How many versions of the Ford Escort were there?
The Ford Escort has six major European generations and three major North American generations, with the ZX2 sport coupe variant appearing in the later American lineup. In total, there were multiple distinct generations and notable variants across markets.
The question of how many versions the Escort had depends on how you define “version.” In practice, automotive historians distinguish generations (design generations or Mk series in Europe, and model-year generations in the United States) and also count notable variants like the ZX2. What follows is a breakdown by region and a quick note on the variant that most people remember outside Europe.
European generations (Mk1–Mk6)
In Europe, Ford produced six major Escort generations, labeled Mk1 through Mk6. Each generation spanned several years and reflected design, safety, and regulatory updates typical of its era. The following list enumerates these generations and their approximate production windows.
- Mk1 Escort (1968–1974)
- Mk2 Escort (1974–1980)
- Mk3 Escort (1980–1986)
- Mk4 Escort (1986–1990)
- Mk5 Escort (1990–1995)
- Mk6 Escort (1995–2000)
These six Mk generations defined the Escort lineup across Europe until the name was phased out in favor of the Ford Focus around the late 1990s to 2000s in most markets.
North American generations and ZX2 variant
In the United States and Canada, the Escort nameplate existed in three major generations, with the ZX2 sport coupe introduced later as a notable variant based on the third-generation platform. The periods below reflect common model-year breakdowns used by manufacturers and automotive historians.
- First-generation Escort (1981–1988)
- Second-generation Escort (1989–1996)
- Third-generation Escort (1997–2003), including the ZX2 two-door sport coupe variant introduced in 1997
These North American generations and the ZX2 variant illustrate how Ford adapted the Escort to U.S. and Canadian buyers, culminating in the Philippines-wide shift away from Escort to Focus in the early 2000s in most markets.
Summary
Short answer: there were six European generations of the Ford Escort (Mk1–Mk6) and three North American generations (1981–1988, 1989–1996, 1997–2003), with the ZX2 sport coupe being a notable US variant introduced in 1997. The Escort name is no longer in active production in most markets, having been largely replaced by the Ford Focus.
