Guide price: £15000 - £18000.
- Finished in a delightful shade of Amethyst Pink Metallic with a classic grey interior
- In truly remarkable condition showing just 12,450 miles having lived a sheltered life
- Supplied new by Mellor Ford of Rochdale. One owner until May of this year
- Fully electric roof, electric windows, mirrors and central locking. Piranha alarm. Bespoke indoor car cover
 When Ford launched the Escort XR3, the benchmark VW Golf GTi had ruled the hot hatchback market for several years. However, Ford's new offering was a package that combined the looks, performance, and handling demanded by customers in the early eighties. With the introduction of the fuel injected XR3i in 1983, performance was further improved and the XR range captivated a new younger audience who had moved on from the old rear-wheel drive Escorts beloved by their parents. Also introduced in 1983, the Escort Cabriolet in both XR3i and Ghia specifications was Ford of Europe's first convertible since the 1960s. Based around a reinforced monocoque chassis, the convertible was engineered by German coachbuilder Karmann. An elegant and practical design, it featured the same all-round independent suspension, rack and pinion steering and brakes as its more common hatchback siblings. Powered by a fuel-injected 1597cc SOHC four-cylinder engine allied to a five-speed manual transmission, the XR3i Cabriolet was capable of nearly 120mph and became the 'darling' of the 1980s overnight.This stunning 1989 XR3i is finished in a delightful shade of Amethyst Pink Metallic with a classic grey interior and is in truly remarkable condition showing just 12,450 miles having lived a sheltered life in the care of its one owner till May of this year. Supplied new by Mellor Ford of Rochdale, it was registered from day one with the number plate URT 71 which remains on the car today and is the subject of an amusing story. The car's first owner had suffered an unfortunate motorcycle accident in 1971and some years later was casually looking through an advert for Personalised Number Plates and spotted URT 71 reminding him of the accident in which he had been URT in '71. The plate was purchased and remained on retention until the purchase of the Escort from Mellors in 1989.The car itself is remarkably original and still rides on its factory fitted Dunlop SP Sport tyres. Options specified from new include a fully electric roof, electric windows, mirrors and central locking. As you might expect from long-term caring ownership the car comes with full documentation, books, tax discs, older MoTs, and the current MoT Certificate. The Piranha alarm works and both keys are present. There is also a bespoke indoor car cover pleasingly finished with amethyst pink piping.Silverstone Auctions has gained a well-deserved reputation for sourcing remarkable cars with low mileage and low ownership, and this delightful XR3i Cabriolet fits the bill perfectly. So, if you are in the market for a superbly presented, very low mileage example of Ford's groundbreaking little cabriolet in a particularly distinctive hue, this lovely car from 35-year ownership may well fit the bill.