The Mk1 Ford Escort is best remembered for its heroics on rally stages, powersliding through muddy forest tracks and earning early success in the World Rally Championship. But it also made its mark in touring car racing. In 1968, Alan Mann Racing took the Escort to victory in the British Saloon Car Championship – the precursor to today’s BTCC.

That achievement is now being honoured with the latest continuation model by Boreham Motorworks. The Ford Escort Alan Mann 68 Edition is a faithful recreation of the title-winning Mk1 built for the track.

Only 24 of these cars will be made, each carrying official continuation chassis numbers provided by Ford and Alan Mann Racing. What sets them apart is their eligibility for FIA Historic Technical Passports, meaning they’re not just built to look the part – they’re cleared to race in period-correct historic motorsport events.

Unlike Boreham’s previously announced RS Continumod, a road-going reinterpretation of the Mk1 Escort with modern touches, the 68 Edition is a track-only machine. There are no concessions to comfort or convenience here. Built to Group 5 homologation standards, the car is part of Boreham’s ‘Ultra Series’ – a line reserved for uncompromising race-spec builds.

Boreham's engineers began by stripping down and scanning the original 1968 BSCC-winning car, chassis XOO 349F. From those digital scans, they created full CAD models to recreate parts using modern manufacturing techniques – without deviating from the original specs. Final assembly and setup are carried out by hand at Alan Mann Racing’s site in Chobham, not far from where the original cars were built in the late '60s.

The engine also keeps things faithful. Where the RS Continumod offers a choice of 296bhp or 182bhp engines, under the bonnet of the Alan Mann is a 1.8-litre Twin Cam four-cylinder engine producing 202bhp. Revving to 8,000rpm, the engine is mated to a four-speed manual transmission straight out of the period. Weighing in at just 795kg dry, the power-to-weight ratio puts it squarely in the sweet spot for competitive historic racing.

The suspension setup is also true to the era, built around a Group 5-style configuration. MacPherson struts with sliding joints, custom-designed strut tops, and KONI coil-overs all feature, along with a rigid rear axle using a Watts linkage and torsion bar system.

Brakes are solid discs all round – 254mm at the front and 245mm at the rear – grabbed by calipers similar to those used in-period. The car rolls on 13-inch aluminium wheels, styled to match the original magnesium rims, with Avon CR6ZZ tyres keeping things era-appropriate.

Aesthetically, the car wears wide bubble arches and the unmistakable red and gold Alan Mann Racing livery. Buyers can choose between two specs: Period Correct, which mirrors how the car ran in 1969, or Modern Race, which adds contemporary safety gear like an FIA cage, fire suppression system, and racing harnesses to meet modern historic racing requirements.

Each of the 24 owners will also be invited to take part in a curated programme of race events, including training, licence acquisition, and international trackdays organised by Alan Mann Racing.

Deliveries are scheduled to begin in August 2025. Meanwhile, Boreham’s more road-friendly RS Continumod will break cover later this summer.