Still with carburetor
You never forget your first love. That’s why we look back with unknown Dutch people on their very first car. We kick off with a real enthusiast car, the Ford Escort XR3 from Jan-Kees van Herk. We go back to 1981.
You can start your car career worse than with an Escort XR3, and a new one too.
“That’s a nice story. My wife Frieda and I went for a neat Ford Escort 1.6 GL in the beautiful midnight blue. We ordered it from our savings at the Haarlemse Auto Centrale. Then we got a call. Because of strikes, that car could not be delivered for the time being. So whether we wanted to come by again to pick something else. Then I saw that strato silver XR3 standing there, which was also 1,500 guilders off. For 23,000 guilders it was ours. Secretly a much nicer car than the one we had ordered. So as proud as a peacock we went on our way.”
Were you a bit of a speed demon in those days?
“Well, I was allowed to step on the gas pedal a little bit. For that time it was a smooth car, it was one of the last versions with carburetor, so before the XR3i came. I also found the road holding so inviting. Shortly after we had the car, I was stopped on the Randweg of Haarlem. I was a little too eager when I tried to catch the green wave. But I explained that I just had the car and the officer on duty also liked my Escort, so luckily I got away with a warning.”
You haven’t left him completely original.
“I thought the car was beautiful, but I couldn’t help but pimp it a little. So at some point there was a red piping along the side and a type designation on the exterior mirror units, broad beam headlights in the grille and behind and between the taillight units I mounted such a large reflector plate. I liked to be busy with it and to embellish it a bit further.”
You even rented a garage to safely store the car?
“Yes, and I had bought lock bolts for the light-alloy wheels, because they were a bit of the icing on the cake. In the garage, the car was also on an alarm that I had installed. At one point that alarm went off while I was still in bed on Sunday morning. But there was nothing wrong, it turned out that boys were playing football and when the ball hit my garage door, the alarm was activated.”
Made nice long trips?
“We always went on vacation with it. I remember a winter sports holiday. Drove to Austria in record time. Only on the spot we didn’t have any use for the snow chains because the tires were too wide … But in the fresh snow on the left lane I had enough grip.”
But everything came to an end, because he eventually had to clear the field.
“Yes, with pain in our hearts we eventually traded it in. For a larger car, because the first of our three beautiful daughters was coming. So that became a Ford Sierra. A bit more family car, but of course not as fun as the Escort, that was my favorite car.”
Wife Frieda poses next to the tough Escort in front of the entrance to the Zandvoort circuit. Note the rotary disc wheels!
A red piping on the side and a reflector between the taillights. Jan-Kees has pimped his Escort considerably.
Should not be missing on a fast 80s car: fog lights.
The Escort XR3 made such an impression that Jan-Kees created a separate photo album for it.
