Long before the Toyota Prius or Honda Insight, the term 'hybrid' in the automotive world used to refer to cars with major components coming from different places, and often a body or chassis from one country and an engine from another. Think De Tomaso Pantera, AC Cobra or, less glamorously, Alfa Romeo Arna. The Ford before us isn't the product of just two countries, however, but three continents.
Ford of Europe was founded in 1967, but it took a few years for the model ranges of Ford of Britain and Germany to truly combine and, until 1971, you could still buy a Taunus in the UK that was largely unrelated to contemporary Ford Cortinas. While Brits have long thought the RS line began with the Escort RS 1600 of 1970 and Advanced Vehicle Operations (AVO) of Aveley, the Taunus was really the first car to wear the now legendary Rallye Sport badge, making its debut on the Taunus P6 15M RS in 1967. A fairly cynical attempt at boosting sales at a time when Opel was outselling Ford in Germany, the strategy nonetheless worked, and the company was convinced of its potential.
Just over a year later, three of the latest RS model, the P7b 20M RS, were entered into the London-Sydney Marathon rally. Two completed the event, the highest of them placing seventh in a competition where just reaching the finish line was considered a success. It was a political win for Ford of Germany, because the Taunus placed higher than any of the British Fords. The 20M RS was entered in the East African Safari Rally just weeks later, with one of the cars fresh from the London-Sydney taking top honours. Before the Escort wrote the initials 'RS' into legend in the 1970s, the 20M RS had earned the sub-brand its first major rally win and proved itself a capable car in the heat and dust of Africa.
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Denne historien er fra September 2022-utgaven av Classic & Sports Car.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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RAY HILLIER
Double-chevron oddity proves a break from the norm for this Crewe specialist
SHORT BACK & GLIDES
Eccentric enthusiast Captain RG McLeod's series of Manx-tailed Bentley Specials reached its zenith with this unique S2 Continental.
People's choice
The diminutive but multi-million-selling Fiat 850 packed a remarkable diversity of form and function into its compact footprint
PLASTIC BREAKS FROM THE NORM
Glassfibre revolutionised niche car-body production, but just occasionally strayed into the mainstream.
A SENSIBLE SUPERCAR
The cleverly conceived four-seater Elite secured Lotus a place at the big players' table, but has it been unfairly maligned since then?
"I had a habit of grabbing second place from the jaws of victory"
From dreams of yachting glory to the Le Mans podium, via a stint at the top of the motorsport tree, Howden Ganley had quite the career
Still going strong
Herbert Engineering staked its reputation on the five-year warranty that came with its cars. A century on, this Two Litre hasn't made a claim
One for the kids
General Motors was aiming squarely at the youth market with the launch of the Pontiac GTO 60 years ago, and its runaway success popularised the muscle-car movement
A NEW BREED OF HERO
Launched at the turn of the millennium, the GT3 badge has already earned a place alongside RS, CS and turbo in Porsche lore.
Brits with SIX appeal
The straight-six engine is synonymous with a decades-long legacy of great British sports cars. Six variations on the sextet theme convene for comparison
