The virtually unused 1980 Mark II Escort RS2000 Custom is in immaculate condition and has previously been owned by two Ford collectors who just liked to look at it.
The motor has maintained it’s original diamond white paintwork and there are even marks on doors and the underside from the factory sponges used during its pre-delivery inspection.
There was a huge crowd in attendance as the RS200 was brought out and it drew gasps from an awestruck audience.
An inevitable and intense bidding war then got underway with interest on the phone, online and in the room.
It was eventually sold on the phone to a UK collector, who paid a hammer price of £87,000.
With fees added on the total price paid by the buyer was £97,000.
The sale represents a huge hike from when it was first bought in 1980 when Mr FN Dunstan, of Nottingham paid just £4,993.80 for the car to order.
Mr Dunstan covered just 700 miles before selling it to a keen Ford collector, who stored it in an air-tight chamber to perfectly preserve it, in the 1980s.
It remained in his ownership until around eight years ago, when he decided to sell it to a fellow Ford collector, with whom it had remained with until last week.
The white rally car has a four-cylinder 1.8 litre Cosworth engine which gives it a top speed of 108mph.
It has a chocolate brown interior typical of the era and the dashboard is lined with leather, however the seats are predominantly cloth.
There is no radio or aerial.
The car was sold by Silverstone Auctions, Warwickshire, who say the Escort was a true one-off.
The auctioneers’ classic car specialist, Joe Watts, said: “I’ve never seen anything like this car – it even smells new inside.
“It is like it just came out of the factory.
“In perfect showroom condition and with only 900 miles on the clock, there is just nothing else like it.
“It has almost mythical status among Ford fans and it had bidders fighting over it.
“We had bids on the phone, on the internet and in the sale room but it eventually sold to a prominent UK collector who won the car with a phone bid.”