Opinions.

[john johnson]

Originally Posted by Kenquattro

From a collector's point of view, it is a very early one, being an '82 reg. The Press Launch cars were reg Nov '82 (from memory).

The steering wheel is of a later '84 Model Year on car. The earliest XR3is had the same two spoke steering wheel as the XR3 very briefly, before the were fitted with the same style three spoke steering wheel as this one, but leather rimmed.
Looking through the rebuild pics, it has it's original two spoke steering wheel.
The bonnet looks to be not closed properly, rather than being out of alignment.

It is amazing how few of these are left, when you think how common they were new.

Some Press Launch stuff.













The Two Spoke steering wheel in an early XR3i.

Mines got that stereo and it sounds Shyte

[geneandbolly]

Is that Ayrton Senna at it AGAIN??! It looks like he's there on a BET!!



I don't know about the old XR3 - it just looks kinda weird and mis-shapen, somehow. Odd.

Now, this is FAR more like it, in my Old Ford book . . .

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C733297#

I always LOVED the Mk2 . . .

[geneandbolly]

Love it, love it, LUVVIT!! As bizarre as the "coffee and cream" look was, it was
thee Mk4 Cortina in my book, as featured in the sales catalogue of the time . .

http://www.carandclassic.co.uk/car/C733724

[Kenquattro]

Originally Posted by john johnson

I'd love a mk3i Ken , very rare beast in concourse nick though and the trim doesn't seem to wear very well at all . They are starting to rise in value now the the 16i has gone ballistic on the value front .

I have always preferred the XR3i to the RS16i/Turbo.

The trim on them looked superb, back then Audi interiors were vile in comparison, usually brown etc.

It was easy to see why they were so popular.

The later Mk4 (C-H Reg) XR3i was proper pants, though, as was the original early XR3 (W-Y Reg).

XR3 Launch pic.

[Minty]

Originally Posted by Kenquattro

XR3 Launch pic.

This was taken during the making of a TV add, filmed on the western end of the not-yet-opened M56 extension in summer 1981. I saw it being prepared - it was a massive undertaking as they did various passes for the camera with different models of the new Mk3 escorts - there were hundreds of cars. Were they built at Halewood Ken?

[john johnson]

The xr was a very good car , I thought the s1 was a bit flakey back then and the 16i was more hardcore and rare ( still is )
I'd love a minter

[Kenquattro]

Originally Posted by Minty

This was taken during the making of a TV add, filmed on the western end of the not-yet-opened M56 extension in summer 1981. I saw it being prepared - it was a massive undertaking as they did various passes for the camera with different models of the new Mk3 escorts - there were hundreds of cars. Were they built at Halewood Ken?

I have heard that it was shot on a stretch of the M4 in late 1980 before it opened. Don't know for sure.

They were built at Halewood (I lived in Halewood as a kid) and also Germany (never lived there ).

Unsurprisingly, the German built cars seem to have outlasted the Halewood built cars.

[Kenquattro]

Originally Posted by Minty

This was taken during the making of a TV add, filmed on the western end of the not-yet-opened M56 extension in summer 1981. I saw it being prepared - it was a massive undertaking as they did various passes for the camera with different models of the new Mk3 escorts - there were hundreds of cars. Were they built at Halewood Ken?

There is info on the XR Owners Club Forum stating that it was on the M4. 500 XR3s, all Sunburst Red with front fogs/sunroofs etc and sporting TTW ***W regs were parked on the M4 (before it opened), and the photographer took 60 pics from the bridge of them stationary, and moving.

These days, it would be Photoshopped.

Link,

http://www.xrstyle.co.uk/forums/arch...p/t-13576.html

[Minty]

Your pic is from a different time then. There was a TV ad for the main model range late in the W-reg year (I guess about June '81); I saw them doing practice runs with numerous cars in exact formation - I was assuming they'd have done the XR3 at the same time.
When it was happening the car wasn't out - when did the original Mk3 launch?

[Kenquattro]

Sep 80 for the MK3, Nov 80 for the XR3.