Corgi Unveils Modelzone Exclusive 'Essex Boy' Ford Escort

Corgi has unveiled a pre-production shot of its latest Vanguard model. The 'Essex Boy' Ford Escort Mk3 XR3i is being produced exclusively for ModelZone and is expected to be released any day now, which means you can pre-order the item. Of course, the model is by no means complete in the picture and still needs a bit of a paint job but actually, this rather beat up version probably represents the typical boy racer XR3i a bit better!

We must admit we particularly love that so-bad-it's-good 'Made in Essex' windscreen sticker running aross the top of the window - that certainly wouldn't look out of place on the streets of Essex. Also, below you can read a little history on the real thing:

In order to compete with Volkswagen's Golf GTI, a hot hatch version of the Mk3 was created from the outset — the XR3. Initially this featured a tuned version of the 1.6 L CVH engine fitted with a twin-choke Weber carburettor, uprated suspension and numerous cosmetic alterations. Despite the initial lack of a 5-speed transmission and the absence of fuel injection, the XR3 instantly caught the public's imagination and became a cult car which was beloved by boy racers in the 1980s. Fuel injection finally arrived in 1983 (creating the XR3i), along with the racetrack-influenced RS1600i. The final performance update arrived in the form of the turbocharged 132 PS (97 kW) RS Turbo model in October 1984.