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The Mk1 Ford Escort is one of Britain’s favorite cars, lauded as a rally hero and beloved for bringing accessible performance to the mainstream masses in its heyday, not unlike the Mustang on this side of the pond. Numerous outfits have created Escort restomods, and many of them are excellent, but Boreham Motorworks is doing something a little different, creating a new segment it calls “continumod.” The name is apt because this is, as Boreham describes it, “a blueprint-accurate, period-sympathetic vehicle built new.”

That means it aims to capture the spirit of the original car in much the same way as a continuation car, with “approved chassis numbers from the original manufacturer,” but instead of making an exact recreation like Bentley does with the Blower, for example, the Boreham Escort Mk1 RS has been modernized in some subtle ways.

A Choice Of Two Engine Options

As standard, the Boreham Escort gets an upsized 1,854 cc Twin Cam engine developing 182 horsepower, which it sends to the rear axle via a straight-cut synchromesh four-speed manual called the “Ford Bullet” transmission. Sure, that’s not a lot of power, but Boreham is targeting a final weight figure of 1,764 lbs, so there’s not much mass to hustle around. Moreover, the car has no power steering, no anti-lock braking system, no traction control, and no brake servo. Basically, this is as pure a driving experience as one can get – even more so than a Miata. Boreham promises “a visceral driving experience with controllable oversteer that is perfectly balanced.” Speaking of balance, the weight is distributed 55:45 front-to-rear.

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If you want more power, there’s a motorsport-derived 2.1-liter four-cylinder engine weighing less than 187 lbs, revving to 10,000 rpm, and developing 296 hp. This also gets a titanium exhaust, and instead of the four-speed, a five-ratio dogleg gearbox has been fitted.

Acceleration and top speed figures have not been provided, but that’s not what this car is about; this car is all about the handling experience, which ought to be fantastic, with an aluminum and titanium fully floating rear axle, an ATB limited-slip differential, and coilover suspension on all four corners. 15×7-inch four-spoke wheels fill the front arches, with 8-inch wide wheels on the rear. Four-piston calipers with vented discs are in front, while solid discs are bitten down on by two-piston calipers at the rear.

Interior, Pricing, And Production Volume

Inside, the cabin has been updated with heated front and rear windshields, modern air conditioning, and a full roll cage with removable door bars. The cabin mixes leather, anodized aluminum, and Alcantara to create a racy look without too much luxury, and the infotainment system with CarPlay doesn’t stand out unnecessarily. The deep-dished steering wheel and fabric door pulls add more motorsport-inspired flavor, and they don’t seem to overpower the overall feel of the classic Escort.

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If you’re interested in one of these, you’ll need deep pockets; making custom door handles, mirrors, and other billet components – not to mention new LED lighting, carbon fiber interior substrates, and an all-new all-steel body – is not cheap. Production of the 150-unit run begins in the third quarter of next year, and pricing starts at £295,000, or $376,212 at the time of writing. That’s a lot of money and doesn’t factor in options like the available forged magnesium wheels and whatever custom touches may be requested, but at least you get a two-year/20,000-mile warranty.