Let me be blunt. The 1990 Ford Escort XR3i Alf Cabrio was never the best hot hatch of the 1980s. The Golf GTI was better built; the 205 GTI handled with more genius. But this Karmann-bodied, front-wheel-drive, manual convertible has become something those rivals largely have not: a survivor, and an increasingly coveted one. So before you dismiss it as a hairdresser's runabout, read on.
Built by Karmann, aimed at Wolfsburg
The Escort was, by 1982, Britain's best-selling car, and the drop-top — the first from Ford Europe since the Corsair of the 1960s — was the work of coachbuilder Karmann, hand-finished in Osnabrück. The Cabriolet featured full XR3 spec, including its firm suspension, illustrating Ford's confidence in Karmann's strengthening of the shell to allow roof removal without flexing. The car began life as one of the first dream projects of the new European Ford design chief Patrick Le Quément in 1981, and the 50,000th Escort Cabriolet rolled off the line in February 1988. Its target was, of course, the Golf GTI.
Under the bonnet sits the 1.6-litre CVH four, here in the 90-spec form where Ford replaced the Bosch mechanical system with electronic injection, driving the front wheels through a five-speed manual. No turbo lag, no flappy paddles, no drive-by-wire numbness. Just a naturally-aspirated engine, a physical gearlever and steering that talks back. The cabriolet was softer and heavier than the hatch, so some scuttle shake was inevitable on rougher roads. But with the roof down it does the one thing modern convertibles have engineered out: it feels honest.
This is a June 1990 car, from the very end of Mk4 production, finished in a brave shade of blue, wearing German historic plates and an MOT into 2029. That it was built in Germany is the good news, because unlike the hatch, made in strike-hit Saarlouis and Halewood, the cabrio was made by Karmann in Osnabrück to a much higher standard. The seller lists a fresh timing belt, new hood with glass window, rebuilt rear brakes and repaired accident damage, all with invoices — reassuring on a car showing around 162,000 km. At €5,900 it sits at the lower end. Inspect the battery tray, bulkhead, rear chassis rails, sills, floor and the front mounts of the rear trailing arms, and check the front discs, which in true 1980s fast Ford fashion are prone to warping.
Extinction, quietly approaching
Here's the thing. The Mk4 XR3i has long lived in the shadow of the Mk3 and the RS Turbo, but you can now expect £8000-£10,000 for an excellent example, and cars already carrying historic status tend to catch the collector's eye. The coachbuilt convertible, the manual box, the naturally-aspirated engine — all are quietly going extinct. Worth a closer look, then, but only after a proper inspection, a careful read through those invoices and a rummage under the carpets for rot. Buy the best, or don't bother.
