Ford Escort History

Compact car · 1981–2003

Catalog record

This is a brief catalog introduction with limited source documentation. A licensed, identity-checked lead photograph has not yet been added for this page. Detailed year, configuration and ownership coverage must be identified separately; this page is not a complete vehicle catalog.

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History

The North American Escort launched for 1981 as Ford's front-wheel-drive replacement for the Pinto, conceived as a 'world car' alongside the European Escort.

It became one of America's best-selling small cars across two main generations; the second generation shared engineering with Mazda. The sporty ZX2 coupe closed out the line in 2003.

Body styles

Notable special editions & performance variants

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