Rare ‘one-of-a-kind’ Ford Escort was found stripped in Essex

A classic ‘one-of-a-kind’ Ford Escort RS Turbo was found stripped of its parts after being stolen in Essex.

The car had undergone numerous customizations and modifications, making it a valuable and a total one-off.

Unfortunately for the owner, the car was stolen before being discovered in a residential car park three days later – having been completely stripped of its parts.

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The car was considered a ‘one-of-a-kind’

Sadly, vehicle theft is all too common.

In 2023, police in Essex shared footage of them busting a $1.3 million supercar ‘chop shop’, which was packed with top-of-the-range stolen vehicles, including Ferraris and Bentleys.

Meanwhile, cops in Canada discovered a stolen hoard of classic cars worth $3 million.

The ultra-rare Ford Escort RS Turbo had ‘had a lot of custom work completed and was considered a ‘high-value one-of-a-kind car’, according to Essex Police.

Following the theft – and the discovery – of the ultra-rare Ford, cops in the area warned locals to remain vigilant.

Communities were told to report any vehicles that appeared ‘out of place’ after local residents revealed to police they knew the Ford didn’t belong to their neighbors. 

“This vehicle had been seen by local residents,” the force said in a post on social media in March when the incident occurred.

“They recognized the vehicle did not belong to their neighbors.

“Suspicious behavior around the vehicle was also seen. Sadly, in those three days the vehicle was stripped.”

Essex police urged people who see anything suspicious to get in touch

The post went on to say a special task force – dubbed Operation Sculptor – had been created to help combat vehicle crime in the area, including increased patrols and covert vehicle use.

“Hopefully, over the past few months the community would of [sic] seen the increase of recoveries and arrests relating to vehicle crime on our social media pages,” they added.

“We rely on information from our communities to help us tackle issues like this, so we hope that local residents consider contacting us if or when they see anything out of place or suspicious.”

Last month, police in Essex said their ‘hard work was paying off’ as car thefts decreased in the area.

Between April and June of this year, 130 fewer vehicles were stolen compared to the last year – a drop of 8.5%.

The force also said it had secured 85 charges for vehicle theft in the last 12 months.

Keep up the good work, guys.