Ford Escort to be auctioned with £70,000 guide price

The Ford Escort Mexico sold for £1,150 when it was first released in the 1970s

A rare Ford Escort Mexico has generated "a lot of interest" despite a guide price of £70,000, an auctioneer said.

The vehicle, built at the car manufacturer's former plant in Aveley, Essex, is to be sold at the Imperial War Museum in Duxford, Cambridgeshire in October.

Built as part of a special line ahead of the 1970 Fifa World Cup in Mexico, the car was restored from a "dilapidated condition" by its owner.

"In terms of provenance and originality, it’s as good as you’re probably going to get," said motorcar specialist Paul Cheetham.

The car was tested at a police training school ahead of its official rollout, having been put together at the former advanced vehicle operations plant in Essex.

It was later purchased by a police officer at the school in 1971, being worth £1,150 at the time.

The car's owner spent £60,000 restoring it from a "dilapidated condition"

Mr Cheetham said the car was "special" due to it being part of the pre-production range.

"It’s generated a lot of interest; it’s been restored by the vendor back to the exacting specifications as it would have left the factory."

The specialist, from H&H Classics, said there would be "very strong interest" when it was up for grabs on 9 October.

The first Ford Escort was made in 1955 as an estate car but the line was discontinued four years later when production figures dwindled.

However, it was reintroduced in 1968 and topped the UK car sales chart for decades afterwards.