There is only one genuine factory built MK1 RS2000 in existence and
this is a brief introduction as to how it came about!
Originally, there were three MK1 Mexico estates built at Ford's AVO
factory. They were all made in 1972 although, in 1974, one of them (VEV 678L) returned and
was changed into an RS2000 estate. The cars bodyshells were strengthened in a similar way
to their rallying relations and everything ahead of the doors matched the sporting
specifications of the saloon cars on which they were based. The rear end, however, was
constructed from the more ordinary estate panels although beneath the surface there was
the proper Mexico/RS2000 running gear.
VEV 678L - The Only Genuine RS2000 Estate
Unfortunately, the cars never went into full production. They
reached the press evaluation stage but went no further as the project was shelved. This
was probably due to rumours about the impending closure of the AVO factory although nobody
seems to know for certain.
