Hatch Heaven

The 1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo S1 was developed by Ford‘s Special Vehicle engineers. At the heart of this car is a 1600cc fuel-injected engine complete with intercooler Garrett T3 turbocharger. It generates 132 PS which is transmitted to the front wheels by a close ratio 5-speed gearbox and limited split differential. As a result, the RS Turbo accelerate from 0-60 in 8.2 seconds with a maximum speed of 125 MPH. To handle this performance, the brakes were upgrade, the suspension was both stiffened and lowered and the wide alloy wheels wore ultra-low profile tires. It even had standard Recaro seats.

As you’ve probably noticed, we tend to favor the classic hatches here, but while the new 2014 Ford Fiesta ST 5-door hatchback will be a bit pricey, it delivers class-leading performance with 197 HP. With an aggressive, sporty design, this ride is Ford’s newest contribution to the world of hot hatches. Fiesta ST offers a 6.5-inch MyFord Touch® screen, unique ST high-mounted rear spoiler, interior trim accents, leather shift knob and seats for that race car feel.

The 1989 Ford Escort 3-door hatchback was quite versatile which made it the best selling car in the world for over six years.

1974 Ford Pinto 3-door Runabout was a basic car with further improvements to the engine (now with 2000 cc – with an option of 2300 cc), the brakes, (now with front disc brakes as standard) for more efficient fade-resistant braking with little pedal effort and the more refined front and rear suspension. With rack and pinion steering, front bucket seats, 4-speed synchromesh transmission and a welded unitized body, it was America’s best selling economy car. These days, they are hard to come by, but check out the 1973 Ford Pinto Runabout on eBay Motors in this post.

The 1978 Ford Fiesta Ghia was engineered and built to exacting standards by Ford of Germany and achieved excellent EPA fuel economy ratings of 46 MPG highway and 34 MPG in the city. Front wheel drive and a transverse-mouned 1.6 liter OHV engine put more over the driving wheels to help improve traction. Its drivability was enhanced by rack-and-pinion steering for more precise control and a MacPherson strut front suspension system for improved directional stability. It had Michelin steel-belted radial tires, front discs brakes, carpeting and a fold-down rear seat. The 3-door Fiesta hatchback was a beautiful value.

1976 Ford Pinto Runabout Squire 3-door hatchback was a small, fun and economical car that was fun to drive. The Runabout went on sale five days after it was shown at the 1971 Chicago Auto Show, and has an MSRP of $2,062.

The Focus Electric, which launched in 2011, is the flagship of the new Ford family of electrified vehicles. Aston Martin must have left behind a few drops of DNA when they left the Ford family because the brand’s new front grill, while very beautiful, has a very strong resemblance.

It has a top speed of 84 mph, with a full recharge is expected to take three to four hours. Our friends at Shiny Side sent us these great images from a current test drive IDM Photo‘s Ian did.

If you like the new Ford Focus, you can now have the opportunity to get your hands on the very beautiful 2013 252 HP ST since the order bank is now open. Its new “Aston Martin”  looking front grill gives it a real mean and nasty look (in a good way) and we’re even partial to this very energetic and bright orange color.

The 1980 Ford Escort MK3 came with either a 1300 OHC or 1600 OHC engine, both with single variable venturi carburetor, automatic choke and electronic ignition. It had 5″ x 13″ styled road wheels with 155/80 SR13 tires and came with halogen headlamps, heated rear window, self checking silicone chip controlled warning light system for front brake pad wear, low washer fluid, oil, coolant and fuel levels.

The interior had reclining front seats trimmed in “York” fabric. Center face level vents with warm air control, side window demisters, perforated headliner, front passenger grab handle, two grab handles in the rear incorporating coat hooks, passenger vanity mirror on sun visor, dipping rear view mirror, cigar lighter, two rear ashtrays, full door/rear quarter trim, front door stowage bins, three speed heater fan, glovebox with lock and document stowage, soft feel two-tone instrument panel, coin box, center console, Ford P21 push-button radio, two-speed wipers with intermittent wipe, load compartment carpet, trip recorder, Quartz clock, special gear shift gaiter and knob, color keyed ribbed carpet, driver’s lower parcel shelf, tilting rear package tray and four spoke soft feel steering wheel.

The 1975 Ford Mustang II Mach 1 hatchback, with it’s (code 2B) bright Red and racy styling said “driving fun starts here”. Ford promoted its 2.8 liter V6 as “authoritative”, and had a 4-speed manual to back it up.

The 1996 Ford Laser hatchback was sold in much of Asia in the late nineties. We didn’t get this in North America because they think we won’t buy hatchback cars. We got the Escort ZX2 instead because it had a trunk.

(text and image source: John Lloyd)

The 1982 1.5s (sport) Ford Laser Hatchback was Ford’s Sports Star that captured the magic of Ford’s performance, value and competition heritage.

Some of the featured equipment included 175/70 low profile radial ply tires, 5″ J steel wheels, sports handling suspension that included a front stabilizer bar and upgraded shock absorbers, 5-speed manual transmission, halogen headlamps, unique black accent treatment and body-side moulding, Super graphic body-side stripe, Right and left remote control exterior mirrors, front mudflaps, stone guard, locking petrol cap, sport fell steering wheel and gear shift, 3-point armrest, driver’s foot rest, unique sports interior with black cloth trim and red accent stripping, deeply contoured separate fold-forward rear seats with recline and adjustable head restraints, automatic return memory on front passenger seat, tachometer, full center console, cut pile carpet, heated rear window and heater with side window demister.

The Ford Laser Hatchback 1500 DOCH sold in much of Asia in the late nineties. It did not come to North America because of the false belief that hatchback don’t sell here. We got the Escort ZX2 instead because it had a trunk. Also available as the Mazda 323 three door (with a different front), but Mazda didn’t sell them here, either. (source: Hugo90)

Ford is doing a great job lately and is celebrating its 35th anniversary this year with the Fiesta Sport Special Edition variant, which is not coming to the US. More on Cartype.

1975 Ford Pinto sold for $2769. It got 34 mpg on the highway and came with all-vinyl bucket seats. The 3-door Runabout’s rear door flips up and the rear seat flips down to give you a five-foot-long carpeted load floor. Optional features included Exterior Decor Group, Deluxe Bumper GRoup and WSW tires.