Ford Escort RS Turbo S1

Brand: Sunstar
Material: Diecast
Type: Opening features (4)
Scale: 1:18
Model: 1985 Ford Escort RS Turbo Series 1
Limited Edition: no
Release RRP: £34.99

Straight out of the box..

One of the First 1:18 scale Fords that people flocked to buy back in the late 2000’s, I remember that back before this release we were busy converting Sunstar XR3’s into turbo look a-likes, as a side project I used to make decals for models and this was one of the more popular kits.. maybe a story for another day!

Anyway I’m slightly off topic and this old Diecast from Sunstar is Superb especially at its release price which I got mine for £35 back in the day, a fully opening diecast (which is rare these days) it ticked all the boxes for a teenager that grew up in the 80’s and 90’s, these cars were the stuff of dreams! and was now available in my Diecast collection in the following decade.

The Ford Escort MK3 Series 1 RS Turbo by SunStar came out in 2 variants and the other was a Black version which was rare for the real car and is nicknamed the Princess Diana RS Turbo, supposedly because she owned one , I was unaware of this fact. So the box is a standard open window box with a plastic plinth holding the model in and cardboard insets.

In detail the exterior.

Painted in the Classic Diamond white of the RS Turbo S1, this models is a lovely replica of a much loved and appreciating classic , all the details are there and boy they really did a great job, the full RS body kit, colour coded bumpers all set the RS turbo apart from its Escort brothers the XR3, XR3i and RS1600i, featuring the same spoiler as the XR3 family but colour coded to the body colour (XR3’s had a black foam like spoiler).

The front sports the 3 bar grille and the signature Ford spotlights that were all the rage for that era, the bumpers are well moulded and show the original cars 3 piece design very well.

Moving to the side, there is the wing RS decal and the faded out Strip along the bottom swage line. The 15″ Alloys taken from its Racing Brother the RS1600i (of which I owned back in the day) sports a 7 spoke design with a RS centre cap, normally Firestone tyres were the pick of the day at the time. The oversized arch kit and side sills cover the wheels nicely and give the RS Turbo is unique look. On top is the sunroof, doesn’t open but on the real car this would have been a manual tilt and slide with a slide over sunshade.

The rear of the RS Turbo sports a rear wiper, the single level spoiler and the MK3 rear lights which again are very well done here by SunStar, in between is the UK style number plate and below that is the bumper complete with bump stops. even the towing eye is present. the only downside is the tiny exhaust that would have looked more at home on a 1.1L escort, that and the positioning of it are less than acceptable.

In detail the interior space.

Inside the models cabin is where you will find a simple layout, but faithful to the original car, a grey interior with splashes of blue and decals for dials and some black highlighting, Recaro seats and a 3 spoke steering wheel. The rear hatch opens to reveal a hinged parcel shelf and a spare wheel”, last time I saw this in a 1:18 model was the Kyosho Supra, so that is a nice finish to the boot. In detail the interior space.

Keen eyed collectors or fans will notice that there are no engine bay shots, well on this model I couldn’t easily get the bonnet up so I left it, I can tell you though it is a very nice representation of the RS’s 1.6 Litre CVH turbocharged engine, whilst not up with Autoart’s and Kyosho’s of its day it was a bloody good effort that I thought for the price point was great.

Inside the models cabin is where you will find a simple layout, but faithful to the original car, a grey interior with splashes of blue and decals for dials and some black highlighting, Recaro seats and a 3 spoke steering wheel. The rear hatch opens to reveal a hinged parcel shelf and a spare wheel”, last time I saw this in a 1:18 model was the Kyosho Supra, so that is a nice finish to the boot.

Verdict?

This is where my collection diverts from the full on JDM collection to a place of my late teens, out driving in the ‘hot hatchs’ that were so prominent in the late 80’s and early 90’s, so I have a nostalgic spot for certain cars either ones that I’ve owned or do own (right up until present day), this part is smaller but features some iconic road cars from Europe.

Overall I love this model and if you like Fords, Classics or generally have a diverse collection you need to find one of these models, faithfully recreated and looks stunning with other ford models from any era!

Good news! if your a ford fan it would be hard to find this model in the 2020’s however Sunstar are re-releasing this model in 2021 so get ready!