1985 Ford Escort

In North America, the Escort was part of the Ford model lineup from 1980 to 2003, initially serving as the successor of the Ford Pinto. The smallest, most compact vehicle in the line, it was produced across three generations with the first generation being a subcompact before being promoted to a compact platform.

The first generation of the Escort was built from 1981 to 1984 on the CE14 platform with a 94.2-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 169.4 inches. Its wheelbase was nearly identical to the Pinto but its height was three inches taller and its length was nearly six inches longer. Power was from a 1.6- or 1.9-liter inline 4-cylinder engine or a Mazda-built 2.0-liter four-cylinder diesel engine. A four-speed MTX-II manual was standard while the five-speed MTX-III manual and 3-speed ATX/FLC automatics were optional.

The 1985 Ford Escort was initially a carry-over from the previous year before the arrival of the 1985½ mid-way through the year. Mechanical updates to the early cars included a new position for the reverse gear on both the four- and five-speed manual transaxle. The 1985½ Escorts came with a new optional 1.9-liter four-cylinder engine. The standard powerplant remained as the 1.6-liter (97.6 cubic-inch) inline-4 with overhead camshafts, a cast-iron block, aluminum head, five main bearings, hydraulic valve lifters, and produced 70 horsepower at 4,600 RPM and 88 lb-ft of torque at 2,600 RPM. The High Output version produced 80 horsepower and 88 lb-ft of torque. The standard engine in the Escort LX and GT, and optional in the others, was a fuel-injected version of the 1.6-liter with 84 horsepower at 5,200 RPM and 90 lb-ft at 2,800 RPM. The turbocharged 1.6-liter fuel-injected inline-4 produced 120 hp at 5,200 RPM and 120 lb-ft at 3,400 RPM. Rounding out the extensive list of engine options included a diesel four-cylinder unit with a 2.0-liter (121 CID) displacement, a cast-iron block, aluminum head, solid valve lifters, five main bearings, and delivered 52 hp at 4,000 RPM and 82 lb-ft at 2,400 RPM. A four-speed manual transaxle was standard, and a five-speed manual and three-speed automatic were optional. The steering was by a rack-and-pinion system and disc brakes were at the front while drums were at the rear. The wagons and diesel-powered engines had standard power brakes.

The Ford Escort was offered as a two- and four-door hatchback and a station wagon (the station wagon was available on the L and LX trim levels). Trim levels included the 'base,' the 'L,' the 'GL,' the 'LX,' and the 'GT.'

Both the 'base' and the 'L' trim levels had a bright, three-row horizontal grille with think vertical bars across each row, and a blackout front-end treatment flanked by halogen headlamps. The list of standard equipment included bright bumpers, side window demisters, day/night mirror, short black bumper end caps, heater/defroster, and cloth/vinyl high-back reclining front bucket seats. The 'L' had a brushed aluminum B-pillar and both had bright moldings on the backlight, belt, windshield surround, headlamps, and drip rail.

The 'base' was offered as a two- and four-door hatchback priced at $5,620 and $5,830 respectively. The 'L' was priced at $5,875 for the two-door hatchback, $6,090 for the four-door hatchback, and $6,300 for the station wagon.

The GL trim added an AM radio, low-back seats, additional bright moldings, dual bodyside paint stripes, a remote locking fuel door, a front air dam, and long black bumper end caps with argent stripe. The two-door hatchback had a factory base price of $6,375, the four-door hatchback at $6,590, and the station wagon at $6,765.

The LX trim was offered solely as a four-door hatchback priced at $7,840 and a station wagon at $7,930. Additional standard equipment included fog lamps, locking glovebox, black tri-oval steering wheel, a five-speed manual transaxle, TR performance suspension, styled steel wheels, front and rear bumper guards, power brakes, and blackout body treatment.

The GT trim had dual black remote racing mirrors, wide black bodyside moldings with argent striping, TR performance suspension, tape stripes and decals, black wheel spats, fog lamps, a sport-tuned exhaust system, a remote liftgate release, power brakes, and a five-speed transaxle. They rode on steel wheels with bright trim rings unless the buyer selected the turbo which added aluminum TR wheels and standard power steering. The two-door GT hatchback had a base price of $7,585 and the turbocharged version at $8,680.

With the arrival of the 1985.5 models, prices rose by approximately $300.

by Daniel Vaughan | Jun 2022