| Specification | Detail |
|---|---|
| Engine | 4.0-litre Cosworth BDG |
| Redline | 10,000 rpm |
| Power | ~380 bhp |
| 0-60 mph | 3.9 seconds |
| Top Speed | 170 mph (limited) |
| Price (Current Slots) | £385,000 |
| Build Allocation | 25 units (Sold Out) |
The 10,000rpm Cosworth Masterpiece That Shocked the Rally World
When Boreham Motorworks unveiled its 1970 Ford Escort Mk1 “Mk1 RS” in January 2025, the £354,000 price tag grabbed headlines. But the spec sheet stole the show. Tucked beneath that iconic, box-flared body sits a 4.0-litre Cosworth BDG engine that screams to a 10,000 rpm redline. It kicks out roughly 380 bhp, all sent through a Hewland straight-cut dog-leg gearbox. Independent testing by Evo Magazine in June 2026 proved the numbers are no joke: 0-60 mph in 3.9 seconds, 0-100 mph in 8.4 seconds, and a limited top speed of 170 mph. Yet the real story isn’t just speed - it’s the obsessive engineering that makes this car a category killer.
Boreham founder Mark Rudd didn’t mince words in a January 2025 Top Gear interview: “Nobody else could build this car.” And he’s right. The bespoke FIA-approved tubular spaceframe chassis, the in-house forged pistons, the titanium con-rods - these aren’t off-the-shelf parts from a restomod catalog. This is a ground-up, race-bred rebuild that treats a 1970s icon like a modern endurance prototype. A February 2026 patent filing for a “variable-length intake trumpet” system - which keeps the 10,000 rpm peak alive without sacrificing low-end torque - proves Boreham isn’t just bolting on parts. They’re inventing new ones. That’s why all 25 build slots, at £354k base, sold out by March 2026, with the price climbing to £385,000 for the final seven chassis due to component inflation and Cosworth engineering fees.
📊 10,000 rpm redline - The highest ever achieved in a road-legal 1970s-bodied car, enabled by a patented variable-length intake system.
From Goodwood to the RAC Rally: The First Deliveries Are Here
The wait is finally over for the lucky 25. First customer cars rolled out in June 2026, and the very first example made its public debut at the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July 2026 - pulling crowds with that screaming, 10,000 rpm soundtrack that no modern V8 can replicate. But Boreham isn’t letting these cars sit in climate-controlled garages. FIA historic rally homologation landed in May 2026, clearing the path for the 2027 Historic Rally Championship. Two customer cars are already confirmed for the brutal 2026 RAC Rally of the Tests this November. This is a show-and-go machine, not a museum piece.
As of August 15, 2026, Boreham’s quarterly production report shows 18 of 25 chassis are complete, with the remaining seven in assembly - all scheduled for delivery by March 2027. That’s a gruelling build pace for a car with this level of hand-finishing. Yet Boreham has managed the limited run with military precision. The FIA homologation, the Goodwood showcase, and the upcoming rally entries all reinforce what Mark Rudd claimed a year ago: this isn’t just another Escort restomod. It’s a homologation special built for competition, not concours trophies.
📊 18 of 25 chassis built - Production is 72% complete as of mid-August, with all remaining units on track for March 2027 delivery.
The £385k Question: Is It Worth Double the Rivals?
Naturally, the price has drawn sharp criticism. A scathing Car Magazine review in August 2026 pointed out that the Mk1 RS by Mk1 Performance delivers a comparable experience for £150,000 - less than half the Boreham’s current £385,000 asking price. But that comparison misses the point. The Boreham isn’t just about nostalgia or even straight-line speed. It’s about the 10,000 rpm redline, the torque-vectoring system - a first for any 1970s-bodied car - and the variable-length intake trumpets that make the Cosworth BDG tractable on the street and ferocious on a rally stage. The Hewland gearbox alone is a race-spec component you’d expect in a purpose-built hill climb car, not a road-legal classic.
