrol and oil.

 

What did impress me was even at that mileage the drivers seat bolster and base was still in good nick although the pattern of the material reminded me of the carpet in a early 90s travelodge.

 

He was so impressed that a couple of weeks before the mot ran out he part exchanged it for a very late x plate low mileage estate one and told the guy it had a duff coil pack and was high mileage at 174,000 it's the highest mileage sort of clocking (well porky pie) I've come across and he got £300 px for it.

 

I suspect the PX was added on the price anyway but the dealer was going to send it to auction, that's one car I hope no one bought on the auction thread.

[cort16]

Weird we were just talking about them and this one appears for sale on RR

 

http://retrorides.proboards.com/thread/164609/1991-harrier-essex-350-ono