Page 17 - Beep Beep November 2022

Diana Princess of Wales Escort RS Turbo sells for $1.2 million
The car was sold at auction at the end of August in the UK to a UK buyer for £724,000.
This Ford Escort RS Turbo was delivered new to the Princess in August 1985 however it was not the first Escort she had owned. Prince Charles bought her a silver Escort Ghia in 1981 at the time of their engagement – that car sold in 2021 for £52,000 ($91,500).
It is understood that the Princess bought a red convertible Escort Cabriolet to replace the Ghia but the security services were not happy with her owning the car as it did not offer much privacy or protection. Princess Diana then decided on the RS Turbo. As Ford only produced the model in white, which was not considered an appropriate colour as it would stand out too much in traffic, Ford provided a one-off example in black for the Princess which suited everyone! Other modifications to the car included a secondary rear view mirror as well as a radio in the glove box for the use of the protection officer accompanying the Princess.
The RS Turbo was used by the Princess for about three years and was returned to Ford in May 1988 having only clocked up about 6,800 miles (11,000 kms).
All photos and information in the public domain. Editor
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