MEET THE OWNER – AUBONE BRADDON AND HIS FORD ESCORT GHIA MK. II
By Andrew Roberts |
4th December, 2020
‘People really like her. I think it is because she is exactly as she came out of the showroom and not been made into another modified Escort in bright orange. She appeals to all ages. The longer I have kept her, the more interest she gets’. Aubone is an Anglia enthusiast of many years standing, but his taste in Fords is not restricted to the 105E. MFJ 839 W is one of the last Escort Mk. IIs – and it looks quite resplendent in “Diamond White”.
“Project Brenda” entered production on 2nd December 1974 and in contrast to the outgoing Mk. I, the Mk. II featured more overtly “European” lines. There was also a new flagship in the form of the Ghia – ‘the Escort with everything’. The Ford brochure for May 1975 featured a couple in evening dress, as this was a small saloon for the socially aspirational motorist who regularly staged candlelit suppers.
To a 2020 reader, the idea of an Escort boasting a ‘colour-keyed cut pile carpet’ may seem as quaint as a repeat of Robin’s Nest. However, the Ghia was deservedly successful in its chosen market sector – more contemporary in its appeal than the Vanden Plas 1500 and more opulent than the Vauxhall Viva 1300 GLS. The likes of the Citroën GS Pallas would have seemed too outré for the average 1970s Ford driver while the Triumph Dolomite 1500 looked dated in comparison with the Escort.
The Ghia was available in 1,298cc and 1,599cc forms, the latter offering very useful performance. Aubone points out that:
The 1.6 Ghia was fitted with a GT engine with higher lift camshaft and a four branch manifold along with a bigger valve head. The gearbox was a close-ratio sports gearbox, and the rear diff was a 3.5 RS2000 diff. This was standard equipment for the 1.6 Ghia and the same spec as an Escort Sport or Harrier. With a bit more comfort, of course.
And the Ghia offered comfort indeed, as the owner gained a car with a remote control driver’s door mirror, a vinyl roof, tinted glass, and a MW/LW radio. The seats were trimmed in ‘Crushed Velour/Verona’ fabric, the dashboard was veneered in ‘Real wood’, and there was even a ‘chrome gearshift lever’. With such a list of fittings, it is important to bear in mind that the bottom of the range Popular Plus offered a ‘dipping rear view mirror’ as a luxury feature.
By 1980 Ford was planning the debut of the FWD Mk. III in September of that year. MFJ was ‘locally registered with an Exeter registration. She has her original bill of sale and full history with MOTs and previous owners etc...’. The Ghia also has a most unusual history as ‘she once belonged to a Fireman who used the car on fire shouts with blue lights fitted to the rear shelf and “Fireman On Call” written in the front and rear window. The Devon Fire crest can still be seen when the windows steam up.’
Aubone also notes ‘the car has had four owners and I have spoken to all but the first’. He acquired his Escort when nobody wanted a four-door Ghia. It is very different now. They have become very popular. The car still has the original Ford radio and is totally original to its specification. Not to mention the fact that it more than lives up to the brochure’s promise of ‘Super Stylish Value For Money’.
With Thanks To:
Aubone Braddon
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