Dream All You Want, You Just Can’t Afford This Ford Escort RS Scale Model

Scale models normally cost a small fraction of the real car, and for good reasons: they’re nothing more than toys, no matter how fancy they may look.

This classic Ford Escort Mk2, which is inspired by the rally car driven by Ari Vatenen in the late 1970s, however, is actually a piece of art, as it’s been made on a 1:25 scale using gold, silver, diamonds and other gemstones.

The man behind the project, Russell Lord, a professional jeweler and car enthusiast who has owned 55 (!) full-sized Escorts over the years, started working on it 25 years ago. He literally invested a fortune in it, and it’s estimated that the materials alone cost £78,000 (~$101,000/€90,000). And that’s without counting the thousands of hours spent to complete the model.

“It’s been a hobby that I’ve come back to again and again, but three years ago, I determined to finish it”, explained Lord. “I know this car inside out, so there were no plans, I just built it from the ground up piece by piece.”

Just by looking at the pictures, you can see the stunning attention to detail. The body and floorpans are made of solid silver, whereas gold has been used on the bonnet hinges and rear spoiler. The front grille is made of white gold, there are 65-point diamond headlights, 75-point lower spotlights and 1-carat upper spotlights (1 carat equals 100 points). Orange sapphires have been used for the front and rear indicators, the brake lights are rubies and the rear Ford logo is actually a sapphire.

Other details include the moving, diamond-encrusted platinum gear stick, adjustable pedal box, handbrake that moves and reclining navigator’s seat. Coming up with the glass windows was no easy task either, as countless vases are said to have been smashed to find the sections with the right curve.

The impressive scale model will be auctioned off by TheMarket, on May 2, and profits will be donated to several children’s charities.

https://vimeo.com/303244854