Corgi VA14904 Ford Escort Mk2 RS2000, Merseyside Police

As more motorways were built in the 1960s Police traffic patrol cars diverged into two distincttypes; large 6-cylinder cars were used to patrol motorways while rapid, powerful but compactcars, often vehicles initially developed for rallying, were used in urban areas. The Escort modelledwas supplied by local Ford RS dealers Blakes, one of a second batch of 15, and entered servicewith Merseyside Police in January 1981 based at Smithdown Lane Police Station. Merseyside hada serious problem with vehicle crime in this era and needed urban patrol cars that could be usedin pursuits but also perform more mundane duties successfully. Their fleet of over 25 RS2000sfitted the bill perfectly.Merseyside Police initially used Mk1 Escort Mexicos in this role before replacing them with Mk2Escort RS2000s and may have been influenced in this choice by local politics as Ford had a plantat Halewood and were a major employer. The example modelled was used for road rallying afterbeing sold by the police in 1983 but since 2015 has been owned by former Humberside PoliceTraffic Patrol Officer, Graham Carter. He spotted the car for sale on the internet, recognised itsnumber plate and realised its historical significance. It was in reasonably good condition and,unusually, still featured its original steel wheels. Graham spent a year restoring it to its originalpolice specification fitting the correct brown interior and recreating the original livery.