Car statistics

Ford Escort RS Turbo statistics

How many Ford Escort RS Turbos are still on the road in Great Britain, how many are declared off the road, and how the RS Turbo compares with other versions of the Ford Escort. Built from DVLA licensing records.

A version of the Ford Escort. Recorded by DVLA as “ESCORT RS TURBO”.

Last updated
Records analysed
4,418 Ford Escort RS Turbo records (licensed and SORN)
Methodology
View methodology
  • Licensed in Great Britain 504 +0.6% on a year earlier
  • Declared SORN 3,914 Off the road, not taxed
  • Still registered 27.4% Other Ford Escort versions 2.0%
  • Licensed in 1994 16,037 when this data begins
  • Share of Ford Escorts 9.5% of those licensed or SORN
  • Declared off the road 88.6% of those still registered are SORN

How many Ford Escort RS Turbos are left in Great Britain?

There were 504 Ford Escort RS Turbos licensed in Great Britain at the end of March 2026, and a further 3,914 declared off the road (SORN). The licensed count is 96.9% lower than the 16,037 in 1994, when this data begins. More are declared SORN than are licensed: 88.6% of those still registered are off the road.

Ford Escort RS Turbos licensed and SORN in Great Britain

This data records SORN from 2007, so the SORN line starts there.

Ford Escort RS Turbos licensed and declared SORN in Great Britain at the end of each year
Year LicensedDeclared SORN
1994 16,037
1995 14,826
1996 14,023
1997 12,982
1998 11,490
1999 10,015
2000 8,324
2001 7,208
2002 5,846
2003 5,017
2004 4,211
2005 3,410
2006 2,609
2007 2,0752,540
2008 1,6902,478
2009 1,4572,492
2010 1,0962,580
2011 9762,639
2012 8422,609
2013 6823,077
2014 6613,077
2015 7163,162
2016 6793,297
2017 6183,524
2018 5563,638
2019 5513,711
2020 5603,745
2021 5673,794
2022 5293,866
2023 4673,906
2024 4703,871
2025 4713,913
2026 5043,914

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Fuel type

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

How many Ford Escort RS Turbos have survived?

27.4% of Ford Escort RS Turbos are still registered (licensed or SORN), measured against the most on the road at any year end since 1994. For other versions of the Ford Escort from the same era, the figure is 2.0%, so Ford Escort RS Turbos are 13.7 times as likely to have survived.

Share still registered (licensed or SORN)

Compared with 82 other versions of the Ford Escort from the same era.

Share of Ford Escort RS Turbos still registered compared with other Ford Escort versions of the same age
Version Share still registered
Ford Escort RS Turbo 27.4%
Other Ford Escort versions of the same age 2.0%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of March 2026 Updated

Ford Escort RS Turbo engine sizes and fuel types

Of the 477 Ford Escort RS Turbos licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, 97.1% have an engine of 1,501cc to 1,600cc.

Engine sizes, end of 2025

DVLA records engine size in 100cc bands.

Ford Escort RS Turbos licensed in the UK at the end of 2025, by engine size
Engine size Share of those licensed
1,501cc to 1,600cc 463 licensed 97.1%
Other sizes 14 licensed 2.9%

Source:DfT / DVLA End of 2014 to end of 2025 Updated

Engine size and fuel together, end of 2025
Engine size Fuel Licensed Share
1,501–1,600cc Petrol 463 97.1%
1,601–1,700cc Petrol 8 1.7%

United Kingdom figures from DfT table VEH0220 (licensed cars at the end of each year, SORN excluded), so they differ slightly from the Great Britain counts elsewhere on this page. This covers cars DVLA records under this version’s name only; the Ford Escort page covers every version. How we use engine sizes.

Other versions of the Ford Escort

Versions of the Ford Escort with their own page. The Ford Escort page covers all 12,342 licensed, whatever the version.

Ford Escort RS Turbo compared with other versions of the Ford Escort
Version Licensed SORN Still registered
Ford Escort RS Turbo 504 3,914 27.4%
Ford Escort Cabriolet 460 2,678 12.9%
Ford Escort XR3i 449 2,448 3.1%
Ford Escort RS2000 612 1,173 52.1%
Ford Escort RS Cosworth 246 1,071 80.4%
Ford Escort Mexico 638 497 14.7%
Ford Escort RS Custom 516 388 100.0%
Ford Escort RS 439 401 100.0%
Ford Escort GTI 89 642 4.9%
Ford Escort Popular Plus 277 419 5.2%
Ford Escort 1100 L 268 352 25.8%
Ford Escort XR3i Cabriolet 71 548 23.5%
Ford Escort 1300 L 290 298 16.9%
Ford Escort Ghia Cabriolet 97 394 24.1%
Ford Escort 1300 XL 241 248 45.2%
Ford Escort RS1600i 190 287 50.1%
Ford Escort 1100 Base 208 235 31.1%
Ford Escort XR3 165 265 3.5%
Ford Escort 1300 GL 190 236 6.3%
Ford Escort Calypso 91 298 17.4%
Ford Escort 1300 Base 150 147 17.2%
Ford Escort Ghia X 36 229 2.7%
Ford Escort RS2000 4x4 18 245 55.6%
Ford Escort 1300E 141 112 71.9%
Ford Escort 1300 GT 127 110 100.0%
Ford Escort Deluxe 95 135 100.0%
Ford Escort Sport 116 103 8.9%
Ford Escort SI Cabriolet 26 176 14.9%
Ford Escort Super 89 100 91.7%
Ford Escort Mexico II 93 80 100.0%
Ford Escort 1600 Ghia 51 66 6.1%

Data sources and methodology

Datasets used on this page
Figures Source Period Records Updated
Licensed and SORN counts Vehicle licensing statistics Department for Transport End of March 2026 4,418 Ford Escort RS Turbo records (licensed and SORN) 15 September 2026
  • Figures cover Great Britain (England, Scotland and Wales). Northern Ireland is not included.
  • Licensed counts are vehicles with a current tax or exemption at the end of each year (or the latest quarter). SORN counts are shown separately, from 2007.
  • This version groups DVLA’s detailed model names “ESCORT RS TURBO”. Engine size, gearbox, number of doors and fuel are ignored, so every engine and gearbox counts together.
  • Survival compares the number still registered (licensed or SORN) with the most licensed at any year end since 1994, plus any first registered after that year. Other versions are those of the same model whose licensed count peaked in the same years, up to 2001.

Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.