What car did the Ford Escort replace?
The Ford Escort replaced the Ford Anglia 105E in Europe, starting around 1968 in Britain and across Ford's European markets.
In Europe, the Escort was introduced to modernize Ford's small-car lineup, moving from the Anglia’s older design to a contemporary, front-wheel-drive compact. In other regions, the Escort's role varied as Ford pursued a global compact-car strategy, with the nameplate serving different purposes in different markets over time.
European replacement: Anglia as predecessor
European context
In Ford's European lineup, the Anglia 105E had been the standard small family car, but Ford introduced the Escort as its direct successor in the late 1960s.
Before listing the key points, this section explains how the Escort took over the Anglia’s position in Europe and what that replacement looked like in practice.
- Ford Anglia 105E (1959–1967) was the direct predecessor to the Escort in the European compact segment.
- The Escort introduced a modern front-wheel-drive layout, replacing the Anglia’s older rear-wheel-drive design in Ford's European lineup.
- In the UK and most of Europe, the Anglia was phased out as the Escort became the new standard in the compact family-car class.
In Europe, Ford’s Anglia effectively gave way to the Escort, which established the new benchmark for Ford’s compact cars for years to come.
Global context and later markets
Global perspective
Beyond Europe, the Escort’s adoption followed different paths. The model was positioned as Ford’s global compact, with impacts that varied by region rather than a single one-for-one replacement.
Before listing the key points, this section highlights how the Escort functioned in markets outside Europe and why the replacement story isn’t uniform worldwide.
- In the United States, the first-generation Ford Escort (1981–1990) did not replace a single previous model; it was introduced as Ford’s new front-wheel-drive compact for the American market.
- Over subsequent generations, the Escort name became Ford’s globally marketed compact, with different markets transitioning from older models at different times and often sharing platforms with European designs.
Outside Europe, the Escort’s role was focused on global branding and product strategy rather than a straightforward, one-model replacement in every market.
Summary
Across regions, the Ford Escort’s European origin was to replace the Ford Anglia 105E in Europe. Globally, the Escort evolved into Ford’s universal compact nameplate, shaping Ford’s approach to small-car design and market alignment without a uniform, one-for-one replacement in every country.
What replaced the Escort?
The European Escort had long been a quintessential mid-size family hatch since the 60s, spawning much loved rally models and performance variants. Ford knew the replacement would have big shoes to fill. But fill they did. In 1998 the Focus hatchback was born.
What replaced the Ford Escort?
Ford introduced the Ford Focus in North America for 2000 as its third "world car", phasing it in as the successor of the Escort.
What was wrong with the Ford Pinto?
The main problem with the Ford Pinto was its dangerous fuel system design, which could cause the gas tank to rupture and catch fire in rear-end collisions. This was due to the tank being placed behind the rear axle, with little to no protection from impact and exposed bolts on the differential housing. Ford knew about the defect, which was inexpensive to fix, but prioritized production speed and cost over safety.
Design flaws and consequences
- Fuel tank placement: The gas tank was located behind the rear axle, making it vulnerable to puncture in a collision.
- Lack of protection: The car's rear structure lacked reinforcement, and the gas tank was not adequately protected from the rear axle's bolts.
- Fuel leaks: In a rear-end collision, the gas tank could be punctured by the rear axle bolts, leading to a fuel leak that could be ignited by sparks or the hot exhaust system.
- Door jams: The car's body could deform in a crash, potentially jamming the doors shut and making escape difficult.
Ford's response
- Known defect: Ford's own crash tests revealed the fuel tank issue, but company executives decided not to implement the simple, inexpensive fixes.
- Cost-benefit analysis: Ford calculated that it was cheaper to pay for potential lawsuits and damages than to recall all the cars and fix the defect, a decision famously documented in a internal "Pinto Memo".
- Recall: After public and legal pressure, Ford eventually issued a recall in 1978 to implement a plastic shield to protect the fuel tank from the differential bolts, along with other improvements.
What car took over the Ford Escort?
Ford Escort (Europe)
| Ford Escort | |
|---|---|
| Related | Ford Orion (1983–1993) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Ford Anglia (UK) |
| Successor | Ford Focus Ford Laser (Australasia) Ford Meteor (Australia) Ford Transit Connect (for Escort van) Ford Escort (China) |
